diff --git a/osu.Game/Online/API/APIAccess.cs b/osu.Game/Online/API/APIAccess.cs
index c4b679fc92..032e5ccc6e 100644
--- a/osu.Game/Online/API/APIAccess.cs
+++ b/osu.Game/Online/API/APIAccess.cs
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ namespace osu.Game.Online.API
 
         public string Password;
 
-        public Bindable<User> LocalUser = new Bindable<User>();
+        public Bindable<User> LocalUser = new Bindable<User>(createGuestUser());
 
         public string Token
         {
@@ -191,7 +191,7 @@ namespace osu.Game.Online.API
                 req.Perform(this);
 
                 //we could still be in initialisation, at which point we don't want to say we're Online yet.
-                if (LocalUser.Value != null)
+                if (IsLoggedIn)
                     State = APIState.Online;
 
                 failureCount = 0;
@@ -266,6 +266,8 @@ namespace osu.Game.Online.API
             }
         }
 
+        public bool IsLoggedIn => LocalUser.Value.Id > 1;
+
         public void Queue(APIRequest request)
         {
             queue.Enqueue(request);
@@ -295,8 +297,15 @@ namespace osu.Game.Online.API
             clearCredentials();
             authentication.Clear();
             State = APIState.Offline;
+            LocalUser.Value = createGuestUser();
         }
 
+        private static User createGuestUser() => new User
+        {
+            Username = @"Guest",
+            Id = 1,
+        };
+
         public void Update()
         {
             Scheduler.Update();
diff --git a/osu.Game/Overlays/ChatOverlay.cs b/osu.Game/Overlays/ChatOverlay.cs
index 4748eb7de6..b360417dfd 100644
--- a/osu.Game/Overlays/ChatOverlay.cs
+++ b/osu.Game/Overlays/ChatOverlay.cs
@@ -353,7 +353,15 @@ namespace osu.Game.Overlays
         {
             var postText = textbox.Text;
 
-            if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(postText) || api.LocalUser.Value == null) return;
+            if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(postText))
+                return;
+
+            if (!api.IsLoggedIn)
+            {
+                currentChannel?.AddNewMessages(new ErrorMessage("Please login to participate in chat!"));
+                textbox.Text = string.Empty;
+                return;
+            }
 
             if (currentChannel == null) return;