diff --git a/src/fe-common/irc/fe-events.c b/src/fe-common/irc/fe-events.c
index 2a2433d1..251779d6 100644
--- a/src/fe-common/irc/fe-events.c
+++ b/src/fe-common/irc/fe-events.c
@@ -52,13 +52,14 @@ static void event_privmsg(IRC_SERVER_REC *server, const char *data,
 	params = event_get_params(data, 2 | PARAM_FLAG_GETREST, &target, &msg);
 	if (nick == NULL) nick = server->real_address;
 	if (addr == NULL) addr = "";
-	recoded = recode_in(SERVER(server), msg, target);
 	if (*target == '@' && ischannel(target[1])) {
 		/* Hybrid 6 feature, send msg to all ops in channel */
+		recoded = recode_in(SERVER(server), msg, target+1);
 		signal_emit("message irc op_public", 5,
 			    server, recoded, nick, addr,
 			    get_visible_target(server, target+1));
 	} else {
+		recoded = recode_in(SERVER(server), msg, ischannel(*target) ? target : nick);
 		signal_emit(ischannel(*target) ?
 			    "message public" : "message private", 5,
 			    server, recoded, nick, addr,