diff --git a/packages/core.gbapp/services/GBAPIService.ts b/packages/core.gbapp/services/GBAPIService.ts
index 829d4907..01ea73b5 100644
--- a/packages/core.gbapp/services/GBAPIService.ts
+++ b/packages/core.gbapp/services/GBAPIService.ts
@@ -102,6 +102,10 @@ class SysClass {
     await this.min.conversationalService.sendMarkdownToMobile(this.min, null, mobile, message);
   }
 
+  public async sendSmsTo(mobile, message) {
+    await this.min.conversationalService.sendSms(this.min, mobile, message);
+  }
+
   public async set(file: string, address: string, value: any): Promise<any> {
     GBLog.info(`BASIC: Defining '${address}' in '${file}' to '${value}' (SET). `);
     try {
diff --git a/packages/core.gbapp/services/GBConversationalService.ts b/packages/core.gbapp/services/GBConversationalService.ts
index 272982ef..0cb93f5d 100644
--- a/packages/core.gbapp/services/GBConversationalService.ts
+++ b/packages/core.gbapp/services/GBConversationalService.ts
@@ -145,8 +145,9 @@ export class GBConversationalService {
       });
       // tslint:disable-next-line:no-unsafe-any
       nexmo.message.sendSms(min.instance.smsServiceNumber, mobile, text, (err, data) => {
-        if (err) {
-          reject(err);
+        if (data.messages[0]['error-text']) {
+          GBLog.error(`BASIC: error sending SMS to ${mobile}: ${data.messages[0]['error-text']}`);
+          reject(data.messages[0]['error-text']);
         } else {
           resolve(data);
         }
diff --git a/packages/core.gbapp/services/GBVMService.ts b/packages/core.gbapp/services/GBVMService.ts
index 2c417d4c..3307ea09 100644
--- a/packages/core.gbapp/services/GBVMService.ts
+++ b/packages/core.gbapp/services/GBVMService.ts
@@ -216,6 +216,10 @@ export class GBVMService extends GBService {
       return `talk (step, ${$3})\n`;
     });
 
+    code = code.replace(/(send sms to)(\s*)(.*)/gi, ($0, $1, $2, $3) => {
+      return `sys().sendSmsTo (${$3})\n`;
+    });
+
     code = code.replace(/(send file to)(\s*)(.*)/gi, ($0, $1, $2, $3) => {
       return `sendFileTo (step, ${$3})\n`;
     });