diff --git a/src/components/views/context_menus/MessageContextMenu.js b/src/components/views/context_menus/MessageContextMenu.js
index 1191b6d66e..2e4611f7d0 100644
--- a/src/components/views/context_menus/MessageContextMenu.js
+++ b/src/components/views/context_menus/MessageContextMenu.js
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ import Modal from '../../../Modal';
 import Resend from '../../../Resend';
 import SettingsStore from '../../../settings/SettingsStore';
 import { isUrlPermitted } from '../../../HtmlUtils';
+import { isContentActionable } from '../../../utils/EventUtils';
 
 module.exports = React.createClass({
     displayName: 'MessageContextMenu',
@@ -247,22 +248,19 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
             );
         }
 
-        if (isSent && mxEvent.getType() === 'm.room.message') {
-            const content = mxEvent.getContent();
-            if (content.msgtype && content.msgtype !== 'm.bad.encrypted' && content.hasOwnProperty('body')) {
-                forwardButton = (
-                    <div className="mx_MessageContextMenu_field" onClick={this.onForwardClick}>
-                        { _t('Forward Message') }
+        if (isContentActionable(mxEvent)) {
+            forwardButton = (
+                <div className="mx_MessageContextMenu_field" onClick={this.onForwardClick}>
+                    { _t('Forward Message') }
+                </div>
+            );
+
+            if (this.state.canPin) {
+                pinButton = (
+                    <div className="mx_MessageContextMenu_field" onClick={this.onPinClick}>
+                        { this._isPinned() ? _t('Unpin Message') : _t('Pin Message') }
                     </div>
                 );
-
-                if (this.state.canPin) {
-                    pinButton = (
-                        <div className="mx_MessageContextMenu_field" onClick={this.onPinClick}>
-                            { this._isPinned() ? _t('Unpin Message') : _t('Pin Message') }
-                        </div>
-                    );
-                }
             }
         }
 
diff --git a/src/components/views/messages/MessageActionBar.js b/src/components/views/messages/MessageActionBar.js
index 276a142ccb..76bae137f5 100644
--- a/src/components/views/messages/MessageActionBar.js
+++ b/src/components/views/messages/MessageActionBar.js
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ limitations under the License.
 
 import React from 'react';
 import PropTypes from 'prop-types';
-import {EventStatus} from 'matrix-js-sdk';
+import classNames from 'classnames';
 
 import { _t } from '../../../languageHandler';
 import sdk from '../../../index';
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ import dis from '../../../dispatcher';
 import Modal from '../../../Modal';
 import { createMenu } from '../../structures/ContextualMenu';
 import SettingsStore from '../../../settings/SettingsStore';
-import classNames from 'classnames';
+import { isContentActionable } from '../../../utils/EventUtils';
 
 export default class MessageActionBar extends React.PureComponent {
     static propTypes = {
@@ -123,27 +123,6 @@ export default class MessageActionBar extends React.PureComponent {
         this.onFocusChange(true);
     }
 
-    isContentActionable() {
-        const { mxEvent } = this.props;
-        const { status: eventStatus } = mxEvent;
-
-        // status is SENT before remote-echo, null after
-        const isSent = !eventStatus || eventStatus === EventStatus.SENT;
-
-        if (isSent && mxEvent.getType() === 'm.room.message') {
-            const content = mxEvent.getContent();
-            if (
-                content.msgtype &&
-                content.msgtype !== 'm.bad.encrypted' &&
-                content.hasOwnProperty('body')
-            ) {
-                return true;
-            }
-        }
-
-        return false;
-    }
-
     isReactionsEnabled() {
         return SettingsStore.isFeatureEnabled("feature_reactions");
     }
@@ -220,7 +199,7 @@ export default class MessageActionBar extends React.PureComponent {
         let likeDimensionReactionButtons;
         let replyButton;
 
-        if (this.isContentActionable()) {
+        if (isContentActionable(this.props.mxEvent)) {
             agreeDimensionReactionButtons = this.renderAgreeDimension();
             likeDimensionReactionButtons = this.renderLikeDimension();
             replyButton = <span className="mx_MessageActionBar_maskButton mx_MessageActionBar_replyButton"
diff --git a/src/utils/EventUtils.js b/src/utils/EventUtils.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..911257f95c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/utils/EventUtils.js
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+/*
+Copyright 2019 New Vector Ltd
+
+Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+You may obtain a copy of the License at
+
+    http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+
+Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+limitations under the License.
+*/
+
+import { EventStatus } from 'matrix-js-sdk';
+
+/**
+ * Returns whether an event should allow actions like reply, reactions, edit, etc.
+ * which effectively checks whether it's a regular message that has been sent and that we
+ * can display.
+ *
+ * @param {MatrixEvent} mxEvent The event to check
+ * @returns {boolean} true if actionable
+ */
+export function isContentActionable(mxEvent) {
+    const { status: eventStatus } = mxEvent;
+
+    // status is SENT before remote-echo, null after
+    const isSent = !eventStatus || eventStatus === EventStatus.SENT;
+
+    if (isSent && mxEvent.getType() === 'm.room.message') {
+        const content = mxEvent.getContent();
+        if (
+            content.msgtype &&
+            content.msgtype !== 'm.bad.encrypted' &&
+            content.hasOwnProperty('body')
+        ) {
+            return true;
+        }
+    }
+
+    return false;
+}