diff --git a/addons/mail/mail_message.py b/addons/mail/mail_message.py
index 5ac146066cf..371565872b2 100644
--- a/addons/mail/mail_message.py
+++ b/addons/mail/mail_message.py
@@ -123,15 +123,9 @@ class mail_message_common(osv.osv_memory):
                         help="Content of the message. This content equals the body_text field for plain-test messages, and body_html for rich-text/HTML messages. This allows having one field if we want to access the content matching the message subtype."),
         'parent_id': fields.many2one('mail.message', 'Parent message', help="Parent message, used for displaying as threads with hierarchy",
                         select=True, ondelete='set null',),
-        'type': fields.selection([
-                        ('email', 'e-mail'),
-                        ('comment', 'Comment'),
-                        ('notification', 'System notification'),
-                        ], 'Type', help="Message type: e-mail for e-mail message, notification for system message, comment for other messages such as user replies"),
     }
 
     _defaults = {
-        'type': 'comment',
         'subtype': 'plain',
         'date': (lambda *a: fields.datetime.now()),
     }
@@ -206,6 +200,11 @@ class mail_message(osv.osv):
         return result
     
     _columns = {
+        'type': fields.selection([
+                        ('email', 'e-mail'),
+                        ('comment', 'Comment'),
+                        ('notification', 'System notification'),
+                        ], 'Type', help="Message type: e-mail for e-mail message, notification for system message, comment for other messages such as user replies"),
         'partner_id': fields.many2one('res.partner', 'Related partner'),
         'user_id': fields.many2one('res.users', 'Related user', readonly=1),
         'attachment_ids': fields.many2many('ir.attachment', 'message_attachment_rel', 'message_id', 'attachment_id', 'Attachments'),
@@ -223,6 +222,7 @@ class mail_message(osv.osv):
     }
         
     _defaults = {
+        'type': 'comment',
         'state': 'received',
     }
     
diff --git a/addons/mail/mail_thread.py b/addons/mail/mail_thread.py
index 6d91e126400..03045eda15b 100644
--- a/addons/mail/mail_thread.py
+++ b/addons/mail/mail_thread.py
@@ -667,7 +667,14 @@ class mail_thread(osv.osv):
                 subject = _('Reply on %s at %s') % (self._name, fields.datetime.now())
         return self.message_append(cr, uid, ids, subject, body_text=body, parent_id=parent_id, type=type, context=context)
     
-    def message_append_note(self, cr, uid, ids, subject, body, parent_id=False, type='notification', context=None):
+    def message_append_note(self, cr, uid, ids, subject=None, body=None, parent_id=False, type='notification', subtype='html', context=None):
+        if subject is None:
+            if type == 'notification':
+                subject = _('System notification')
+            elif type == 'comment' and not parent_id:
+                subject = _('Comment')
+            elif type == 'comment' and parent_id:
+                subject = _('Reply')
         return self.message_append(cr, uid, ids, subject, body_text=body, parent_id=parent_id, type=type, context=context)
     
     #------------------------------------------------------