diff --git a/anonstream/chat.py b/anonstream/chat.py
index 7075411..667f591 100644
--- a/anonstream/chat.py
+++ b/anonstream/chat.py
@@ -31,9 +31,9 @@ def get_all_messages_for_websocket():
     ))
 
 def add_chat_message(user, nonce, comment, ignore_empty=False):
-    # Special case: if the comment is empty, do nothing and return
+    # Special case: if the comment is empty, do nothing and return None
     if ignore_empty and len(comment) == 0:
-        return False
+        return None
 
     timestamp_ms = time.time_ns() // 1_000_000
     timestamp = timestamp_ms // 1000
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ def add_chat_message(user, nonce, comment, ignore_empty=False):
         },
     )
 
-    return True
+    return seq
 
 def delete_chat_messages(seqs):
     seq_set = set(seqs)
diff --git a/anonstream/routes/nojs.py b/anonstream/routes/nojs.py
index 6f89666..e34c52e 100644
--- a/anonstream/routes/nojs.py
+++ b/anonstream/routes/nojs.py
@@ -135,12 +135,13 @@ async def nojs_submit_message(timestamp, user):
         try:
             # If the comment is empty but the captcha was just solved,
             # be lenient: don't raise an exception and don't create a notice
-            message_was_added = add_chat_message(
+            seq = add_chat_message(
                 user,
                 nonce,
                 comment,
                 ignore_empty=verification_happened,
             )
+            message_was_added = seq is not None
         except Rejected as e:
             notice, *_ = e.args
             state_id = add_state(
diff --git a/anonstream/websocket.py b/anonstream/websocket.py
index 35be036..48d8467 100644
--- a/anonstream/websocket.py
+++ b/anonstream/websocket.py
@@ -140,12 +140,13 @@ def handle_inbound_message(timestamp, queue, user, nonce, comment, digest, answe
         message_was_added = False
     else:
         try:
-            message_was_added = add_chat_message(
+            seq = add_chat_message(
                 user,
                 nonce,
                 comment,
                 ignore_empty=verification_happened,
             )
+            message_was_added = seq is not None
         except Rejected as e:
             notice, *_ = e.args
             message_was_added = False