diff --git a/src/main/java/net/dv8tion/jda/internal/entities/EntityBuilder.java b/src/main/java/net/dv8tion/jda/internal/entities/EntityBuilder.java
index e8b9a623bd..eca23f512e 100644
--- a/src/main/java/net/dv8tion/jda/internal/entities/EntityBuilder.java
+++ b/src/main/java/net/dv8tion/jda/internal/entities/EntityBuilder.java
@@ -1217,7 +1217,7 @@ public PrivateChannel createPrivateChannel(DataObject json, UserImpl user)
             if (recipient != null)
             {
                 //update the channel if we have found the user
-                channel.setUser(user);
+                channel.setUser(recipient);
             }
         }
         if (recipient != null)
@@ -1363,17 +1363,34 @@ public ReceivedMessage createMessage(DataObject jsonObject, @Nullable MessageCha
         final long authorId = author.getLong("id");
         MemberImpl member = null;
 
-        if (channel == null && jsonObject.isNull("guild_id"))
+        if (jsonObject.isNull("guild_id"))
         {
-            DataObject channelData = DataObject.empty()
-                    .put("id", channelId);
-            //if we see an author that isn't us, we can assume that is the other side of this private channel
-            //if the author is us, we learn no information about the user at the other end
-            if (authorId != getJDA().getSelfUser().getIdLong())
+            //we know it's a private channel
+            PrivateChannelImpl priv = (PrivateChannelImpl) channel;
+
+            boolean isAuthorSelfUser = authorId == getJDA().getSelfUser().getIdLong();
+            if (priv == null)
+            {
+                DataObject channelData = DataObject.empty()
+                        .put("id", channelId);
+
+                //if we see an author that isn't us, we can assume that is the other side of this private channel
+                //if the author is us, we learn no information about the user at the other end
+                if (!isAuthorSelfUser)
                     channelData.put("recipient", author);
-            //even without knowing the user at the other end, we can still construct a minimal channel
-            channel = createPrivateChannel(channelData);
+
+                //even without knowing the user at the other end, we can still construct a minimal channel
+                channel = createPrivateChannel(channelData);
+            }
+            else if (priv.getUser() == null && !isAuthorSelfUser)
+            {
+                //if we see an author that isn't us, we can assume that is the other side of this private channel
+                //if the author is us, we learn no information about the user at the other end
+                priv.setUser(createUser(author));
+            }
+
         }
+
         else if (channel == null)
             throw new IllegalArgumentException(MISSING_CHANNEL);
 
diff --git a/src/main/java/net/dv8tion/jda/internal/entities/PrivateChannelImpl.java b/src/main/java/net/dv8tion/jda/internal/entities/PrivateChannelImpl.java
index 8b6d331510..0b94190e64 100644
--- a/src/main/java/net/dv8tion/jda/internal/entities/PrivateChannelImpl.java
+++ b/src/main/java/net/dv8tion/jda/internal/entities/PrivateChannelImpl.java
@@ -184,6 +184,9 @@ public String toString()
 
     private void updateUser()
     {
+        //if the user is null then we don't even know their ID, and so we have to check that first
+        if (user == null)
+            return;
         // Load user from cache if one exists, otherwise we might have an outdated user instance
         User realUser = getJDA().getUserById(user.getIdLong());
         if (realUser != null)
diff --git a/src/main/java/net/dv8tion/jda/internal/handle/MessageReactionHandler.java b/src/main/java/net/dv8tion/jda/internal/handle/MessageReactionHandler.java
index 7f0a423467..6de60fa586 100644
--- a/src/main/java/net/dv8tion/jda/internal/handle/MessageReactionHandler.java
+++ b/src/main/java/net/dv8tion/jda/internal/handle/MessageReactionHandler.java
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 import net.dv8tion.jda.internal.entities.EmoteImpl;
 import net.dv8tion.jda.internal.entities.GuildImpl;
 import net.dv8tion.jda.internal.entities.MemberImpl;
+import net.dv8tion.jda.internal.entities.PrivateChannelImpl;
 import net.dv8tion.jda.internal.requests.WebSocketClient;
 import net.dv8tion.jda.internal.utils.JDALogger;
 
@@ -168,7 +169,15 @@ protected Long handleInternally(DataObject content)
         MessageReaction reaction = new MessageReaction(channel, rEmote, messageId, userId == api.getSelfUser().getIdLong(), -1);
 
         if (channel.getType() == ChannelType.PRIVATE)
+        {
             api.usedPrivateChannel(reaction.getChannel().getIdLong());
+            PrivateChannelImpl priv = (PrivateChannelImpl) channel;
+            //try to add the user here if we need to, as we have their ID
+            if (priv.getUser() == null && user != null)
+            {
+                priv.setUser(user);
+            }
+        }
 
         if (add)
         {