diff --git a/OpenSim/Framework/Tests/UtilTest.cs b/OpenSim/Framework/Tests/UtilTest.cs
index a973ed2981..0224356fe4 100644
--- a/OpenSim/Framework/Tests/UtilTest.cs
+++ b/OpenSim/Framework/Tests/UtilTest.cs
@@ -137,5 +137,20 @@ namespace OpenSim.Framework.Tests
                             "Normalized vector generated from vector does not have magnitude of 1.");
             }
         }
+
+        [Test]
+        public void UUIDTests()
+        {
+            Assert.IsTrue(Util.isUUID("01234567-89ab-Cdef-0123-456789AbCdEf"),
+                          "A correct UUID wasn't recognized.");
+            Assert.IsFalse(Util.isUUID("FOOBAR67-89ab-Cdef-0123-456789AbCdEf"),
+                           "UUIDs with non-hex characters are recognized as correct UUIDs.");
+            Assert.IsFalse(Util.isUUID("01234567"),
+                           "Too short UUIDs are regognized as correct UUIDs.");
+            Assert.IsFalse(Util.isUUID("01234567-89ab-Cdef-0123-456789AbCdEf0"),
+                           "Too long UUIDs are regognized as correct UUIDs.");
+            Assert.IsFalse(Util.isUUID("01234567-89ab-Cdef-0123+456789AbCdEf"),
+                          "UUIDs with wrong format are recognized as correct UUIDs.");
+        }
     }
 }
diff --git a/OpenSim/Framework/Util.cs b/OpenSim/Framework/Util.cs
index c5334a88a4..b8080ec573 100644
--- a/OpenSim/Framework/Util.cs
+++ b/OpenSim/Framework/Util.cs
@@ -64,6 +64,8 @@ namespace OpenSim.Framework
         private static readonly DateTime unixEpoch =
             DateTime.ParseExact("1970-01-01 00:00:00 +0", "yyyy-MM-dd hh:mm:ss z", DateTimeFormatInfo.InvariantInfo).ToUniversalTime();
 
+        private static readonly Regex UUIDPattern = new Regex("^[0-9a-fA-F]{8}-[0-9a-fA-F]{4}-[0-9a-fA-F]{4}-[0-9a-fA-F]{4}-[0-9a-fA-F]{12}$");
+
         #region Vector Equations
 
         /// <summary>
@@ -796,5 +798,10 @@ namespace OpenSim.Framework
             x += rx;
             y += ry;
         }
+
+        public static bool isUUID(string s)
+        {
+            return UUIDPattern.IsMatch(s);
+        }
     }
 }
diff --git a/OpenSim/Region/Environment/Modules/Avatar/Friends/FriendsModule.cs b/OpenSim/Region/Environment/Modules/Avatar/Friends/FriendsModule.cs
index 605b6a226a..33ca632a7c 100644
--- a/OpenSim/Region/Environment/Modules/Avatar/Friends/FriendsModule.cs
+++ b/OpenSim/Region/Environment/Modules/Avatar/Friends/FriendsModule.cs
@@ -396,6 +396,10 @@ namespace OpenSim.Region.Environment.Modules.Avatar.Friends
 
                     UUID transactionID = UUID.Random();
 
+                    // 1.20 protocol sends an UUID in the message field, instead of the friendship offer text.
+                    // For interoperability, we have to clear that
+                    if (Util.isUUID(message)) message = "";
+
                     GridInstantMessage msg = new GridInstantMessage();
                     msg.fromAgentID = fromAgentID.Guid;
                     msg.fromAgentSession = UUID.Zero.Guid; // server IMs don't have a session