diff --git a/src/SlashCommands.tsx b/src/SlashCommands.tsx
index bd7e60e2f4..133a2708dc 100644
--- a/src/SlashCommands.tsx
+++ b/src/SlashCommands.tsx
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ import { Jitsi } from "./widgets/Jitsi";
 import { parseFragment as parseHtml } from "parse5";
 import sendBugReport from "./rageshake/submit-rageshake";
 import SdkConfig from "./SdkConfig";
+import { ensureDMExists } from "./createRoom";
 
 // XXX: workaround for https://github.com/microsoft/TypeScript/issues/31816
 interface HTMLInputEvent extends Event {
@@ -970,6 +971,52 @@ export const Commands = [
         },
         category: CommandCategories.advanced,
     }),
+    new Command({
+        command: "query",
+        description: _td("Opens chat with the given user"),
+        args: "<user-id>",
+        runFn: function(roomId, userId) {
+            if (!userId || !userId.startsWith("@") || !userId.includes(":")) {
+                return reject(this.getUsage());
+            }
+
+            return success((async () => {
+                dis.dispatch({
+                    action: 'view_room',
+                    room_id: await ensureDMExists(MatrixClientPeg.get(), userId),
+                });
+            })());
+        },
+        category: CommandCategories.actions,
+    }),
+    new Command({
+        command: "msg",
+        description: _td("Sends a message to the given user"),
+        args: "<user-id> <message>",
+        runFn: function(_, args) {
+            if (args) {
+                // matches the first whitespace delimited group and then the rest of the string
+                const matches = args.match(/^(\S+?)(?: +(.*))?$/s);
+                if (matches) {
+                    const [userId, msg] = matches.slice(1);
+                    if (msg && userId && userId.startsWith("@") && userId.includes(":")) {
+                        return success((async () => {
+                            const cli = MatrixClientPeg.get();
+                            const roomId = await ensureDMExists(cli, userId);
+                            dis.dispatch({
+                                action: 'view_room',
+                                room_id: roomId,
+                            });
+                            cli.sendTextMessage(roomId, msg);
+                        })());
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+
+            return reject(this.getUsage());
+        },
+        category: CommandCategories.actions,
+    }),
 
     // Command definitions for autocompletion ONLY:
     // /me is special because its not handled by SlashCommands.js and is instead done inside the Composer classes
diff --git a/src/i18n/strings/en_EN.json b/src/i18n/strings/en_EN.json
index 27b4252f77..ec5400179d 100644
--- a/src/i18n/strings/en_EN.json
+++ b/src/i18n/strings/en_EN.json
@@ -221,6 +221,8 @@
     "Send a bug report with logs": "Send a bug report with logs",
     "Logs sent": "Logs sent",
     "Thank you!": "Thank you!",
+    "Opens chat with the given user": "Opens chat with the given user",
+    "Sends a message to the given user": "Sends a message to the given user",
     "Displays action": "Displays action",
     "Reason": "Reason",
     "%(targetName)s accepted the invitation for %(displayName)s.": "%(targetName)s accepted the invitation for %(displayName)s.",