diff --git a/src/net/java/sip/communicator/impl/gui/main/contactlist/ContactListTreeCellRenderer.java b/src/net/java/sip/communicator/impl/gui/main/contactlist/ContactListTreeCellRenderer.java
index 294371b71..c67eb8849 100644
--- a/src/net/java/sip/communicator/impl/gui/main/contactlist/ContactListTreeCellRenderer.java
+++ b/src/net/java/sip/communicator/impl/gui/main/contactlist/ContactListTreeCellRenderer.java
@@ -634,8 +634,12 @@ private void initButtonsPanel(UIContact uiContact)
         else
             statusMessageLabelHeight = 15;
 
-         UIContactDetail imContact = uiContact.getDefaultContactDetail(
-             OperationSetBasicInstantMessaging.class);
+        UIContactDetail imContact = null;
+        // For now we support instance messaging only for contacts in our
+        // contact list until it's implemented for external source contacts.
+        if (uiContact.getDescriptor() instanceof MetaContact)
+            imContact = uiContact.getDefaultContactDetail(
+                         OperationSetBasicInstantMessaging.class);
 
         if (imContact != null)
         {