diff --git a/spec/integ/matrix-client.spec.js b/spec/integ/matrix-client.spec.js
index 1dbcafe53..255c260bd 100644
--- a/spec/integ/matrix-client.spec.js
+++ b/spec/integ/matrix-client.spec.js
@@ -82,7 +82,9 @@ describe("MatrixClient", function() {
                     start: "s",
                     end: "t",
                     chunk: [
-                        utils.mkMessage("!erufh:bar", "@foo:bar", "hmmm")
+                        utils.mkMessage({
+                            room: "!erufh:bar", user: "@foo:bar", msg: "hmmm"
+                        })
                     ]
                 },
                 state: [
@@ -97,8 +99,12 @@ describe("MatrixClient", function() {
             start: "s_5_3",
             end: "e_6_7",
             chunk: [
-                utils.mkMessage("!erufh:bar", "@foo:bar", "ello ello"),
-                utils.mkMessage("!erufh:bar", "@foo:bar", ":D"),
+                utils.mkMessage({
+                    room: "!erufh:bar", user: "@foo:bar", msg: "ello ello"
+                }),
+                utils.mkMessage({
+                    room: "!erufh:bar", user: "@foo:bar", msg: ":D"
+                }),
                 utils.mkEvent("m.typing", "!erufh:bar", "bar", {
                     user_ids: ["@foo:bar"]
                 })
@@ -315,7 +321,9 @@ describe("MatrixClient", function() {
                         start: "f_1_1",
                         end: "f_2_2",
                         chunk: [
-                            utils.mkMessage(roomOne, otherUserId, "hello")
+                            utils.mkMessage({
+                                room: roomOne, user: otherUserId, msg: "hello"
+                            })
                         ]
                     },
                     state: [
@@ -342,7 +350,9 @@ describe("MatrixClient", function() {
                         start: "f_1_1",
                         end: "f_2_2",
                         chunk: [
-                            utils.mkMessage(roomTwo, otherUserId, "hiii")
+                            utils.mkMessage({
+                                room: roomTwo, user: otherUserId, msg: "hiii"
+                            })
                         ]
                     },
                     state: [
@@ -367,7 +377,9 @@ describe("MatrixClient", function() {
                 utils.mkEvent("m.room.name", roomOne, selfUserId, {
                     name: "A new room name"
                 }),
-                utils.mkMessage(roomTwo, otherUserId, msgText),
+                utils.mkMessage({
+                    room: roomTwo, user: otherUserId, msg: msgText
+                }),
                 utils.mkEvent("m.typing", roomTwo, undefined, {
                     user_ids: [otherUserId]
                 })
diff --git a/spec/test-utils.js b/spec/test-utils.js
index 2362aa7c9..22e9eaceb 100644
--- a/spec/test-utils.js
+++ b/spec/test-utils.js
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
 "use strict";
+var sdk = require("..");
+var MatrixEvent = sdk.MatrixEvent;
 
 /**
  * Perform common actions before each test case, e.g. printing the test case
@@ -92,17 +94,28 @@ module.exports.mkMembership = function(room, membership, userId, otherUserId,
 
 /**
  * Create an m.room.message POJO.
- * @param {string} room The room ID for the event.
- * @param {string} userId The user ID for the event.
- * @param {string} msg The content.body for the event.
+ * @param {Object} opts Values for the message
+ * @param {string} opts.room The room ID for the event.
+ * @param {string} opts.user The user ID for the event.
+ * @param {string} opts.msg Optional. The content.body for the event.
+ * @param {boolean} opts.event True to make a MatrixEvent.
  * @return {Object} The event
  */
-module.exports.mkMessage = function(room, userId, msg) {
-    if (!msg) {
-        msg = "Random->" + Math.random();
+module.exports.mkMessage = function(opts) {
+    if (!opts.msg) {
+        opts.msg = "Random->" + Math.random();
     }
-    return module.exports.mkEvent("m.room.message", room, userId, {
+    if (!opts.room || !opts.user) {
+        throw new Error("Missing .room or .user from %s", opts);
+    }
+    opts.type = "m.room.message";
+    opts.content = {
         msgtype: "m.text",
-        body: msg
-    });
+        body: opts.msg
+    };
+    //var pojo = module.exports.mkEvent(opts);
+    var pojo = module.exports.mkEvent(
+        opts.type, opts.room, opts.user, opts.content
+    );
+    return opts.event ? new MatrixEvent(pojo) : pojo;
 };
diff --git a/spec/unit/room.spec.js b/spec/unit/room.spec.js
index 19aa35bc3..be6716160 100644
--- a/spec/unit/room.spec.js
+++ b/spec/unit/room.spec.js
@@ -42,7 +42,9 @@ describe("Room", function() {
 
     describe("addEventsToTimeline", function() {
         var events = [
-            new MatrixEvent(utils.mkMessage(roomId, userA, "changing room name")),
+            utils.mkMessage({
+                room: roomId, user: userA, msg: "changing room name", event: true
+            }),
             new MatrixEvent(utils.mkEvent("m.room.name", roomId, userA, {
                 name: "New Room Name"
             }))