diff --git a/src/fe-common/core/fe-messages.c b/src/fe-common/core/fe-messages.c
index 308680d6..9545af73 100644
--- a/src/fe-common/core/fe-messages.c
+++ b/src/fe-common/core/fe-messages.c
@@ -587,6 +587,25 @@ static void sig_message_topic(SERVER_REC *server, const char *channel,
 		    nick, channel, topic, address);
 }
 
+static void sig_message_away_notify(SERVER_REC *server, const char *nick,
+				    const char *addr, const char *awaymsg)
+{
+	int txt = *awaymsg == '\0' ? TXT_NOTIFY_UNAWAY_CHANNEL :
+		TXT_NOTIFY_AWAY_CHANNEL;
+
+	if (!settings_get_bool("away_notify_public"))
+		return;
+
+	spread_server_message_to_windows(server, FALSE,
+					 FALSE,
+					 MSGLEVEL_CRAP,
+					 txt, txt,
+					 nick, addr,
+					 awaymsg,
+					 awaymsg
+					);
+}
+
 static int printnick_exists(NICK_REC *first, NICK_REC *ignore,
 			    const char *nick)
 {
@@ -730,6 +749,7 @@ void fe_messages_init(void)
 	settings_add_bool("lookandfeel", "print_active_channel", FALSE);
 	settings_add_bool("lookandfeel", "show_quit_once", FALSE);
 	settings_add_bool("lookandfeel", "show_own_nickchange_once", FALSE);
+	settings_add_bool("lookandfeel", "away_notify_public", FALSE);
 
 	signal_add_last("message public", (SIGNAL_FUNC) sig_message_public);
 	signal_add_last("message private", (SIGNAL_FUNC) sig_message_private);
@@ -744,6 +764,7 @@ void fe_messages_init(void)
 	signal_add_last("message invite", (SIGNAL_FUNC) sig_message_invite);
 	signal_add_last("message invite_other", (SIGNAL_FUNC) sig_message_invite_other);
 	signal_add_last("message topic", (SIGNAL_FUNC) sig_message_topic);
+	signal_add_last("message away_notify", (SIGNAL_FUNC) sig_message_away_notify);
 
 	signal_add("nicklist new", (SIGNAL_FUNC) sig_nicklist_new);
 	signal_add("nicklist remove", (SIGNAL_FUNC) sig_nicklist_remove);
@@ -770,6 +791,7 @@ void fe_messages_deinit(void)
 	signal_remove("message invite_other", (SIGNAL_FUNC) sig_message_invite_other);
 	signal_remove("message invite", (SIGNAL_FUNC) sig_message_invite);
 	signal_remove("message topic", (SIGNAL_FUNC) sig_message_topic);
+	signal_remove("message away_notify", (SIGNAL_FUNC) sig_message_away_notify);
 
 	signal_remove("nicklist new", (SIGNAL_FUNC) sig_nicklist_new);
 	signal_remove("nicklist remove", (SIGNAL_FUNC) sig_nicklist_remove);
diff --git a/src/fe-common/core/module-formats.c b/src/fe-common/core/module-formats.c
index 2532d82f..83eae589 100644
--- a/src/fe-common/core/module-formats.c
+++ b/src/fe-common/core/module-formats.c
@@ -106,6 +106,8 @@ FORMAT_REC fecommon_core_formats[] = {
 	{ "topic_unset", "Topic unset by {nick $0} on {channel $1}", 4, { 0, 0, 0, 0 } },
 	{ "your_nick_changed", "You're now known as {nick $1}", 4, { 0, 0, 0, 0 } },
 	{ "nick_changed", "{channick $0} is now known as {channick_hilight $1}", 4, { 0, 0, 0, 0 } },
+	{ "notify_away_channel", "{channick $0} {chanhost $1} is now away: {reason $2}", 4, { 0, 0, 0, 0 } },
+	{ "notify_unaway_channel", "{channick_hilight $0} {chanhost $1} is no longer away", 4, { 0, 0, 0, 0 } },
 	{ "talking_in", "You are now talking in {channel $0}", 1, { 0 } },
 	{ "not_in_channels", "You are not on any channels", 0 },
 	{ "current_channel", "Current channel {channel $0}", 1, { 0 } },
diff --git a/src/fe-common/core/module-formats.h b/src/fe-common/core/module-formats.h
index c5e2c4d1..74a4dfd9 100644
--- a/src/fe-common/core/module-formats.h
+++ b/src/fe-common/core/module-formats.h
@@ -82,6 +82,8 @@ enum {
 	TXT_TOPIC_UNSET,
 	TXT_YOUR_NICK_CHANGED,
 	TXT_NICK_CHANGED,
+	TXT_NOTIFY_AWAY_CHANNEL,
+	TXT_NOTIFY_UNAWAY_CHANNEL,
 	TXT_TALKING_IN,
 	TXT_NOT_IN_CHANNELS,
 	TXT_CURRENT_CHANNEL,
diff --git a/src/fe-common/irc/fe-events.c b/src/fe-common/irc/fe-events.c
index c26f2e88..4608b949 100644
--- a/src/fe-common/irc/fe-events.c
+++ b/src/fe-common/irc/fe-events.c
@@ -237,6 +237,21 @@ static void event_mode(IRC_SERVER_REC *server, const char *data,
 	g_free(params);
 }
 
+static void event_away_notify(IRC_SERVER_REC *server, const char *data,
+			      const char *nick, const char *addr)
+{
+	char *params, *awaymsg;
+
+	g_return_if_fail(data != NULL);
+
+	params = event_get_params(data, 1 | PARAM_FLAG_GETREST,
+				  &awaymsg);
+
+	signal_emit("message away_notify", 4,
+		    server, nick, addr, awaymsg);
+	g_free(params);
+}
+
 static void event_pong(IRC_SERVER_REC *server, const char *data, const char *nick)
 {
 	char *params, *host, *reply;
@@ -458,6 +473,7 @@ void fe_events_init(void)
 	signal_add("event error", (SIGNAL_FUNC) event_error);
 	signal_add("event wallops", (SIGNAL_FUNC) event_wallops);
 	signal_add("event silence", (SIGNAL_FUNC) event_silence);
+	signal_add("event away", (SIGNAL_FUNC) event_away_notify);
 
 	signal_add("default event", (SIGNAL_FUNC) event_received);
 
@@ -487,6 +503,7 @@ void fe_events_deinit(void)
 	signal_remove("event error", (SIGNAL_FUNC) event_error);
 	signal_remove("event wallops", (SIGNAL_FUNC) event_wallops);
 	signal_remove("event silence", (SIGNAL_FUNC) event_silence);
+	signal_remove("event away", (SIGNAL_FUNC) event_away_notify);
 
 	signal_remove("default event", (SIGNAL_FUNC) event_received);
 
diff --git a/src/irc/core/irc-nicklist.c b/src/irc/core/irc-nicklist.c
index 9073ddaa..28ac6368 100644
--- a/src/irc/core/irc-nicklist.c
+++ b/src/irc/core/irc-nicklist.c
@@ -467,6 +467,20 @@ static void event_setname(SERVER_REC *server, const char *data, const char *nick
 	g_slist_free(nicks);
 }
 
+static void event_away_notify(IRC_SERVER_REC *server, const char *data, const char *nick, const char *add)
+{
+	char *params, *awaymsg;
+
+	if (!IS_IRC_SERVER(server))
+		return;
+
+	g_return_if_fail(data != NULL);
+
+	params = event_get_params(data, 1 | PARAM_FLAG_GETREST, &awaymsg);
+	nicklist_update_flags(SERVER(server), nick, *awaymsg != '\0', -1);
+	g_free(params);
+}
+
 static void sig_usermode(SERVER_REC *server)
 {
 	g_return_if_fail(IS_SERVER(server));
@@ -507,6 +521,7 @@ void irc_nicklist_init(void)
 	signal_add_first("event 433", (SIGNAL_FUNC) event_nick_in_use);
 	signal_add_first("event 437", (SIGNAL_FUNC) event_target_unavailable);
 	signal_add_first("event 302", (SIGNAL_FUNC) event_userhost);
+	signal_add_first("event away", (SIGNAL_FUNC) event_away_notify);
 	signal_add("userhost event", (SIGNAL_FUNC) event_userhost);
 	signal_add("event setname", (SIGNAL_FUNC) event_setname);
 	signal_add("user mode changed", (SIGNAL_FUNC) sig_usermode);
@@ -530,6 +545,7 @@ void irc_nicklist_deinit(void)
 	signal_remove("event 433", (SIGNAL_FUNC) event_nick_in_use);
 	signal_remove("event 437", (SIGNAL_FUNC) event_target_unavailable);
 	signal_remove("event 302", (SIGNAL_FUNC) event_userhost);
+	signal_remove("event away", (SIGNAL_FUNC) event_away_notify);
 	signal_remove("userhost event", (SIGNAL_FUNC) event_userhost);
 	signal_remove("event setname", (SIGNAL_FUNC) event_setname);
 	signal_remove("user mode changed", (SIGNAL_FUNC) sig_usermode);
diff --git a/src/irc/core/irc-servers.c b/src/irc/core/irc-servers.c
index 5e98e724..16095ed3 100644
--- a/src/irc/core/irc-servers.c
+++ b/src/irc/core/irc-servers.c
@@ -237,6 +237,7 @@ static void server_init(IRC_SERVER_REC *server)
 	irc_cap_toggle(server, CAP_EXTENDED_JOIN, TRUE);
 	irc_cap_toggle(server, CAP_SETNAME, TRUE);
 	irc_cap_toggle(server, CAP_INVITE_NOTIFY, TRUE);
+	irc_cap_toggle(server, CAP_AWAY_NOTIFY, TRUE);
 
 	irc_send_cmd_now(server, "CAP LS " CAP_LS_VERSION);
 
diff --git a/src/irc/core/irc-servers.h b/src/irc/core/irc-servers.h
index 5313c1d0..3fccfe9e 100644
--- a/src/irc/core/irc-servers.h
+++ b/src/irc/core/irc-servers.h
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 #define CAP_EXTENDED_JOIN "extended-join"
 #define CAP_SETNAME "draft/setname"
 #define CAP_INVITE_NOTIFY "invite-notify"
+#define CAP_AWAY_NOTIFY "away-notify"
 
 /* returns IRC_SERVER_REC if it's IRC server, NULL if it isn't */
 #define IRC_SERVER(server) \