diff --git a/discord/message.py b/discord/message.py
index da2e99384..f85b0bb69 100644
--- a/discord/message.py
+++ b/discord/message.py
@@ -303,6 +303,12 @@ class MessageReference:
         The channel id of the message referenced.
     guild_id: Optional[:class:`int`]
         The guild id of the message referenced.
+    fail_if_not_exists: :class:`bool`
+        Whether replying to the referenced message should raise :class:`HTTPException`
+        if the message no longer exists or Discord could not fetch the message.
+
+        .. versionadded:: 1.7
+
     resolved: Optional[Union[:class:`Message`, :class:`DeletedReferencedMessage`]]
         The message that this reference resolved to. If this is ``None``
         then the original message was not fetched either due to the Discord API
@@ -315,14 +321,15 @@ class MessageReference:
         .. versionadded:: 1.6
     """
 
-    __slots__ = ('message_id', 'channel_id', 'guild_id', 'resolved', '_state')
+    __slots__ = ('message_id', 'channel_id', 'guild_id', 'fail_if_not_exists', 'resolved', '_state')
 
-    def __init__(self, *, message_id, channel_id, guild_id=None):
+    def __init__(self, *, message_id, channel_id, guild_id=None, fail_if_not_exists=True):
         self._state = None
         self.resolved = None
         self.message_id = message_id
         self.channel_id = channel_id
         self.guild_id = guild_id
+        self.fail_if_not_exists = fail_if_not_exists
 
     @classmethod
     def with_state(cls, state, data):
@@ -335,7 +342,7 @@ class MessageReference:
         return self
 
     @classmethod
-    def from_message(cls, message):
+    def from_message(cls, message, *, fail_if_not_exists=True):
         """Creates a :class:`MessageReference` from an existing :class:`~discord.Message`.
 
         .. versionadded:: 1.6
@@ -344,13 +351,18 @@ class MessageReference:
         ----------
         message: :class:`~discord.Message`
             The message to be converted into a reference.
+        fail_if_not_exists: :class:`bool`
+            Whether replying to the referenced message should raise :class:`HTTPException`
+            if the message no longer exists or Discord could not fetch the message.
+
+            .. versionadded:: 1.7
 
         Returns
         -------
         :class:`MessageReference`
             A reference to the message.
         """
-        self = cls(message_id=message.id, channel_id=message.channel.id, guild_id=getattr(message.guild, 'id', None))
+        self = cls(message_id=message.id, channel_id=message.channel.id, guild_id=getattr(message.guild, 'id', None), fail_if_not_exists=fail_if_not_exists)
         self._state = message._state
         return self
 
@@ -376,6 +388,8 @@ class MessageReference:
         result['channel_id'] = self.channel_id
         if self.guild_id is not None:
             result['guild_id'] = self.guild_id
+        if self.fail_if_not_exists is not None:
+            result['fail_if_not_exists'] = self.fail_if_not_exists
         return result
 
     to_message_reference_dict = to_dict
@@ -1335,18 +1349,26 @@ class Message(Hashable):
 
         return await self.channel.send(content, reference=self, **kwargs)
 
-    def to_reference(self):
+    def to_reference(self, *, fail_if_not_exists=True):
         """Creates a :class:`~discord.MessageReference` from the current message.
 
         .. versionadded:: 1.6
 
+        Parameters
+        ----------
+        fail_if_not_exists: :class:`bool`
+            Whether replying using the message reference should raise :class:`HTTPException`
+            if the message no longer exists or Discord could not fetch the message.
+
+            .. versionadded:: 1.7
+
         Returns
         ---------
         :class:`~discord.MessageReference`
             The reference to this message.
         """
 
-        return MessageReference.from_message(self)
+        return MessageReference.from_message(self, fail_if_not_exists=fail_if_not_exists)
 
     def to_message_reference_dict(self):
         data = {