diff --git a/activities/chat/ChatActivity.py b/activities/chat/ChatActivity.py
index 4661eb5c..4205bdd4 100644
--- a/activities/chat/ChatActivity.py
+++ b/activities/chat/ChatActivity.py
@@ -24,5 +24,5 @@ class ChatActivity(Activity):
 		if command == 'connect':
 			self.cmd_connect(args)
 		elif command == 'message':
-			self.cmd_mesage(args)
+			self.cmd_message(args)
 		
diff --git a/shell/ChatController.py b/shell/ChatController.py
index 65bd8c6f..96d2fd00 100644
--- a/shell/ChatController.py
+++ b/shell/ChatController.py
@@ -3,10 +3,21 @@ from sugar.chat.BuddyChat import BuddyChat
 from sugar.activity import ActivityFactory
 from sugar.presence.PresenceService import PresenceService
 from sugar.p2p.Stream import Stream
+from sugar.chat.Chat import Chat
 
 class ChatController:
 	def __init__(self, shell):
 		self._shell = shell
+		self._id_to_name = {}
+		self._name_to_chat = {}
+
+		self._shell.connect('activity-closed', self.__activity_closed_cb)
+
+	def __activity_closed_cb(self, shell, activity_id):
+		if self._id_to_name.has_key(activity_id):
+			name = self._id_to_name[activity_id]
+			del self._name_to_chat[name]
+			del self._id_to_name[activity_id]
 
 	def listen(self):
 		self._pservice = PresenceService()
@@ -18,11 +29,24 @@ class ChatController:
 		self._buddy_stream = Stream.new_from_service(self._service)
 		self._buddy_stream.set_data_listener(self._recv_message)
 
+	def open_chat_activity(self, buddy):
+		service = buddy.get_service_of_type(BuddyChat.SERVICE_TYPE)
+		if service:
+			activity = self._shell.start_activity('com.redhat.Sugar.ChatActivity')
+			activity.execute('connect', [service.object_path()])
+			self._name_to_chat[buddy.get_name()] = activity
+			self._id_to_name[activity.get_id()] = buddy.get_name()
+
+	def _get_chat_activity(self, buddy):
+		nick = buddy.get_name()
+		if not self._name_to_chat.has_key(nick):
+			self.open_chat_activity(buddy)
+		return self._name_to_chat[nick]
+
 	def _recv_message(self, address, message):
 		[nick, msg] = Chat.deserialize_message(message)
 		buddy = self._pservice.get_buddy_by_name(nick)
 		if buddy:
-			activity = self._shell.start_activity('com.redhat.Sugar.ChatActivity')
-			service = buddy.get_service_of_type(BuddyChat.SERVICE_TYPE)
-			activity.execute('start', service.object_path())
-			activity.execute('message', message)
+			activity = self._get_chat_activity(buddy)
+			if activity:
+				activity.execute('message', [message])
diff --git a/shell/PresenceView.py b/shell/PresenceView.py
index 692d8361..ec632881 100644
--- a/shell/PresenceView.py
+++ b/shell/PresenceView.py
@@ -109,9 +109,7 @@ class PresenceView(gtk.VBox):
 		chat = None
 		buddy = view.get_model().get_value(aniter, self._MODEL_COL_BUDDY)
 		if buddy:
-			chat_service = buddy.get_service_of_type(BuddyChat.SERVICE_TYPE)
-			activity = self._shell.start_activity('com.redhat.Sugar.ChatActivity')
-			activity.execute('start', [chat_service.object_path()])
+			self._shell.get_chat_controller().open_chat_activity(buddy)
 
 	def __buddy_icon_changed_cb(self, buddy):
 		it = self._get_iter_for_buddy(buddy)
diff --git a/shell/Shell.py b/shell/Shell.py
index 7b8074a6..0baea0e3 100755
--- a/shell/Shell.py
+++ b/shell/Shell.py
@@ -45,8 +45,14 @@ class ShellDbusService(dbus.service.Object):
 	def log(self, module_id, message):
 		gobject.idle_add(self.__log_idle, (module_id, message))
 
-class Shell:
+class Shell(gobject.GObject):
+	__gsignals__ = {
+		'activity-closed': (gobject.SIGNAL_RUN_FIRST, gobject.TYPE_NONE, ([str]))
+	}
+
 	def __init__(self, registry):
+		gobject.GObject.__init__(self)
+
 		self._screen = wnck.screen_get_default()
 		self._registry = registry
 		self._hosts = {}
@@ -63,8 +69,8 @@ class Shell:
 		self._owner = ShellOwner()
 		self._owner.announce()
 
-		chat_controller = ChatController(self)
-		chat_controller.listen()
+		self._chat_controller = ChatController(self)
+		self._chat_controller.listen()
 
 		self._home_window = HomeWindow(self)
 		self._home_window.show()
@@ -79,7 +85,11 @@ class Shell:
 	def __window_closed_cb(self, screen, window):
 		if window.get_window_type() == wnck.WINDOW_NORMAL:
 			xid = window.get_xid()
-			self._hosts[xid] = None
+
+			activity = self._hosts[xid]
+			self.emit('activity-closed', activity.get_id())
+
+			del self._hosts[xid]
 
 	def get_activity(self, activity_id):
 		for host in self._hosts:
@@ -156,3 +166,6 @@ class Shell:
 
 	def get_registry(self):
 		return self._registry
+
+	def get_chat_controller(self):
+		return self._chat_controller
diff --git a/sugar/activity/Activity.py b/sugar/activity/Activity.py
index cc7d9332..59a9c37c 100644
--- a/sugar/activity/Activity.py
+++ b/sugar/activity/Activity.py
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ class ActivityDbusService(dbus.service.Object):
 		return self._activity.get_shared()
 
 	@dbus.service.method(ACTIVITY_INTERFACE,
-						 in_signature="sao", out_signature="")
+						 in_signature="sas", out_signature="")
 	def execute(self, command, args):
 		self._activity.execute(command, args)