diff --git a/resources/images/images.properties b/resources/images/images.properties
index f9ea95a71..68e3ffe2f 100644
--- a/resources/images/images.properties
+++ b/resources/images/images.properties
@@ -174,6 +174,9 @@ service.gui.buttons.ADD_CONTACT_BUTTON_SMALL_ROLLOVER=resources/images/impl/gui/
 service.gui.buttons.WEB_BUTTON=resources/images/impl/gui/buttons/webButton.png
 service.gui.buttons.WEB_BUTTON_PRESSED=resources/images/impl/gui/buttons/webButtonPressed.png
 service.gui.buttons.WEB_BUTTON_ROLLOVER=resources/images/impl/gui/buttons/webButtonSelected.png
+service.gui.buttons.SMS_BUTTON=resources/images/impl/gui/buttons/smsButton.png
+service.gui.buttons.SMS_BUTTON_PRESSED=resources/images/impl/gui/buttons/smsButtonPressed.png
+service.gui.buttons.SMS_BUTTON_ROLLOVER=resources/images/impl/gui/buttons/smsButtonSelected.png
 service.gui.buttons.HANGUP_BUTTON_BG=resources/images/impl/gui/buttons/hangupButton.png
 service.gui.buttons.HANGUP_BUTTON_ROLLOVER=resources/images/impl/gui/buttons/hangupButtonRollover.png
 service.gui.buttons.HANGUP_BUTTON_PRESSED=resources/images/impl/gui/buttons/hangupButtonPressed.png
diff --git a/resources/images/impl/gui/buttons/smsButton.png b/resources/images/impl/gui/buttons/smsButton.png
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8f6d64915
Binary files /dev/null and b/resources/images/impl/gui/buttons/smsButton.png differ
diff --git a/resources/images/impl/gui/buttons/smsButtonPressed.png b/resources/images/impl/gui/buttons/smsButtonPressed.png
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8879e72b7
Binary files /dev/null and b/resources/images/impl/gui/buttons/smsButtonPressed.png differ
diff --git a/resources/images/impl/gui/buttons/smsButtonSelected.png b/resources/images/impl/gui/buttons/smsButtonSelected.png
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..bd71f7cd5
Binary files /dev/null and b/resources/images/impl/gui/buttons/smsButtonSelected.png differ
diff --git a/src/net/java/sip/communicator/impl/gui/UIServiceImpl.java b/src/net/java/sip/communicator/impl/gui/UIServiceImpl.java
index 5dfa0d2c2..02771597a 100644
--- a/src/net/java/sip/communicator/impl/gui/UIServiceImpl.java
+++ b/src/net/java/sip/communicator/impl/gui/UIServiceImpl.java
@@ -1538,9 +1538,21 @@ public void createCall(String[] participants)
      * @see UIService#startChat(String[])
      */
     public void startChat(String[] participants)
+    {
+        startChat(participants, false);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Starts a new <tt>Chat</tt> with a specific set of participants.
+     *
+     * @param participants an array of <tt>String</tt> values specifying the
+     * participants to be included into the newly created <tt>Chat</tt>
+     * @param isSmsEnabled whether sms option should be enabled if possible
+     */
+    public void startChat(String[] participants, boolean isSmsEnabled)
     {
         if (participants.length == 1)
-            getChatWindowManager().startChat(participants[0]);
+            getChatWindowManager().startChat(participants[0], isSmsEnabled);
         else
             throw new IllegalArgumentException("participants");
     }
diff --git a/src/net/java/sip/communicator/impl/gui/main/chat/ChatWindowManager.java b/src/net/java/sip/communicator/impl/gui/main/chat/ChatWindowManager.java
index df4ab8856..88a0fb10e 100644
--- a/src/net/java/sip/communicator/impl/gui/main/chat/ChatWindowManager.java
+++ b/src/net/java/sip/communicator/impl/gui/main/chat/ChatWindowManager.java
@@ -921,6 +921,11 @@ public void startChat(  MetaContact metaContact,
     }
 
     public void startChat(String contactString)
+    {
+        startChat(contactString, false);
+    }
+
+    public void startChat(String contactString, boolean isSmsEnabled)
     {
         List<ProtocolProviderService> imProviders
             = AccountUtils.getRegisteredProviders(
@@ -965,7 +970,34 @@ public void startChat(String contactString)
             }
         }
         if (startChat)
-            startChat(metaContact, contact, false);
+            startChat(metaContact, contact, isSmsEnabled);
+        else if(isSmsEnabled)
+        {
+            // nothing found but we want to send sms, lets check and create
+            // the contact as it may not exist
+            List<ProtocolProviderService> smsProviders
+                = AccountUtils.getRegisteredProviders(
+                        OperationSetSmsMessaging.class);
+
+            if(smsProviders == null || smsProviders.size() == 0)
+                return;
+
+            OperationSetSmsMessaging smsOpSet
+                = smsProviders.get(0)
+                        .getOperationSet(OperationSetSmsMessaging.class);
+
+            contact = smsOpSet.getContact(contactString);
+
+            if (contact != null)
+            {
+                metaContact
+                    = metaContactListService.findMetaContactByContact(contact);
+                if (metaContact != null)
+                {
+                    startChat(metaContact, contact, isSmsEnabled);
+                }
+            }
+        }
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/src/net/java/sip/communicator/service/gui/UIService.java b/src/net/java/sip/communicator/service/gui/UIService.java
index 549941df6..d4b0b31cf 100644
--- a/src/net/java/sip/communicator/service/gui/UIService.java
+++ b/src/net/java/sip/communicator/service/gui/UIService.java
@@ -453,6 +453,15 @@ public SecurityAuthority getDefaultSecurityAuthority(
      */
     public void startChat(String[] participants);
 
+    /**
+     * Starts a new <tt>Chat</tt> with a specific set of participants.
+     *
+     * @param participants an array of <tt>String</tt> values specifying the
+     * participants to be included into the newly created <tt>Chat</tt>
+     * @param isSmsEnabled whether sms option should be enabled if possible
+     */
+    public void startChat(String[] participants, boolean isSmsEnabled);
+
     /**
      * Creates a contact list component.
      *