diff --git a/services/web/app/coffee/Features/Chat/ChatHandler.coffee b/services/web/app/coffee/Features/Chat/ChatHandler.coffee
index e8aff01a26..b77652bc39 100644
--- a/services/web/app/coffee/Features/Chat/ChatHandler.coffee
+++ b/services/web/app/coffee/Features/Chat/ChatHandler.coffee
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ module.exports =
 			json:
 				content:messageContent
 				user_id:user_id
-			uri:"#{settings.apis.chat.url}/room/#{project_id}/messages"
+			uri:"#{settings.apis.chat.internal_url}/room/#{project_id}/messages"
 		request opts, (err, response, body)->
 			if err?
 				logger.err err:err, "problem sending new message to chat"
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ module.exports =
 		qs.before = query.before if query?.before?
 
 		opts =
-			uri:"#{settings.apis.chat.url}/room/#{project_id}/messages"
+			uri:"#{settings.apis.chat.internal_url}/room/#{project_id}/messages"
 			method:"get"
 			qs: qs
 
diff --git a/services/web/config/settings.defaults.coffee b/services/web/config/settings.defaults.coffee
index 6e674a7711..8f28bf9fae 100644
--- a/services/web/config/settings.defaults.coffee
+++ b/services/web/config/settings.defaults.coffee
@@ -88,6 +88,7 @@ module.exports =
 			subdomain: ""
 		chat:
 			url: "http://localhost:3010"
+			internal_url: "http://localhost:3010"
 		templates:
 			port: 3007
 			user_id: process.env.TEMPLATES_USER_ID or "5395eb7aad1f29a88756c7f2"
diff --git a/services/web/test/UnitTests/coffee/Chat/ChatHandlerTests.coffee b/services/web/test/UnitTests/coffee/Chat/ChatHandlerTests.coffee
index b8b6b7b66f..22b6a575cc 100644
--- a/services/web/test/UnitTests/coffee/Chat/ChatHandlerTests.coffee
+++ b/services/web/test/UnitTests/coffee/Chat/ChatHandlerTests.coffee
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ describe "ChatHandler", ->
 		@settings = 
 			apis:
 				chat:
-					url:"chat.sharelatex.env"
+					internal_url:"chat.sharelatex.env"
 		@request = sinon.stub()
 		@ChatHandler = SandboxedModule.require modulePath, requires:
 			"settings-sharelatex":@settings
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ describe "ChatHandler", ->
 					json:
 						content:@messageContent
 						user_id:@user_id
-					uri:"#{@settings.apis.chat.url}/room/#{@project_id}/messages"
+					uri:"#{@settings.apis.chat.internal_url}/room/#{@project_id}/messages"
 				@request.calledWith(@opts).should.equal true
 				done()
 
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ describe "ChatHandler", ->
 			@ChatHandler.getMessages @project_id, @query, (err)=>
 				@opts =
 					method:"get"
-					uri:"#{@settings.apis.chat.url}/room/#{@project_id}/messages"
+					uri:"#{@settings.apis.chat.internal_url}/room/#{@project_id}/messages"
 					qs:{}
 				@request.calledWith(@opts).should.equal true
 				done()
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ describe "ChatHandler", ->
 			@ChatHandler.getMessages @project_id, @query, (err)=>
 				@opts =
 					method:"get"
-					uri:"#{@settings.apis.chat.url}/room/#{@project_id}/messages"
+					uri:"#{@settings.apis.chat.internal_url}/room/#{@project_id}/messages"
 					qs:
 						limit:5
 						before:12345