diff --git a/core/fse.js b/core/fse.js
index e6e7a9d1..be3be90b 100644
--- a/core/fse.js
+++ b/core/fse.js
@@ -183,6 +183,13 @@ exports.FullScreenEditorModule =
                     return cb(null);
                 },
                 editModeEscPressed: function (formData, extraArgs, cb) {
+                    const errMsgView = self.viewControllers.header.getView(
+                        MciViewIds.header.errorMsg
+                    );
+                    if (errMsgView) {
+                        errMsgView.clearText();
+                    }
+
                     self.footerMode =
                         'editor' === self.footerMode ? 'editorMenu' : 'editor';
 
diff --git a/core/message.js b/core/message.js
index 6a063802..b9f84abd 100644
--- a/core/message.js
+++ b/core/message.js
@@ -763,6 +763,11 @@ module.exports = class Message {
     }
 
     persist(cb) {
+        const containsNonWhitespaceCharacterRegEx = /\S/;
+        if (!containsNonWhitespaceCharacterRegEx.test(this.message)) {
+            return cb(Errors.Invalid('Empty message'));
+        }
+
         if (!this.isValid()) {
             return cb(Errors.Invalid('Cannot persist invalid message!'));
         }
diff --git a/core/msg_area_post_fse.js b/core/msg_area_post_fse.js
index 9eacd1f5..91e8f6d3 100644
--- a/core/msg_area_post_fse.js
+++ b/core/msg_area_post_fse.js
@@ -14,6 +14,39 @@ exports.moduleInfo = {
     author: 'NuSkooler',
 };
 
+const MciViewIds = {
+    header: {
+        from: 1,
+        to: 2,
+        subject: 3,
+        errorMsg: 4,
+        modTimestamp: 5,
+        msgNum: 6,
+        msgTotal: 7,
+
+        customRangeStart: 10, //  10+ = customs
+    },
+
+    body: {
+        message: 1,
+    },
+
+    //  :TODO: quote builder MCIs - remove all magic #'s
+
+    //  :TODO: consolidate all footer MCI's - remove all magic #'s
+    ViewModeFooter: {
+        MsgNum: 6,
+        MsgTotal: 7,
+        //  :TODO: Just use custom ranges
+    },
+
+    quoteBuilder: {
+        quotedMsg: 1,
+        //  2 NYI
+        quoteLines: 3,
+    },
+};
+
 exports.getModule = class AreaPostFSEModule extends FullScreenEditorModule {
     constructor(options) {
         super(options);
@@ -42,19 +75,25 @@ exports.getModule = class AreaPostFSEModule extends FullScreenEditorModule {
                 ],
                 function complete(err) {
                     if (err) {
-                        //  :TODO:... sooooo now what?
-                    } else {
-                        //  note: not logging 'from' here as it's part of client.log.xxxx()
-                        self.client.log.info(
-                            {
-                                to: msg.toUserName,
-                                subject: msg.subject,
-                                uuid: msg.messageUuid,
-                            },
-                            `User "${self.client.user.username}" posted message to "${msg.toUserName}" (${msg.areaTag})`
+                        const errMsgView = self.viewControllers.header.getView(
+                            MciViewIds.header.errorMsg
                         );
+                        if (errMsgView) {
+                            errMsgView.setText(err.message);
+                        }
+                        return cb(err);
                     }
 
+                    //  note: not logging 'from' here as it's part of client.log.xxxx()
+                    self.client.log.info(
+                        {
+                            to: msg.toUserName,
+                            subject: msg.subject,
+                            uuid: msg.messageUuid,
+                        },
+                        `User "${self.client.user.username}" posted message to "${msg.toUserName}" (${msg.areaTag})`
+                    );
+
                     return self.nextMenu(cb);
                 }
             );