diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index c469e72..cbc7bd2 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -6,3 +6,4 @@ rackspace_logo.jpg
 mailgun_icon.png
 build
 composer.lock
+nbproject/*
diff --git a/src/Mailgun/Messages/BatchMessage.php b/src/Mailgun/Messages/BatchMessage.php
index 1e54036..04a7715 100644
--- a/src/Mailgun/Messages/BatchMessage.php
+++ b/src/Mailgun/Messages/BatchMessage.php
@@ -38,7 +38,6 @@ class BatchMessage extends MessageBuilder{
 		$this->addRecipient("to", $address, $variables);
 		$attributes["id"] = $this->toRecipientCount;
 		$this->batchRecipientAttributes["$address"] = $variables;
-		$this->toRecipientCount++;
 	}
 	
 	public function sendMessage($message = array(), $files = array()){
@@ -59,7 +58,7 @@ class BatchMessage extends MessageBuilder{
 			throw new MissingRequiredMIMEParameters(EXCEPTION_MISSING_REQUIRED_MIME_PARAMETERS);
 		}
 		else{		
-			$this->message["recipient-variables"] = json_encode($this->batchRecipientAttributes);
+			$message["recipient-variables"] = json_encode($this->batchRecipientAttributes);
 			$response = $this->restClient->post($this->endpointUrl, $message, $files);
 			$this->batchRecipientAttributes = array();
 			$this->toRecipientCount = 0;
diff --git a/tests/Mailgun/Tests/Messages/BatchMessageTest.php b/tests/Mailgun/Tests/Messages/BatchMessageTest.php
index d67cb11..6d17da6 100644
--- a/tests/Mailgun/Tests/Messages/BatchMessageTest.php
+++ b/tests/Mailgun/Tests/Messages/BatchMessageTest.php
@@ -50,6 +50,15 @@ class BatchMessageTest extends \Mailgun\Tests\MailgunTestCase{
 		$messageObj= $message->getMessage();
 		$this->assertTrue(true, empty($messageObj));
 	}
+    public function testToRecipientCount() {
+        $message = $this->client->BatchMessage($this->sampleDomain);
+        $message->addToRecipient("test-user@samples.mailgun.org", array("first" => "Test", "last" => "User"));
+        
+        $reflectionClass = new \ReflectionClass(get_class($message));
+        $property = $reflectionClass->getProperty('toRecipientCount');
+        $property->setAccessible(true);
+        $this->assertEquals(1, $property->getValue($message));
+    }
 }
 ?>