diff --git a/api/message.go b/api/message.go
index 3225c3d9..0d5aebdd 100644
--- a/api/message.go
+++ b/api/message.go
@@ -45,6 +45,14 @@ type pagingParams struct {
 	Since uint `form:"since" binding:"min=0"`
 }
 
+// Using custom struct instead of MessageExternal so priority can be a string.
+type createMessageRequest struct {
+	Message  string                 `form:"message" query:"message" json:"message" binding:"required"`
+	Title    string                 `form:"title" query:"title" json:"title"`
+	Priority json.Number            `form:"priority" query:"priority" json:"priority"`
+	Extras   map[string]interface{} `form:"-" query:"-" json:"extras,omitempty"`
+}
+
 // GetMessages returns all messages from a user.
 // swagger:operation GET /message message getMessages
 //
@@ -362,8 +370,24 @@ func (a *MessageAPI) DeleteMessage(ctx *gin.Context) {
 //	    schema:
 //	        $ref: "#/definitions/Error"
 func (a *MessageAPI) CreateMessage(ctx *gin.Context) {
-	message := model.MessageExternal{}
-	if err := ctx.Bind(&message); err == nil {
+	request := createMessageRequest{}
+	if err := ctx.Bind(&request); err == nil {
+		message := model.MessageExternal{
+			Message: request.Message,
+			Title:   request.Title,
+			Extras:  request.Extras,
+		}
+
+		// Priority is a json.Number type to handle strings as well as numbers
+		if request.Priority != "" {
+			priorityInt64, err := request.Priority.Int64()
+			if success := successOrAbort(ctx, 400, err); !success {
+				return
+			}
+			priorityInt := int(priorityInt64)
+			message.Priority = &priorityInt
+		}
+
 		application, err := a.DB.GetApplicationByToken(auth.GetTokenID(ctx))
 		if success := successOrAbort(ctx, 500, err); !success {
 			return
diff --git a/api/message_test.go b/api/message_test.go
index 358732e2..1fd0f6c6 100644
--- a/api/message_test.go
+++ b/api/message_test.go
@@ -338,6 +338,29 @@ func (s *MessageSuite) Test_CreateMessage_onJson_allParams() {
 	assert.Equal(s.T(), expected, s.notifiedMessage)
 }
 
+func (s *MessageSuite) Test_CreateMessage_onJson_withStringPriority() {
+	auth.RegisterAuthentication(s.ctx, nil, 4, "app-token")
+	s.db.User(4).AppWithToken(8, "app-token")
+
+	t, _ := time.Parse("2006/01/02", "2017/01/02")
+
+	timeNow = func() time.Time { return t }
+	defer func() { timeNow = time.Now }()
+
+	s.ctx.Request = httptest.NewRequest("POST", "/message", strings.NewReader(`{"title": "mytitle", "message": "mymessage", "priority": "2"}`))
+	s.ctx.Request.Header.Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
+
+	s.a.CreateMessage(s.ctx)
+
+	msgs, err := s.db.GetMessagesByApplication(8)
+	assert.NoError(s.T(), err)
+	expected := &model.MessageExternal{ID: 1, ApplicationID: 8, Title: "mytitle", Message: "mymessage", Priority: intPtr(2), Date: t}
+	assert.Len(s.T(), msgs, 1)
+	assert.Equal(s.T(), expected, toExternalMessage(msgs[0]))
+	assert.Equal(s.T(), 200, s.recorder.Code)
+	assert.Equal(s.T(), expected, s.notifiedMessage)
+}
+
 func (s *MessageSuite) Test_CreateMessage_WithDefaultPriority() {
 	t, _ := time.Parse("2006/01/02", "2017/01/02")