diff --git a/src/node/db/API.js b/src/node/db/API.js
index 77546bd2..edd130e2 100644
--- a/src/node/db/API.js
+++ b/src/node/db/API.js
@@ -432,8 +432,8 @@ getChatHistory(padId, start, end), returns a part of or the whole chat-history o
 
 Example returns:
 
-{"code":0,"message":"ok","data":{"messages":[{"text":"foo","userId":"a.foo","time":1359199533759,"userName":"test"},
-                                             {"text":"bar","userId":"a.foo","time":1359199534622,"userName":"test"}]}}
+{"code":0,"message":"ok","data":{"messages":[{"text":"foo","authorID":"a.foo","time":1359199533759,"userName":"test"},
+                                             {"text":"bar","authorID":"a.foo","time":1359199534622,"userName":"test"}]}}
 
 {code: 1, message:"start is higher or equal to the current chatHead", data: null}
 
@@ -495,14 +495,14 @@ exports.getChatHistory = function(padID, start, end, callback)
 }
 
 /**
-appendChatMessage(padID, text, userID, time), creates a chat message for the pad id
+appendChatMessage(padID, text, authorID, time), creates a chat message for the pad id, time is a timestamp
 
 Example returns:
 
 {code: 0, message:"ok", data: null
 {code: 1, message:"padID does not exist", data: null}
 */
-exports.appendChatMessage = function(padID, text, userID, time, callback)
+exports.appendChatMessage = function(padID, text, authorID, time, callback)
 {
   //text is required
   if(typeof text != "string")
@@ -516,7 +516,7 @@ exports.appendChatMessage = function(padID, text, userID, time, callback)
   {
     if(ERR(err, callback)) return;
     
-    pad.appendChatMessage(text, userID, parseInt(time));
+    pad.appendChatMessage(text, authorID, parseInt(time));
     callback();
   });
 }
diff --git a/src/node/handler/APIHandler.js b/src/node/handler/APIHandler.js
index 48aa6cbc..a9df3abc 100644
--- a/src/node/handler/APIHandler.js
+++ b/src/node/handler/APIHandler.js
@@ -438,13 +438,13 @@ var version =
   , "getChatHistory"            : ["padID"]
   , "getChatHistory"            : ["padID", "start", "end"]
   , "getChatHead"               : ["padID"]
-  , "appendChatMessage"         : ["padID", "text", "userID", "time"]
+  , "appendChatMessage"         : ["padID", "text", "authorID", "time"]
   , "restoreRevision"           : ["padID", "rev"]
   }
 };
 
 // set the latest available API version here
-exports.latestApiVersion = '1.2.11';
+exports.latestApiVersion = '1.2.12';
 
 // exports the versions so it can be used by the new Swagger endpoint
 exports.version = version;
diff --git a/tests/backend/specs/api/chat.js b/tests/backend/specs/api/chat.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..159f30da
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/backend/specs/api/chat.js
@@ -0,0 +1,113 @@
+var assert = require('assert')
+ supertest = require(__dirname+'/../../../../src/node_modules/supertest'),
+        fs = require('fs'),
+       api = supertest('http://localhost:9001');
+      path = require('path');
+
+var filePath = path.join(__dirname, '../../../../APIKEY.txt');
+
+var apiKey = fs.readFileSync(filePath,  {encoding: 'utf-8'});
+apiKey = apiKey.replace(/\n$/, "");
+var apiVersion = 1;
+var authorID = "";
+var padID = makeid();
+var timestamp = Date.now();
+
+describe('API Versioning', function(){
+  it('errors if can not connect', function(done) {
+    api.get('/api/')
+    .expect(function(res){
+      apiVersion = res.body.currentVersion;
+      if (!res.body.currentVersion) throw new Error("No version set in API");
+      return;
+    })
+    .expect(200, done)
+  });
+})
+
+// BEGIN GROUP AND AUTHOR TESTS
+/////////////////////////////////////
+/////////////////////////////////////
+
+/* Tests performed
+-> createPad(padID)
+ -> createAuthor([name]) -- should return an authorID
+  -> appendChatMessage(padID, text, userID, time)
+   -> getChatHead(padID)
+    -> getChatHistory(padID)
+*/
+
+describe('createPad', function(){
+  it('creates a new Pad', function(done) {
+    api.get(endPoint('createPad')+"&padID="+padID)
+    .expect(function(res){
+      if(res.body.code !== 0) throw new Error("Unable to create new Pad");
+    })
+    .expect('Content-Type', /json/)
+    .expect(200, done)
+  });
+})
+
+describe('createAuthor', function(){
+  it('Creates an author with a name set', function(done) {
+    api.get(endPoint('createAuthor'))
+    .expect(function(res){
+      if(res.body.code !== 0 || !res.body.data.authorID) throw new Error("Unable to create author");
+      authorID = res.body.data.authorID; // we will be this author for the rest of the tests
+    })
+    .expect('Content-Type', /json/)
+    .expect(200, done)
+  });
+})
+
+describe('appendChatMessage', function(){
+  it('Adds a chat message to the pad', function(done) {
+    api.get(endPoint('appendChatMessage')+"&padID="+padID+"&text=blalblalbha&authorID="+authorID+"&time="+timestamp)
+    .expect(function(res){
+      if(res.body.code !== 0) throw new Error("Unable to create chat message");
+    })
+    .expect('Content-Type', /json/)
+    .expect(200, done)
+  });
+})
+
+
+describe('getChatHead', function(){
+  it('Gets the head of chat', function(done) {
+    api.get(endPoint('getChatHead')+"&padID="+padID)
+    .expect(function(res){
+      if(res.body.data.chatHead !== 0) throw new Error("Chat Head Length is wrong");
+
+      if(res.body.code !== 0) throw new Error("Unable to get chat head");
+    })
+    .expect('Content-Type', /json/)
+    .expect(200, done)
+  });
+})
+
+describe('getChatHistory', function(){
+  it('Gets Chat History of a Pad', function(done) {
+    api.get(endPoint('getChatHistory')+"&padID="+padID)
+    .expect(function(res){
+      if(res.body.data.messages.length !== 1) throw new Error("Chat History Length is wrong");
+      if(res.body.code !== 0) throw new Error("Unable to get chat history");
+    })
+    .expect('Content-Type', /json/)
+    .expect(200, done)
+  });
+})
+
+var endPoint = function(point){
+  return '/api/'+apiVersion+'/'+point+'?apikey='+apiKey;
+}
+
+function makeid()
+{
+  var text = "";
+  var possible = "ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz0123456789";
+
+  for( var i=0; i < 5; i++ ){
+    text += possible.charAt(Math.floor(Math.random() * possible.length));
+  }
+  return text;
+}