diff --git a/src/jcl/jabber/component.py b/src/jcl/jabber/component.py
index 7087b0c..d55d807 100644
--- a/src/jcl/jabber/component.py
+++ b/src/jcl/jabber/component.py
@@ -721,7 +721,7 @@ class JCLComponent(Component, object):
                           (_account.name))
             self.stream.send(msg)
 
-    def _send_error(self, _account, exception):
+    def send_error(self, _account, exception):
         """Send an error message only one time until _account.in_error
         has been reset to False"""
         if _account.in_error == False:
diff --git a/tests/jcl/jabber/test_component.py b/tests/jcl/jabber/test_component.py
index f177b3c..28e6402 100644
--- a/tests/jcl/jabber/test_component.py
+++ b/tests/jcl/jabber/test_component.py
@@ -1845,7 +1845,7 @@ class JCLComponent_TestCase(unittest.TestCase):
                            name = "account11", \
                            jid = "account11@jcl.test.com")
         exception = Exception("test exception")
-        self.comp._send_error(_account, exception)
+        self.comp.send_error(_account, exception)
         self.assertEqual(len(self.comp.stream.sent), 1)
         error_sent = self.comp.stream.sent[0]
         self.assertEqual(error_sent.get_to(), _account.user_jid)
@@ -1865,5 +1865,5 @@ class JCLComponent_TestCase(unittest.TestCase):
                            jid = "account11@jcl.test.com")
         _account.in_error = True
         exception = Exception("test exception")
-        self.comp._send_error(_account, exception)
+        self.comp.send_error(_account, exception)
         self.assertEqual(len(self.comp.stream.sent), 0)