# Internal server when trying to send new user a personal message – where to start? ideas?
**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/internal-server-when-trying-to-send-new-user-a-personal-message-where-to-start-ideas/408243
**Category:** Self-hosting
**Tags:** personal-messages
**Created:** [22 ביולי, 2026, 12:51pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/internal-server-when-trying-to-send-new-user-a-personal-message-where-to-start-ideas/408243 "2026-07-22T12:51:21Z")
**Posts on this page:** 12
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@stephtara](https://meta.discourse.org/u/stephtara)
#### Post date: [22 ביולי, 2026, 12:51pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/internal-server-when-trying-to-send-new-user-a-personal-message-where-to-start-ideas/408243/1 "2026-07-22T12:51:21Z")
Hello, I just tried sending a personal message to a new user and upon submitting received an internal server error message, no other info. I tried again by clicking “send message” on that user’s profile card, same thing.
I’ve already managed to send personal messages to groups in that past, of that I’m sure.
Where do I start looking/troubleshooting?
Or anybody “guess-know” what might be going on?
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### Author:  [@Andrew\_Rowe](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Andrew_Rowe)
#### Post date: [22 ביולי, 2026, 12:55pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/internal-server-when-trying-to-send-new-user-a-personal-message-where-to-start-ideas/408243/2 "2026-07-22T12:55:38Z")
> [@stephtara](#):
>
> received an internal server error message
a pop up? or console message? Try to capture a screen shot or copy paste the error so we can see please
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### Author:  [@stephtara](https://meta.discourse.org/u/stephtara)
#### Post date: [22 ביולי, 2026, 12:58pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/internal-server-when-trying-to-send-new-user-a-personal-message-where-to-start-ideas/408243/3 "2026-07-22T12:58:15Z")
Added screenshot to post, sorry didn’t do it directly!
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### Author:  [@merefield](https://meta.discourse.org/u/merefield)
#### Post date: [22 ביולי, 2026, 1:03pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/internal-server-when-trying-to-send-new-user-a-personal-message-where-to-start-ideas/408243/4 "2026-07-22T13:03:23Z")
Internal Server Errors are combined with an entry in `/logs` - share the corresponding error and the backtrace
(browser console can sometimes help, but ultimately this is something that snapped in the back end 💥 )
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### Author:  [@stephtara](https://meta.discourse.org/u/stephtara)
#### Post date: [22 ביולי, 2026, 1:06pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/internal-server-when-trying-to-send-new-user-a-personal-message-where-to-start-ideas/408243/5 "2026-07-22T13:06:30Z")
Job exception: unknown keyword: :private\_message\_context
And under backtrace I have a whole lot of stuff, should I copy it all here?
Oh wait seems I didn’t look at the time correctly, might be this actually:
ArgumentError (unknown keyword: :private\_message\_context) lib/plugin/instance.rb:460:in ‘Kernel#public\_send’ lib/plugin/instance.rb:460:in ‘block (2 levels) in Guardian#add\_to\_class’ lib/topic\_creator
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### Author:  [@zogstrip](https://meta.discourse.org/u/zogstrip)
#### Post date: [22 ביולי, 2026, 1:08pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/internal-server-when-trying-to-send-new-user-a-personal-message-where-to-start-ideas/408243/6 "2026-07-22T13:08:41Z")
Are you able to update to latest version of Discourse?
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### Author:  [@stephtara](https://meta.discourse.org/u/stephtara)
#### Post date: [22 ביולי, 2026, 1:11pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/internal-server-when-trying-to-send-new-user-a-personal-message-where-to-start-ideas/408243/7 "2026-07-22T13:11:27Z")
I can do an update but it’ll have to be a little later (in a couple of hours), last two times I did it I ended up having to troubleshoot stuff on the server so I want to do it when I have a bit more time before me than right now (appointment coming up).
Worth doing before worrying more about this error?
Can this have anything to do with the fact I have disabled private messages except to staff (IIRC, need to double-check) – but shouldn’t I, as admin, be able to message anybody?
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### Author:  [@zogstrip](https://meta.discourse.org/u/zogstrip)
#### Post date: [22 ביולי, 2026, 1:12pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/internal-server-when-trying-to-send-new-user-a-personal-message-where-to-start-ideas/408243/8 "2026-07-22T13:12:44Z")
> [@stephtara](#):
>
> Worth doing before worrying more about this error?
Yeah, most of the time, it’s worth being on latest version. Just in case the bug’s already been fixed.
Could also be an incompatibility with a plugin.
> [@stephtara](#):
>
> Can this have anything to do with the fact I have disabled private messages except to staff (IIRC, need to double-check) – but shouldn’t I, as admin, be able to message anybody?
Maybe, although it’s the first time I’ve heard about this specific error.
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### Author:  [@stephtara](https://meta.discourse.org/u/stephtara)
#### Post date: [23 ביולי, 2026, 5:33pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/internal-server-when-trying-to-send-new-user-a-personal-message-where-to-start-ideas/408243/9 "2026-07-23T17:33:24Z")
Hiya! Updated, and indeed, the problem is solved! Thanks so much 🙂
So to answer my question, first troubleshooting step = update Discourse 😉
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### Author:  [@Canapin](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Canapin)
#### Post date: [23 ביולי, 2026, 5:36pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/internal-server-when-trying-to-send-new-user-a-personal-message-where-to-start-ideas/408243/10 "2026-07-23T17:36:17Z")
> [@stephtara](#):
>
> first troubleshooting step = update Discourse 😉
Yeah. Rebuilding and updating Discourse can solve most problems 🙂
It still looks like some kind of magic to me.
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### Author:  [@zogstrip](https://meta.discourse.org/u/zogstrip)
#### Post date: [24 ביולי, 2026, 9:07am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/internal-server-when-trying-to-send-new-user-a-personal-message-where-to-start-ideas/408243/11 "2026-07-24T09:07:44Z")
> [@stephtara](#):
>
> first troubleshooting step = update Discourse 😉
Yeah, Discourse moves so fast that bugs are often quickly discovered and fixed.
This is both a blessing and a curse though (some people want stability, others want all the latest new toys).
Glad your issues are fixed 👍
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### Author:  [@zogstrip](https://meta.discourse.org/u/zogstrip)
#### Post date: [31 ביולי, 2026, 9:07am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/internal-server-when-trying-to-send-new-user-a-personal-message-where-to-start-ideas/408243/14 "2026-07-31T09:07:58Z")
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