diff --git a/www/addons/mod_chat/controllers/chat.js b/www/addons/mod_chat/controllers/chat.js
index f8e45abf132..5df588d9af2 100644
--- a/www/addons/mod_chat/controllers/chat.js
+++ b/www/addons/mod_chat/controllers/chat.js
@@ -22,14 +22,15 @@ angular.module('mm.addons.mod_chat')
  * @name mmaModChatChatCtrl
  */
 .controller('mmaModChatChatCtrl', function($scope, $stateParams, $mmApp, $mmaModChat, $log, $ionicModal, $mmUtil, $ionicHistory,
-            $ionicScrollDelegate, $timeout, $mmSite, $interval, mmaChatPollInterval) {
+            $ionicScrollDelegate, $timeout, $mmSite, $interval, mmaChatPollInterval, $q) {
 
     $log = $log.getInstance('mmaModChatChatCtrl');
 
     var chatId = $stateParams.chatid,
         courseId = $stateParams.courseid,
         title = $stateParams.title,
-        polling;
+        chatLastTime = 0,
+        pollingRunning = false;
 
     $scope.loaded = false;
     $scope.title = title;
@@ -42,7 +43,6 @@ angular.module('mm.addons.mod_chat')
     $scope.newMessage = {
         text: ''
     };
-    chatLastTime = 0;
 
     // Chat users modal.
     $ionicModal.fromTemplateUrl('addons/mod_chat/templates/users.html', {
@@ -87,6 +87,23 @@ angular.module('mm.addons.mod_chat')
         return !$mmApp.isOnline();
     };
 
+    // Convenience function to login the user.
+    function loginUser() {
+        return $mmaModChat.loginUser(chatId).then(function(chatsid) {
+            $scope.chatsid = chatsid;
+        });
+    }
+
+    // Convenience function to get chat messages.
+    function getMessages() {
+        return $mmaModChat.getLatestMessages($scope.chatsid, chatLastTime).then(function(messagesInfo) {
+            chatLastTime = messagesInfo.chatnewlasttime;
+            return $mmaModChat.getMessagesUserData(messagesInfo.messages, courseId).then(function(messages) {
+                $scope.messages = $scope.messages.concat(messages);
+            });
+        });
+    }
+
     // Show error modal.
     function showError(error, defaultMessage) {
         if (typeof error === 'string') {
@@ -94,6 +111,45 @@ angular.module('mm.addons.mod_chat')
         } else {
             $mmUtil.showErrorModal(defaultMessage, true);
         }
+        return $q.reject();
+    }
+
+    // Start the polling to get chat messages periodically.
+    function startPolling() {
+        // We already have the polling in place.
+        if ($scope.polling) {
+            return;
+        }
+
+        // Start polling.
+        $scope.polling = $interval(getMessagesInterval, mmaChatPollInterval);
+    }
+
+    // Convenience function to be called every certain time to get chat messages.
+    function getMessagesInterval() {
+        $log.debug('Polling for messages');
+        if (!$mmApp.isOnline() || pollingRunning) {
+            // Obviously we cannot check for new messages when the app is offline.
+            return $q.reject();
+        }
+
+        pollingRunning = true;
+
+        return getMessages().catch(function() {
+            // Try to login, it might have failed because the session expired.
+            return loginUser().then(function() {
+                return getMessages();
+            }).catch(function(error) {
+                // Fail again. Stop polling if needed.
+                if ($scope.polling) {
+                    $interval.cancel($scope.polling);
+                    $scope.polling = undefined;
+                }
+                return showError(error, 'mma.mod_chat.errorwhileretrievingmessages');
+            });
+        }).finally(function() {
+            pollingRunning = false;
+        });
     }
 
     // Check if the date should be displayed between messages (when the day changes at midnight for example).
@@ -123,6 +179,7 @@ angular.module('mm.addons.mod_chat')
             if (beep === '') {
                 $scope.newMessage.text = '';
             }
+            getMessagesInterval(); // Update messages to show the sent message.
         }, function(error) {
             // Only close the keyboard if an error happens, we want the user to be able to send multiple
             // messages withoutthe keyboard being closed.
@@ -132,16 +189,24 @@ angular.module('mm.addons.mod_chat')
         });
     };
 
+    $scope.reconnect = function() {
+        var modal = $mmUtil.showModalLoading();
+
+        // Call startPolling would take a while for the first execution, so we'll execute it manually to check if it works now.
+        return getMessagesInterval().then(function() {
+            // It works, start the polling again.
+            startPolling();
+        }).finally(function() {
+            modal.dismiss();
+        });
+    };
+
     // Login the user.
-    $mmaModChat.loginUser(chatId).then(function(chatsid) {
-        return $mmaModChat.getLatestMessages(chatsid, 0).then(function(messagesInfo) {
-            $scope.chatsid = chatsid;
-            chatLastTime = messagesInfo.chatnewlasttime;
-            return $mmaModChat.getMessagesUserData(messagesInfo.messages, courseId).then(function(messages) {
-                $scope.messages = $scope.messages.concat(messages);
-            });
-        }).catch(function(message) {
-            showError(message, 'mma.mod_chat.errorwhileretrievingmessages');
+    loginUser().then(function() {
+        return getMessages().then(function() {
+            startPolling();
+        }).catch(function(error) {
+            return showError(error, 'mma.mod_chat.errorwhileretrievingmessages');
         });
     }, function(error) {
         showError(error, 'mma.mod_chat.errorwhileconnecting');
@@ -161,39 +226,11 @@ angular.module('mm.addons.mod_chat')
         }
     };
 
-    // Set up the polling on a view enter, this allows for the user to go back and resume the polling.
-    $scope.$on('$ionicView.enter', function() {
-        // Strange case, we already have the polling in place.
-        if (polling) {
-            return;
-        }
-
-        // Start polling.
-        polling = $interval(function() {
-            $log.debug('Polling for messages');
-            if (!$mmApp.isOnline()) {
-                // Obviously we cannot check for new messages when the app is offline.
-                return;
-            }
-
-            $mmaModChat.getLatestMessages($scope.chatsid, chatLastTime).then(function(data) {
-                chatLastTime = data.chatnewlasttime;
-                $mmaModChat.getMessagesUserData(data.messages, courseId).then(function(messages) {
-                    $scope.messages = $scope.messages.concat(messages);
-                });
-            }, function(error) {
-                $interval.cancel(polling);
-                showError(error, 'mma.mod_chat.errorwhileretrievingmessages');
-            });
-
-        }, mmaChatPollInterval);
-    });
-
     // Removing the polling as we leave the page.
-    $scope.$on('$ionicView.leave', function(e) {
-        if (polling) {
+    $scope.$on('$ionicView.leave', function() {
+        if ($scope.polling) {
             $log.debug('Cancelling polling for conversation');
-            $interval.cancel(polling);
+            $interval.cancel($scope.polling);
         }
     });
 
diff --git a/www/addons/mod_chat/scss/styles.scss b/www/addons/mod_chat/scss/styles.scss
index f7ad8f4105d..a01de76b909 100644
--- a/www/addons/mod_chat/scss/styles.scss
+++ b/www/addons/mod_chat/scss/styles.scss
@@ -25,3 +25,11 @@ $mma-chat-notice-badge: "stable" !default;
     margin: 0;
     width: 100%;
 }
+
+.mma-chat-send-form {
+  width: 100%;
+}
+
+.mma-chat-reconnect-button, .button.mma-chat-reconnect-button {
+  margin: 0;
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/www/addons/mod_chat/services/chat.js b/www/addons/mod_chat/services/chat.js
index 330974b295b..092270a427d 100644
--- a/www/addons/mod_chat/services/chat.js
+++ b/www/addons/mod_chat/services/chat.js
@@ -164,12 +164,13 @@ angular.module('mm.addons.mod_chat')
         var params = {
             chatsid: chatsid,
             chatlasttime: lasttime
-        };
-        var preSets = {
-            getFromCache: false
+        }, preSets = {
+            emergencyCache: false
         };
 
-        return $mmSite.read('mod_chat_get_chat_latest_messages', params, preSets);
+        // We use write to not use cache. It doesn't make sense to store the messages in cache
+        // because we won't be able to retireve them if $mmaModChat#loginUser fails.
+        return $mmSite.write('mod_chat_get_chat_latest_messages', params, preSets);
     };
 
     /**
diff --git a/www/addons/mod_chat/templates/chat.html b/www/addons/mod_chat/templates/chat.html
index 539f573cc64..038b4688260 100644
--- a/www/addons/mod_chat/templates/chat.html
+++ b/www/addons/mod_chat/templates/chat.html
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ <h2>{{ message.userfullname }}</h2>
 
 <ion-footer-bar>
     <p class="mma-chat-footer-note" ng-if="isAppOffline()">{{ 'mma.mod_chat.mustbeonlinetosendmessages' | translate }}</p>
-    <form  ng-if="!isAppOffline()" ng-submit="sendMessage(newMessage.text);" style="width: 100%">
+    <form ng-if="!isAppOffline() && polling && loaded" class="mma-chat-send-form" ng-submit="sendMessage(newMessage.text);">
         <div class="mma-chat-input-inset item-input-inset">
             <label class="item-input-wrapper">
                 <input type="text" placeholder="{{ 'mma.mod_chat.entermessage' | translate }}" ng-model="newMessage.text" style="width: 100%;">
@@ -58,4 +58,5 @@ <h2>{{ message.userfullname }}</h2>
             <button type="submit" class="button button-clear" ng-disabled="!newMessage.text">{{ 'mma.mod_chat.send' | translate}}</button>
         </div>
     </form>
+    <button ng-if="!isAppOffline() && !polling && loaded" class="button button-block mma-chat-reconnect-button" ng-click="reconnect()">{{ 'mm.login.reconnect' | translate }}</button>
 </ion-footer-bar>