diff --git a/public/message/output/airnotifier/message_output_airnotifier.php b/public/message/output/airnotifier/message_output_airnotifier.php
index 5ab8915ed45..e260a44c098 100644
--- a/public/message/output/airnotifier/message_output_airnotifier.php
+++ b/public/message/output/airnotifier/message_output_airnotifier.php
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
  * @since Moodle 2.7
  */
 
+defined('MOODLE_INTERNAL') || die();
 
 require_once($CFG->dirroot . '/message/output/lib.php');
 
diff --git a/public/message/output/email/message_output_email.php b/public/message/output/email/message_output_email.php
index 51020e1a762..01055a56dce 100644
--- a/public/message/output/email/message_output_email.php
+++ b/public/message/output/email/message_output_email.php
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@
  * @license   http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html GNU GPL v3 or later
  */
 
+defined('MOODLE_INTERNAL') || die();
+
 require_once($CFG->dirroot.'/message/output/lib.php');
 
 /**
diff --git a/public/message/output/popup/message_output_popup.php b/public/message/output/popup/message_output_popup.php
index 1e1cefba286..e187ea84b09 100644
--- a/public/message/output/popup/message_output_popup.php
+++ b/public/message/output/popup/message_output_popup.php
@@ -22,8 +22,9 @@
  * @license   http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html GNU GPL v2 or later
  */
 
-require_once(__DIR__ . '/../../../../config.php'); //included from messagelib (how to fix?)
-require_once($CFG->dirroot.'/message/output/lib.php');
+defined('MOODLE_INTERNAL') || die();
+
+require_once($CFG->dirroot . '/message/output/lib.php');
 
 /**
  * The popup message processor