diff --git a/changelog.d/1085-face-enter-internal-error.fixed.md b/changelog.d/1085-face-enter-internal-error.fixed.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..acb6da52
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog.d/1085-face-enter-internal-error.fixed.md
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Enter chat in a face-to-face room no longer shows "internal error" after the other person has joined. The start request sends an empty JSON body, which Bot Social accepts ([#1085](https://github.com/ThinkFlowLab/FlyBot/issues/1085)).
diff --git a/plugins/social/src/face-rooms.js b/plugins/social/src/face-rooms.js
index a8642f67..24727f4e 100644
--- a/plugins/social/src/face-rooms.js
+++ b/plugins/social/src/face-rooms.js
@@ -706,15 +706,21 @@ export function createFaceRoomApi({ server, token, fetch: fetchImpl = socialFetc
     let response
     let data
     const sentAt = Date.now()
+    // A POST or PUT with no body never reaches the handler on the deployed Bot Social
+    // (social.botawaken.com, 2026-10-25): it answers 500 "internal error" before auth.
+    // The same call with `{}` is an empty JSON body and the handler runs. Enter chat
+    // is POST /face-rooms/:id/start, which otherwise sends nothing (#1085).
+    const verb = String(method || 'GET').toUpperCase()
+    const payload = body === undefined && (verb === 'POST' || verb === 'PUT' || verb === 'PATCH') ? {} : body
     try {
       response = await fetchImpl(url, {
         method,
         headers: {
           authorization: `Bearer ${token}`,
           accept: 'application/json',
-          ...(body !== undefined ? { 'content-type': 'application/json' } : {}),
+          ...(payload !== undefined ? { 'content-type': 'application/json' } : {}),
         },
-        body: body !== undefined ? JSON.stringify(body) : undefined,
+        body: payload !== undefined ? JSON.stringify(payload) : undefined,
         signal,
       })
       const offset = serverClockOffset(response.headers?.get?.('date'), sentAt, Date.now())
diff --git a/plugins/social/test/face-rooms.test.js b/plugins/social/test/face-rooms.test.js
index 2ed0324b..b22973e5 100644
--- a/plugins/social/test/face-rooms.test.js
+++ b/plugins/social/test/face-rooms.test.js
@@ -439,6 +439,30 @@ test('REST join, poll, start, leave, and pending_approval send', async () => {
   assert.equal(left.status, 'closed')
 })
 
+test('#1085: Enter chat sends a JSON body, so a bodyless POST is not an internal error', async () => {
+  // social.botawaken.com (2026-10-25): POST /v1/face-rooms/:id/start with no body
+  // answers 500 { code: "internal_error", message: "internal error" } before auth.
+  // The same POST with `{}` reaches the handler. Enter chat is that POST.
+  const fetch = async (url, init) => {
+    assert.equal(String(url), 'https://s/v1/face-rooms/frm_1/start')
+    assert.equal(init.method, 'POST')
+    const raw = init.body
+    if (raw === undefined || raw === '') {
+      return new Response(JSON.stringify({ error: { code: 'internal_error', message: 'internal error' } }), { status: 500 })
+    }
+    assert.equal(init.headers['content-type'], 'application/json')
+    assert.equal(raw, '{}')
+    return new Response(JSON.stringify({
+      room_id: 'frm_1', status: 'open', members: [], events: [], event_cursor: 1,
+      started_at: '2026-10-25T00:00:00.000Z',
+    }), { status: 200 })
+  }
+  const api = createFaceRoomApi({ server: 'https://s', token: 'otk_test', fetch })
+  const started = await api.start('frm_1')
+  assert.equal(started.status, 'open')
+  assert.equal(started.roomId, 'frm_1')
+})
+
 test('failed join never includes members or events', () => {
   const err = mapFaceError({ error: { code: 'room_full', members: [{ handle: '@x' }], events: [1], room_id: 'frm_leak' } }, 409)
   assert.equal(err.message.includes('frm_leak'), false)