diff --git a/src/irc/core/irc-expandos.c b/src/irc/core/irc-expandos.c
index 0c0da643..a1030624 100644
--- a/src/irc/core/irc-expandos.c
+++ b/src/irc/core/irc-expandos.c
@@ -87,11 +87,13 @@ static char *expando_cumode(SERVER_REC *server, void *item, int *free_ret)
 {
 	if (IS_IRC_CHANNEL(item) && CHANNEL(item)->ownnick) {
 		char prefix = NICK(CHANNEL(item)->ownnick)->prefixes[0];
-		char *cumode = g_malloc(2);
-		cumode[0] = prefix;
-		cumode[1] = '\0';
-		*free_ret = TRUE;
-		return cumode; /* will be "\0\0" = "" if there is no prefix */
+		if (prefix != '\0') {
+			char *cumode = g_malloc(2);
+			cumode[0] = prefix;
+			cumode[1] = '\0';
+			*free_ret = TRUE;
+			return cumode;
+		}
 	}
 	return "";
 }