diff --git a/js/background.js b/js/background.js
index 8d5ebd1f1..2bbc96db6 100644
--- a/js/background.js
+++ b/js/background.js
@@ -238,6 +238,18 @@
     specialConvInited = true;
   };
 
+  const initLokiMessageAPIs = () => {
+    const ourKey = textsecure.storage.user.getNumber();
+    if (!window.lokiMessageAPI) {
+      window.lokiMessageAPI = new window.LokiMessageAPI(ourKey);
+    }
+
+    if (!window.lokiPublicChatAPI) {
+      // singleton to relay events to libtextsecure/message_receiver
+      window.lokiPublicChatAPI = new window.LokiPublicChatAPI(ourKey);
+    }
+  };
+
   const initAPIs = async () => {
     if (window.initialisedAPI) {
       return;
@@ -1488,8 +1500,8 @@
       return;
     }
 
-    await initAPIs();
-    await initSpecialConversations();
+    initLokiMessageAPIs();
+
     messageReceiver = new textsecure.MessageReceiver(
       USERNAME,
       PASSWORD,
@@ -1525,6 +1537,9 @@
       PASSWORD
     );
 
+    await initAPIs();
+    await initSpecialConversations();
+
     // On startup after upgrading to a new version, request a contact sync
     //   (but only if we're not the primary device)
     if (
diff --git a/ts/components/session/LeftPaneChannelSection.tsx b/ts/components/session/LeftPaneChannelSection.tsx
index f7a9cdd08..c5131f448 100644
--- a/ts/components/session/LeftPaneChannelSection.tsx
+++ b/ts/components/session/LeftPaneChannelSection.tsx
@@ -406,7 +406,8 @@ export class LeftPaneChannelSection extends React.Component<Props, State> {
       return;
     }
 
-    await window.doCreateGroup(groupName, groupMembers);
+    const groupMemberIds = groupMembers.map(m => m.id);
+    await window.doCreateGroup(groupName, groupMemberIds);
     this.handleToggleOverlay(undefined);
 
     window.pushToast({