diff --git a/message/templates/message_area_contact.mustache b/message/templates/message_area_contact.mustache
index 205b5575aef..b517439d92a 100644
--- a/message/templates/message_area_contact.mustache
+++ b/message/templates/message_area_contact.mustache
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
     along with Moodle.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 }}
 <div class="contact {{#selected}}selected{{/selected}} {{#lastmessage}}{{^isread}}unread{{/isread}}{{/lastmessage}}"
-     data-action="{{#ismessaging}}view-contact-msg{{/ismessaging}}{{^ismessaging}}view-contact-profile{{/ismessaging}}"
+     data-action="view-contact-msg"
      data-userid="{{userid}}" data-messageid="{{#messageid}}{{.}}{{isread}}{{/messageid}}" data-region="contact" tabindex="0">
     <div class="picture">
         <img src="{{profileimageurl}}" alt="" />
diff --git a/message/tests/behat/behat_message.php b/message/tests/behat/behat_message.php
index 7aff12b9a5a..c8f2a8c2ee9 100644
--- a/message/tests/behat/behat_message.php
+++ b/message/tests/behat/behat_message.php
@@ -44,6 +44,30 @@ class behat_message extends behat_base {
      * @param string $userfullname
      */
     public function i_view_contact_in_messages($userfullname) {
+        // Visit home page and follow messages.
+        $this->i_select_user_in_messaging($userfullname);
+
+        $this->execute('behat_general::i_click_on_in_the',
+            array(
+                "//button[@data-action='view-contact-profile']
+                [contains(normalize-space(.), '" . $this->escape($userfullname) . "')]",
+                'xpath_element',
+                ".messages-header",
+                "css_element",
+            )
+        );
+
+        $this->execute('behat_general::wait_until_the_page_is_ready');
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Select a user in the messaging UI.
+     *
+     * @Given /^I select "(?P<user_full_name_string>(?:[^"]|\\")*)" user in messaging$/
+     * @param string $userfullname
+     */
+    public function i_select_user_in_messaging($userfullname) {
+
         // Visit home page and follow messages.
         $this->execute("behat_general::i_am_on_homepage");
 
@@ -63,7 +87,7 @@ class behat_message extends behat_base {
         // can occur in two separate divs on the page.
         $this->execute('behat_general::i_click_on_in_the',
             array(
-                "//div[@data-action='view-contact-profile']
+                "//div[@data-action='view-contact-msg']
                 [./div[contains(normalize-space(.), '" . $this->escape($userfullname) . "')]]",
                 'xpath_element',
                 "[data-region='messaging-area'] [data-region='search-results-area']",
@@ -74,6 +98,7 @@ class behat_message extends behat_base {
         $this->execute('behat_general::wait_until_the_page_is_ready');
     }
 
+
     /**
      * Sends a message to the specified user from the logged user. The user full name should contain the first and last names.
      *
@@ -82,11 +107,7 @@ class behat_message extends behat_base {
      * @param string $userfullname
      */
     public function i_send_message_to_user($messagecontent, $userfullname) {
-        $this->i_view_contact_in_messages($userfullname);
-
-        $this->execute("behat_general::i_click_on", array("[data-action='profile-send-message']", 'css_element'));
-
-        $this->execute('behat_general::wait_until_the_page_is_ready');
+        $this->i_select_user_in_messaging($userfullname);
 
         $this->execute('behat_forms::i_set_the_field_with_xpath_to',
             array("//textarea[@data-region='send-message-txt']", $this->escape($messagecontent))