diff --git a/Signal/src/Loki/NewConversationViewController.swift b/Signal/src/Loki/NewConversationViewController.swift
index a7e89efcb..f47c05e5c 100644
--- a/Signal/src/Loki/NewConversationViewController.swift
+++ b/Signal/src/Loki/NewConversationViewController.swift
@@ -105,6 +105,10 @@ final class NewConversationViewController : OWSViewController, OWSQRScannerDeleg
             let alert = UIAlertController(title: NSLocalizedString("Invalid Public Key", comment: ""), message: NSLocalizedString("Please check the public key you entered and try again.", comment: ""), preferredStyle: .alert)
             alert.addAction(UIAlertAction(title: NSLocalizedString("OK", comment: ""), style: .default, handler: nil))
             presentAlert(alert)
+        } else if OWSIdentityManager.shared().identityKeyPair()!.hexEncodedPublicKey == hexEncodedPublicKey {
+            let alert = UIAlertController(title: NSLocalizedString("Can't Start Conversation", comment: ""), message: NSLocalizedString("Please enter the public key of the person you'd like to message.", comment: ""), preferredStyle: .alert)
+            alert.addAction(UIAlertAction(title: NSLocalizedString("OK", comment: ""), style: .default, handler: nil))
+            presentAlert(alert)
         } else {
             let thread = TSContactThread.getOrCreateThread(contactId: hexEncodedPublicKey)
             SignalApp.shared().presentConversation(for: thread, action: .compose, animated: false)
diff --git a/Signal/translations/en.lproj/Localizable.strings b/Signal/translations/en.lproj/Localizable.strings
index 94e785776..fe08c09f0 100644
--- a/Signal/translations/en.lproj/Localizable.strings
+++ b/Signal/translations/en.lproj/Localizable.strings
@@ -2617,3 +2617,5 @@
 "Scan the QR code of the person you'd like to securely message. They can find their QR code by going into Loki Messenger's in-app settings and clicking \"Show QR Code\"." = "Scan the QR code of the person you'd like to securely message. They can find their QR code by going into Loki Messenger's in-app settings and clicking \"Show QR Code\".";
 "Scan QR Code" = "Scan QR Code";
 "Loki" = "Loki";
+"Can't Start Conversation" = "Can't Start Conversation";
+"Please enter the public key of the person you'd like to message." = "Please enter the public key of the person you'd like to message.";