diff --git a/ts/session/messages/outgoing/content/data/ChatMessage.ts b/ts/session/messages/outgoing/content/data/ChatMessage.ts
index aeb75e1ca..d75105903 100644
--- a/ts/session/messages/outgoing/content/data/ChatMessage.ts
+++ b/ts/session/messages/outgoing/content/data/ChatMessage.ts
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ import { SignalService } from '../../../../../protobuf';
 import { MessageParams } from '../../Message';
 import { LokiProfile } from '../../../../../types/Message';
 
-interface AttachmentPointer {
+export interface AttachmentPointer {
   id?: number;
   contentType?: string;
   key?: Uint8Array;
@@ -18,28 +18,27 @@ interface AttachmentPointer {
   url?: string;
 }
 
-/** Properties of a Preview. */
-interface Preview {
+export interface Preview {
     url?: string;
     title?: string;
     image?: AttachmentPointer;
 }
 
-interface QuotedAttachment {
+export interface QuotedAttachment {
   contentType?: string;
   fileName?: string;
   thumbnail?: AttachmentPointer;
 }
 
-interface Quote {
+export interface Quote {
   id?: number;
   author?: string;
   text?: string;
   attachments?: Array<QuotedAttachment>;
 }
 
-interface ChatMessageParams extends MessageParams {
-  attachments: Array<AttachmentPointer>;
+export interface ChatMessageParams extends MessageParams {
+  attachments?: Array<AttachmentPointer>;
   body?: string;
   quote?: Quote;
   expireTimer?: number;
@@ -48,11 +47,11 @@ interface ChatMessageParams extends MessageParams {
 }
 
 
-export abstract class ChatMessage extends DataMessage {
-  private readonly attachments: Array<AttachmentPointer>;
+export class ChatMessage extends DataMessage {
+  private readonly attachments?: Array<AttachmentPointer>;
   private readonly body?: string;
   private readonly quote?: Quote;
-  private readonly expireTimer?: number | null;
+  private readonly expireTimer?: number;
   private readonly profileKey?: Uint8Array;
   private readonly displayName?: string;
   private readonly avatarPointer?: string;
@@ -81,7 +80,7 @@ export abstract class ChatMessage extends DataMessage {
       dataMessage.body = this.body;
     }
 
-    dataMessage.attachments = this.attachments;
+    dataMessage.attachments = this.attachments || [];
 
 
     if (this.expireTimer) {
diff --git a/ts/test/session/messages/ChatMessage_test.ts b/ts/test/session/messages/ChatMessage_test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..01806d2e3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ts/test/session/messages/ChatMessage_test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,125 @@
+import { expect } from 'chai';
+
+import { ChatMessage, Quote, Preview, AttachmentPointer } from '../../../session/messages/outgoing';
+import { SignalService } from '../../../protobuf';
+import { TextEncoder } from 'util';
+
+describe('ChatMessage', () => {
+    it('can create empty message with just a timestamp', () => {
+        const message = new ChatMessage({
+            timestamp: Date.now(),
+        });
+        const plainText = message.plainTextBuffer();
+        const decoded = SignalService.Content.toObject(SignalService.Content.decode(plainText));
+        expect(decoded).to.have.deep.property('dataMessage', {});
+    });
+
+    it('can create message with a body', () => {
+        const message = new ChatMessage({
+            timestamp: Date.now(),
+            body: 'body',
+        });
+        const plainText = message.plainTextBuffer();
+        const decoded = SignalService.Content.toObject(SignalService.Content.decode(plainText));
+        expect(decoded.dataMessage).to.have.deep.property('body', 'body');
+    });
+
+    it('can create message with a expire timer', () => {
+        const message = new ChatMessage({
+            timestamp: Date.now(),
+            expireTimer: 3600,
+        });
+        const plainText = message.plainTextBuffer();
+        const decoded = SignalService.Content.toObject(SignalService.Content.decode(plainText));
+        expect(decoded.dataMessage).to.have.deep.property('expireTimer', 3600);
+    });
+
+    it('can create message with a full loki profile', () => {
+        const profileKey = new TextEncoder().encode('profileKey');
+
+        const lokiProfile = {
+            displayName: 'displayName',
+            avatarPointer: 'avatarPointer',
+            profileKey,
+        };
+        const message = new ChatMessage({
+            timestamp: Date.now(),
+            lokiProfile: lokiProfile,
+        });
+        const plainText = message.plainTextBuffer();
+        const decoded = SignalService.Content.toObject(SignalService.Content.decode(plainText));
+        expect(decoded.dataMessage.profile).to.have.deep.property('displayName', 'displayName');
+        expect(decoded.dataMessage.profile).to.have.deep.property('avatar', 'avatarPointer');
+        expect(decoded.dataMessage).to.have.deep.property('profileKey', profileKey);
+    });
+
+    it('can create message with a quote without attachments', () => {
+        let quote: Quote;
+
+        quote = { id: 1234, author: 'author', text: 'text' };
+        const message = new ChatMessage({
+            timestamp: Date.now(),
+            quote,
+        });
+        const plainText = message.plainTextBuffer();
+        const decoded = SignalService.Content.toObject(SignalService.Content.decode(plainText));
+        const id = decoded.dataMessage.quote.id.toNumber();
+        expect(id).to.be.deep.equal(1234);
+        expect(decoded.dataMessage.quote).to.have.deep.property('author', 'author');
+        expect(decoded.dataMessage.quote).to.have.deep.property('text', 'text');
+    });
+
+    it('can create message with a preview', () => {
+        let preview: Preview;
+
+        preview = { url: 'url', title: 'title' };
+        const previews = new Array<Preview>();
+        previews.push(preview);
+
+        const message = new ChatMessage({
+            timestamp: Date.now(),
+            preview: previews,
+        });
+        const plainText = message.plainTextBuffer();
+        const decoded = SignalService.Content.toObject(SignalService.Content.decode(plainText));
+        expect(decoded.dataMessage.preview).to.have.lengthOf(1);
+        expect(decoded.dataMessage.preview[0]).to.have.deep.property('url', 'url');
+        expect(decoded.dataMessage.preview[0]).to.have.deep.property('title', 'title');
+    });
+
+
+    it('can create message with an AttachmentPointer', () => {
+        let attachment: AttachmentPointer;
+
+        attachment = { url: 'url', contentType: 'contentType', id: 1234 };
+        const attachments = new Array<AttachmentPointer>();
+        attachments.push(attachment);
+
+        const message = new ChatMessage({
+            timestamp: Date.now(),
+            attachments: attachments,
+        });
+        const plainText = message.plainTextBuffer();
+        const decoded = SignalService.Content.toObject(SignalService.Content.decode(plainText));
+        expect(decoded.dataMessage.attachments).to.have.lengthOf(1);
+        expect(decoded.dataMessage.attachments[0]).to.have.deep.property('url', 'url');
+        const id = decoded.dataMessage.attachments[0].id.toNumber();
+        expect(id).to.be.equal(1234);
+        expect(decoded.dataMessage.attachments[0]).to.have.deep.property('contentType', 'contentType');
+    });
+
+    it('ttl of 1 day', () => {
+        const message = new ChatMessage({
+            timestamp: Date.now(),
+        });
+        expect(message.ttl()).to.equal(24 * 60 * 60 * 1000);
+    });
+
+    it('has an identifier', () => {
+        const message = new ChatMessage({
+            timestamp: Date.now(),
+        });
+        expect(message.identifier).to.not.equal(null,  'identifier cannot be null');
+        expect(message.identifier).to.not.equal(undefined,  'identifier cannot be undefined');
+    });
+});