diff --git a/coreapi/chat.c b/coreapi/chat.c
index f94b87862..537a4b7ae 100644
--- a/coreapi/chat.c
+++ b/coreapi/chat.c
@@ -59,6 +59,28 @@ LinphoneChatRoom * linphone_core_create_chat_room(LinphoneCore *lc, const char *
 	}
 	return NULL;
 }
+
+static int chat_room_compare(LinphoneChatRoom* room, const char* to) {
+        return strcmp(linphone_address_as_string_uri_only(linphone_chat_room_get_peer_address(room)), to); /*return 0 if equals*/
+}
+
+/**
+ * Create a new chat room for messaging from a sip uri like sip:joe@sip.linphone.org if not already existing, else return exisiting one
+ * @param lc #LinphoneCore object
+ * @param to destination address for messages
+ * @return #LinphoneChatRoom where messaging can take place.
+ */
+LinphoneChatRoom* linphone_core_get_or_create_chat_room(LinphoneCore* lc, const char* to) {
+	if (ms_list_size(lc->chatrooms) == 0)
+		return linphone_core_create_chat_room(lc, to);
+
+	MSList* found = ms_list_find_custom(lc->chatrooms, (MSCompareFunc) chat_room_compare, to);
+	if (found != NULL) {
+		return (LinphoneChatRoom*)found->data;
+	} else {
+		return linphone_core_create_chat_room(lc, to);
+	}
+}
  
 /**
  * Destroy a LinphoneChatRoom.
diff --git a/coreapi/help/java/org/linphone/core/tutorials/TutorialChatRoom.java b/coreapi/help/java/org/linphone/core/tutorials/TutorialChatRoom.java
index 276d291e5..e3594970b 100644
--- a/coreapi/help/java/org/linphone/core/tutorials/TutorialChatRoom.java
+++ b/coreapi/help/java/org/linphone/core/tutorials/TutorialChatRoom.java
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ public class TutorialChatRoom implements LinphoneCoreListener, LinphoneChatMessa
 
 		try {
 			// Next step is to create a chat room
-			LinphoneChatRoom chatRoom = lc.createChatRoom(destinationSipAddress);
+			LinphoneChatRoom chatRoom = lc.getOrCreateChatRoom(destinationSipAddress);
 			
 			// Send message
 			LinphoneChatMessage chatMessage = chatRoom.createLinphoneChatMessage("Hello world");
diff --git a/coreapi/linphonecore.h b/coreapi/linphonecore.h
index 6f7af4e5d..2397ec293 100644
--- a/coreapi/linphonecore.h
+++ b/coreapi/linphonecore.h
@@ -852,6 +852,7 @@ typedef void (*LinphoneChatMessageStateChangeCb)(LinphoneChatMessage* msg,Linpho
 
 LINPHONE_PUBLIC void linphone_core_set_chat_database_path(LinphoneCore *lc, const char *path);
 LINPHONE_PUBLIC	LinphoneChatRoom * linphone_core_create_chat_room(LinphoneCore *lc, const char *to);
+LINPHONE_PUBLIC	LinphoneChatRoom * linphone_core_get_or_create_chat_room(LinphoneCore *lc, const char *to);
 LINPHONE_PUBLIC LinphoneChatRoom *linphone_core_get_chat_room(LinphoneCore *lc, const LinphoneAddress *addr);
 LINPHONE_PUBLIC void linphone_chat_room_destroy(LinphoneChatRoom *cr);
 LINPHONE_PUBLIC	LinphoneChatMessage* linphone_chat_room_create_message(LinphoneChatRoom *cr,const char* message);
diff --git a/coreapi/linphonecore_jni.cc b/coreapi/linphonecore_jni.cc
index 55ea828bd..b1b93d152 100644
--- a/coreapi/linphonecore_jni.cc
+++ b/coreapi/linphonecore_jni.cc
@@ -1123,13 +1123,13 @@ JNIEXPORT jobject JNICALL Java_org_linphone_core_LinphoneCoreImpl_getPresenceMod
 	RETURN_USER_DATA_OBJECT("PresenceModelImpl", linphone_presence_model, model)
 }
 
-extern "C" jlong Java_org_linphone_core_LinphoneCoreImpl_createChatRoom(JNIEnv*  env
+extern "C" jlong Java_org_linphone_core_LinphoneCoreImpl_getOrCreateChatRoom(JNIEnv*  env
 																			,jobject  thiz
 																			,jlong lc
 																			,jstring jto) {
 
 	const char* to = env->GetStringUTFChars(jto, NULL);
-	LinphoneChatRoom* lResult = linphone_core_create_chat_room((LinphoneCore*)lc,to);
+    LinphoneChatRoom* lResult = linphone_core_get_or_create_chat_room((LinphoneCore*)lc,to);
 	env->ReleaseStringUTFChars(jto, to);
 	return (jlong)lResult;
 }
diff --git a/java/common/org/linphone/core/LinphoneCore.java b/java/common/org/linphone/core/LinphoneCore.java
index b763107d7..cf587e370 100644
--- a/java/common/org/linphone/core/LinphoneCore.java
+++ b/java/common/org/linphone/core/LinphoneCore.java
@@ -705,7 +705,7 @@ public interface LinphoneCore {
 	 *
 	 * @return {@link LinphoneChatRoom} where messaging can take place.
 	 */
-	LinphoneChatRoom createChatRoom(String to);
+	LinphoneChatRoom getOrCreateChatRoom(String to);
 	/**
 	 * Set the native video window id where the video is to be displayed.
 	 * On Android, it must be of type {@link AndroidVideoWindowImpl}
diff --git a/java/impl/org/linphone/core/LinphoneCoreImpl.java b/java/impl/org/linphone/core/LinphoneCoreImpl.java
index bc9d3d1ba..b28646c7b 100644
--- a/java/impl/org/linphone/core/LinphoneCoreImpl.java
+++ b/java/impl/org/linphone/core/LinphoneCoreImpl.java
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ class LinphoneCoreImpl implements LinphoneCore {
 	private native int getPresenceInfo(long nativePtr);
 	private native void setPresenceModel(long nativePtr, long presencePtr);
 	private native Object getPresenceModel(long nativePtr);
-	private native long createChatRoom(long nativePtr,String to);
+	private native long getOrCreateChatRoom(long nativePtr,String to);
 	private native void enableVideo(long nativePtr,boolean vcap_enabled,boolean display_enabled);
 	private native boolean isVideoEnabled(long nativePtr);
 	private native void setFirewallPolicy(long nativePtr, int enum_value);
@@ -385,8 +385,8 @@ class LinphoneCoreImpl implements LinphoneCore {
 	public synchronized PresenceModel getPresenceModel() {
 		return (PresenceModel)getPresenceModel(nativePtr);
 	}
-	public synchronized LinphoneChatRoom createChatRoom(String to) {
-		return new LinphoneChatRoomImpl(createChatRoom(nativePtr,to));
+	public synchronized LinphoneChatRoom getOrCreateChatRoom(String to) {
+		return new LinphoneChatRoomImpl(getOrCreateChatRoom(nativePtr,to));
 	}
 	public synchronized void setPreviewWindow(Object w) {
 		setPreviewWindowId(nativePtr,w);