diff --git a/abaddon.cpp b/abaddon.cpp
index 42c02ac..42fe5e5 100644
--- a/abaddon.cpp
+++ b/abaddon.cpp
@@ -324,7 +324,15 @@ void Abaddon::on_user_menu_open_dm() {
     if (existing.has_value())
         ActionChannelOpened(*existing);
     else
-        m_discord.CreateDM(m_shown_user_menu_id);
+        m_discord.CreateDM(m_shown_user_menu_id, [this](bool success, Snowflake channel_id) {
+            if (success) {
+                // give the gateway a little window to send CHANNEL_CREATE
+                auto cb = [this, channel_id] {
+                    ActionChannelOpened(channel_id);
+                };
+                Glib::signal_timeout().connect_once(sigc::track_obj(cb, *this), 200);
+            }
+        });
 }
 
 void Abaddon::ActionConnect() {
diff --git a/discord/discord.cpp b/discord/discord.cpp
index 5b6bf4e..0b97a8a 100644
--- a/discord/discord.cpp
+++ b/discord/discord.cpp
@@ -420,10 +420,20 @@ void DiscordClient::UpdateStatus(PresenceStatus status, bool is_afk, const Activ
 }
 
 void DiscordClient::CreateDM(Snowflake user_id) {
-    // actual client uses an array called recipients
+    CreateDM(user_id, [](...) {});
+}
+
+void DiscordClient::CreateDM(Snowflake user_id, sigc::slot<void(bool success, Snowflake channel_id)> callback) {
     CreateDMObject obj;
     obj.Recipients.push_back(user_id);
-    m_http.MakePOST("/users/@me/channels", nlohmann::json(obj).dump(), [](auto) {});
+    m_http.MakePOST("/users/@me/channels", nlohmann::json(obj).dump(), [this, callback](const http::response &response) {
+        if (!CheckCode(response)) {
+            callback(false, Snowflake::Invalid);
+            return;
+        }
+        auto channel = nlohmann::json::parse(response.text).get<ChannelData>();
+        callback(response.status_code == 200, channel.ID);
+    });
 }
 
 std::optional<Snowflake> DiscordClient::FindDM(Snowflake user_id) {
diff --git a/discord/discord.hpp b/discord/discord.hpp
index 42eb197..6ac714d 100644
--- a/discord/discord.hpp
+++ b/discord/discord.hpp
@@ -108,6 +108,7 @@ public:
     void UpdateStatus(PresenceStatus status, bool is_afk);
     void UpdateStatus(PresenceStatus status, bool is_afk, const ActivityData &obj);
     void CreateDM(Snowflake user_id);
+    void CreateDM(Snowflake user_id, sigc::slot<void(bool success, Snowflake channel_id)> callback);
     std::optional<Snowflake> FindDM(Snowflake user_id); // wont find group dms
     void AddReaction(Snowflake id, Glib::ustring param);
     void RemoveReaction(Snowflake id, Glib::ustring param);