diff --git a/webapp/components/create_comment.jsx b/webapp/components/create_comment.jsx
index 4b5134d23a..df91c72adc 100644
--- a/webapp/components/create_comment.jsx
+++ b/webapp/components/create_comment.jsx
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ export default class CreateComment extends React.Component {
 
         const draft = PostStore.getCommentDraft(this.props.rootId);
         this.state = {
-            messageText: draft.message,
+            messageText: draft.messageText,
             uploadsInProgress: draft.uploadsInProgress,
             fileInfos: draft.fileInfos,
             submitting: false,
diff --git a/webapp/components/textbox.jsx b/webapp/components/textbox.jsx
index bf87d4d452..0164c29ecc 100644
--- a/webapp/components/textbox.jsx
+++ b/webapp/components/textbox.jsx
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ export default class Textbox extends React.Component {
     }
 
     render() {
-        const hasText = this.props.messageText.length > 0;
+        const hasText = this.props.messageText && this.props.messageText.length > 0;
 
         let previewLink = null;
         if (Utils.isFeatureEnabled(PreReleaseFeatures.MARKDOWN_PREVIEW)) {