diff --git a/flows/actions/send_msg.go b/flows/actions/send_msg.go
index faf86d969..45b1886ee 100644
--- a/flows/actions/send_msg.go
+++ b/flows/actions/send_msg.go
@@ -122,7 +122,18 @@ func (a *SendMsgAction) Execute(run flows.Run, step flows.Step, logModifier flow
 				}
 
 				evaluatedText = translation.Substitute(evaluatedVariables)
-				templating = flows.NewMsgTemplating(a.Templating.Template, evaluatedVariables, translation.Namespace())
+
+				params := make(map[string][]flows.TemplateParam, 1)
+
+				// TODO add support for params in other components besides body
+				if len(evaluatedVariables) > 0 {
+					params["body"] = make([]flows.TemplateParam, len(evaluatedVariables))
+					for i, v := range evaluatedVariables {
+						params["body"][i] = flows.TemplateParam{Type: "text", Value: v}
+					}
+				}
+
+				templating = flows.NewMsgTemplating(a.Templating.Template, params, translation.Namespace())
 				locale = translation.Locale()
 			}
 		}
diff --git a/flows/msg.go b/flows/msg.go
index b5dcc174c..6d863cd71 100644
--- a/flows/msg.go
+++ b/flows/msg.go
@@ -190,16 +190,7 @@ func (t MsgTemplating) Namespace() string { return t.Namespace_ }
 func (t MsgTemplating) Params() map[string][]TemplateParam { return t.Params_ }
 
 // NewMsgTemplating creates and returns a new msg template
-func NewMsgTemplating(template *assets.TemplateReference, variables []string, namespace string) *MsgTemplating {
-	params := make(map[string][]TemplateParam, 1)
-
-	// TODO add support for params in other components besides body
-	if len(variables) > 0 {
-		params["body"] = make([]TemplateParam, len(variables))
-		for i, v := range variables {
-			params["body"][i] = TemplateParam{Type: "text", Value: v}
-		}
-	}
+func NewMsgTemplating(template *assets.TemplateReference, params map[string][]TemplateParam, namespace string) *MsgTemplating {
 
 	return &MsgTemplating{Template_: template, Namespace_: namespace, Params_: params}
 }
diff --git a/flows/msg_test.go b/flows/msg_test.go
index 83c98b5a9..57bce3117 100644
--- a/flows/msg_test.go
+++ b/flows/msg_test.go
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@ func TestMsgTemplating(t *testing.T) {
 
 	templateRef := assets.NewTemplateReference("61602f3e-f603-4c70-8a8f-c477505bf4bf", "Affirmation")
 
-	msgTemplating := flows.NewMsgTemplating(templateRef, []string{"Ryan Lewis", "boy"}, "0162a7f4_dfe4_4c96_be07_854d5dba3b2b")
+	msgTemplating := flows.NewMsgTemplating(templateRef, map[string][]flows.TemplateParam{"body": {{Type: "text", Value: "Ryan Lewis"}, {Type: "text", Value: "boy"}}}, "0162a7f4_dfe4_4c96_be07_854d5dba3b2b")
 
 	assert.Equal(t, templateRef, msgTemplating.Template())
 	assert.Equal(t, "0162a7f4_dfe4_4c96_be07_854d5dba3b2b", msgTemplating.Namespace())