diff --git a/niceday-api/index.js b/niceday-api/index.js
index 35a39b6..ed4e8b0 100644
--- a/niceday-api/index.js
+++ b/niceday-api/index.js
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
-const { Authentication, SenseServer } = require('@sense-os/goalie-js');
+const {
+  Authentication, SenseServer, Chat, ConnectionStatus, SenseServerEnvironment,
+} = require('@sense-os/goalie-js');
 const schedule = require('node-schedule');
 const path = require('path');
 const http = require('http');
@@ -12,14 +14,18 @@ const serverPort = 8080;
 
 const { THERAPIST_PASSWORD, THERAPIST_EMAIL_ADDRESS, ENVIRONMENT } = process.env;
 let selectedServer;
+let selectedServerEnv;
 
 if (ENVIRONMENT === 'dev') {
   selectedServer = SenseServer.Alpha;
+  selectedServerEnv = SenseServerEnvironment.Alpha;
 } else {
   selectedServer = SenseServer.Production;
+  selectedServerEnv = SenseServerEnvironment.Production;
 }
 
 const authSdk = new Authentication(selectedServer);
+const chatSdk = new Chat();
 
 // swaggerRouter configuration
 const options = {
@@ -31,11 +37,37 @@ const options = {
 const expressAppConfig = oas3Tools.expressAppConfig(path.join(__dirname, 'api/openapi.yaml'), options);
 const app = expressAppConfig.getApp();
 
+function setupChat(therapistId, token) {
+  // Setup connection
+  chatSdk.init(selectedServerEnv);
+  chatSdk.connect(therapistId, token);
+
+  // Send initial presence when connected
+  chatSdk.subscribeToConnectionStatusChanges((connectionStatus) => {
+    if (connectionStatus === ConnectionStatus.Connected) {
+      chatSdk.sendInitialPresence();
+      app.set('chatsdk', chatSdk);
+    } else if (connectionStatus === ConnectionStatus.Disconnected) {
+      authSdk.login(THERAPIST_EMAIL_ADDRESS, THERAPIST_PASSWORD)
+        .then((response) => {
+          chatSdk.connect(response.user.id, response.token)
+            .catch((connectionError) => {
+              throw Error(`Error during connection: ${connectionError}`);
+            });
+        })
+        .catch((error) => {
+          throw Error(`Error during relogin: ${error}`);
+        });
+    }
+  });
+}
+
 function createNicedayApiServer() {
   authSdk.login(THERAPIST_EMAIL_ADDRESS, THERAPIST_PASSWORD)
     .then((response) => {
       app.set('therapistId', response.user.id);
       app.set('token', response.token);
+      setupChat(response.user.id, response.token);
     })
     .catch((error) => {
       throw Error(`Error during authentication: ${error}`);
diff --git a/niceday-api/index.test.js b/niceday-api/index.test.js
index fda05c2..4469ba8 100644
--- a/niceday-api/index.test.js
+++ b/niceday-api/index.test.js
@@ -3,12 +3,15 @@ require('isomorphic-fetch');
 const NICEDAY_TEST_SERVERPORT = 8080;
 const NICEDAY_TEST_USER_ID = 38527;
 const NICEDAY_TEST_TRACKER_RRULE = 'DTSTART:20210310T150000\nRRULE:FREQ=DAILY';
+const MOCK_ID_FROM = 1;
+const MOCK_ID_TO = 12345;
 const MOCK_USER_DATA = {
   id: NICEDAY_TEST_USER_ID,
   userProfile: {
     firstName: 'Mr Mock',
   },
 };
+const MOCK_TEST_MESSAGE = 'Test message';
 const MOCK_TRACKER_RESPONSE = { response: 'mock response' };
 const MOCK_SMOKING_TRACKER_RESPONSE = [
   { value: { measures: { measureCigarettes: { sensorData: MOCK_TRACKER_RESPONSE } } } }];
@@ -45,6 +48,24 @@ describe('Tests on niceday-api server using mocked goalie-js', () => {
       SenseServerEnvironment: () => ({
         Alpha: undefined,
       }),
+      Chat: jest.fn().mockImplementation(() => ({
+        init: jest.fn(),
+        connect: jest.fn(),
+        markMessageAsRead: jest.fn(),
+        subscribeToConnectionStatusChanges: jest.fn(),
+        sendInitialPresence: jest.fn(),
+        subscribeToIncomingMessage: (handler) => {
+          const mockTestMessage = {
+            from: MOCK_ID_FROM,
+            to: MOCK_ID_TO,
+            content: {
+              TEXT: MOCK_TEST_MESSAGE,
+            },
+          };
+
+          handler(mockTestMessage);
+        },
+      })),
       Contacts: jest.fn().mockImplementation(() => ({
         getConnectedContacts: () => new Promise((resolve) => {
           resolve(MOCK_USER_DATA);
diff --git a/niceday-api/login.mjs b/niceday-api/login.mjs
index 71dd8d7..cf8d633 100644
--- a/niceday-api/login.mjs
+++ b/niceday-api/login.mjs
@@ -3,13 +3,8 @@
 import { Authentication, SenseServer } from '@sense-os/goalie-js';
 import 'isomorphic-fetch'
 
-const { ENVIRONMENT } = process.env;
-if (ENVIRONMENT == 'dev'){
-    const authSdk = new Authentication(SenseServer.Alpha);
-}
-else {
-    const authSdk = new Authentication(SenseServer.Production);
-}
+const authSdk = new Authentication(SenseServer.Alpha);
+
 
 // Read in command line arguments
 var args = process.argv.slice(2)
diff --git a/niceday-api/service/MessagesService.js b/niceday-api/service/MessagesService.js
index 9d95cf2..8e0eec6 100644
--- a/niceday-api/service/MessagesService.js
+++ b/niceday-api/service/MessagesService.js
@@ -1,20 +1,3 @@
-const {
-  Authentication, Chat, SenseServer, SenseServerEnvironment, ConnectionStatus,
-} = require('@sense-os/goalie-js');
-
-const { ENVIRONMENT, THERAPIST_EMAIL_ADDRESS, THERAPIST_PASSWORD } = process.env;
-
-let selectedServerEnv;
-let selectedServer;
-
-if (ENVIRONMENT === 'dev') {
-  selectedServerEnv = SenseServerEnvironment.Alpha;
-  selectedServer = SenseServer.Alpha;
-} else {
-  selectedServerEnv = SenseServerEnvironment.Production;
-  selectedServer = SenseServer.Production;
-}
-const authSdk = new Authentication(selectedServer);
 /**
  * Send a text message
  *
@@ -23,38 +6,14 @@ const authSdk = new Authentication(selectedServer);
  *
  * no response value expected for this operation
  * */
+
 exports.sendTextMessage = function (req, body) {
   return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
-    const chatSdk = new Chat();
-    chatSdk.init(selectedServerEnv);
-    chatSdk.connect(req.app.get('therapistId'), req.app.get('token'))
-      .catch(() => {
-        // if the connection fails, we regenreate the token by logging in again
-        // and we try to reconnect
-        authSdk.login(THERAPIST_EMAIL_ADDRESS, THERAPIST_PASSWORD)
-          .then((response) => {
-            req.app.set('therapistId', response.user.id);
-            req.app.set('token', response.token);
-            chatSdk.connect(response.user.id, response.token)
-              .catch((connectError) => {
-                throw Error(`Error during chat connection: ${connectError}`);
-              });
-          })
-          .catch((loginError) => {
-            throw Error(`Error during authentication: ${loginError}`);
-          });
-      });
-
-    const subscriptionId = chatSdk.subscribeToConnectionStatusChanges((connectionStatus) => {
-      if (connectionStatus === ConnectionStatus.Connected) {
-        chatSdk.sendInitialPresence();
-        chatSdk.sendTextMessage(body.recipient_id, body.text).then((response) => {
-          console.log('Successfully sent the message', response);
-          chatSdk.unsubscribeFromConnectionStatusChanges(subscriptionId);
-          resolve();
-        })
-          .catch((error) => reject(error));
-      }
-    });
+    const chatSdk = req.app.get('chatsdk');
+    chatSdk.sendTextMessage(body.recipient_id, body.text).then((response) => {
+      console.log('Successfully sent the message', response);
+      resolve();
+    })
+      .catch((error) => reject(error));
   });
 };