diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index b280e5e..3858989 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -200,8 +200,15 @@ func main() {
 				return
 			}
 
+			msg = strings.TrimSuffix(msg, "\n")
+
+			if msg == "" {
+				fmt.Fprintf(w, "empty message")
+				return
+			}
+
 			log.Printf("GOT: sending '%s'\n", msg)
-			err = plugins.SendMDNotice(cli, got_room, msg)
+			err = plugins.SendNotice(cli, got_room, msg)
 			if err != nil {
 				http.Error(w, fmt.Sprintf("can not send commit info: %s", err), http.StatusInternalServerError)
 				return
diff --git a/plugins/plugins.go b/plugins/plugins.go
index df2510f..c6d1515 100644
--- a/plugins/plugins.go
+++ b/plugins/plugins.go
@@ -177,6 +177,26 @@ func SendMDNotice(c *gomatrix.Client, roomID, message string) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+// SendNotice sends an text notice to a given room. It pretends to be
+// "typing" by calling UserTyping for the caller.
+func SendNotice(c *gomatrix.Client, roomID, message string) error {
+	_, err := c.UserTyping(roomID, true, 3)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	_, err = c.SendMessageEvent(roomID, "m.room.message", gomatrix.GetHTMLMessage("m.notice", message))
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	_, err = c.UserTyping(roomID, false, 0)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
 // SendMD takes markdown and converts it to an html message.
 func SendMD(c *gomatrix.Client, roomID, message string) error {
 	md := []byte(message)