diff --git a/administrator/components/com_messages/models/message.php b/administrator/components/com_messages/models/message.php
index e0fad991fac07..823a4043d1858 100644
--- a/administrator/components/com_messages/models/message.php
+++ b/administrator/components/com_messages/models/message.php
@@ -322,6 +322,17 @@ public function save($data)
 			return false;
 		}
 
+		// Load the user details (already valid from table check).
+		$toUser = \JUser::getInstance($table->user_id_to);
+
+		// Check if recipient can access com_messages.
+		if (!$toUser->authorise('core.login.admin') || !$toUser->authorise('core.manage', 'com_messages'))
+		{
+			$this->setError(\JText::_('COM_MESSAGES_ERROR_RECIPIENT_NOT_AUTHORISED'));
+
+			return false;
+		}
+
 		// Load the recipient user configuration.
 		$model  = JModelLegacy::getInstance('Config', 'MessagesModel', array('ignore_request' => true));
 		$model->setState('user.id', $table->user_id_to);
@@ -351,9 +362,7 @@ public function save($data)
 
 		if ($config->get('mail_on_new', true))
 		{
-			// Load the user details (already valid from table check).
 			$fromUser         = JUser::getInstance($table->user_id_from);
-			$toUser           = JUser::getInstance($table->user_id_to);
 			$debug            = JFactory::getConfig()->get('debug_lang');
 			$default_language = JComponentHelper::getParams('com_languages')->get('administrator');
 			$lang             = JLanguage::getInstance($toUser->getParam('admin_language', $default_language), $debug);
diff --git a/administrator/language/en-GB/en-GB.com_messages.ini b/administrator/language/en-GB/en-GB.com_messages.ini
index 790445f5c5af7..954c6c7f9c7a8 100644
--- a/administrator/language/en-GB/en-GB.com_messages.ini
+++ b/administrator/language/en-GB/en-GB.com_messages.ini
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ COM_MESSAGES_ERROR_INVALID_TO_USER="Invalid recipient"
 COM_MESSAGES_ERROR_MISSING_ROOT_ASSET_GROUPS="Missing root asset groups to send notification."
 COM_MESSAGES_ERROR_NO_GROUPS_SET_AS_SUPER_USER="There are no groups set with super user permissions."
 COM_MESSAGES_ERROR_NO_USERS_SET_AS_SUPER_USER="There are no users set with super user permissions."
+COM_MESSAGES_ERROR_RECIPIENT_NOT_AUTHORISED="Recipient is not authorised to receive messages."
 COM_MESSAGES_FIELD_AUTO_PURGE_DESC="Automatically delete private messages after the given number of days."
 COM_MESSAGES_FIELD_AUTO_PURGE_LABEL="Auto-delete Messages (days)"
 COM_MESSAGES_FIELD_DATE_TIME_LABEL="Posted"