diff --git a/lib/models/user.js b/lib/models/user.js
index 515f0c806..a02e30c95 100644
--- a/lib/models/user.js
+++ b/lib/models/user.js
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ limitations under the License.
  * @prop {string} displayName The 'displayname' of the user if known.
  * @prop {string} avatarUrl The 'avatar_url' of the user if known.
  * @prop {string} presence The presence enum if known.
+ * @prop {string} presenceStatusMsg The presence status message if known.
  * @prop {Number} lastActiveAgo The time elapsed in ms since the user interacted
  *                proactively with the server, or we saw a message from the user
  * @prop {Number} lastPresenceTs Timestamp (ms since the epoch) for when we last
@@ -44,6 +45,7 @@ limitations under the License.
 function User(userId) {
     this.userId = userId;
     this.presence = "offline";
+    this.presenceStatusMsg = null;
     this.displayName = userId;
     this.avatarUrl = null;
     this.lastActiveAgo = 0;
@@ -95,7 +97,9 @@ User.prototype.setPresenceEvent = function(event) {
 
     this.presence = event.getContent().presence;
     eventsToFire.push("User.lastPresenceTs");
-
+    if (event.getContent().status_msg) {
+      this.presenceStatusMsg = event.getContent().status_msg;
+    }
     if (event.getContent().displayname) {
         this.displayName = event.getContent().displayname;
     }