diff --git a/src/core/chat-commands.c b/src/core/chat-commands.c
index 7b76511f..07a9ae88 100644
--- a/src/core/chat-commands.c
+++ b/src/core/chat-commands.c
@@ -308,13 +308,13 @@ static void cmd_join(const char *data, SERVER_REC *server)
 	cmd_params_free(free_arg);
 }
 
-/* SYNTAX: MSG [-<server tag>] <targets> <message> */
+/* SYNTAX: MSG [-<server tag>] [-channel | -nick] <targets> <message> */
 static void cmd_msg(const char *data, SERVER_REC *server, WI_ITEM_REC *item)
 {
 	GHashTable *optlist;
 	char *target, *origtarget, *msg;
 	void *free_arg;
-	int free_ret;
+	int free_ret, target_type;
 
 	g_return_if_fail(data != NULL);
 
@@ -342,10 +342,23 @@ static void cmd_msg(const char *data, SERVER_REC *server, WI_ITEM_REC *item)
 		target = item->name;
 	}
 
-	if (target != NULL)
-		server->send_message(server, target, msg);
+	if (g_hash_table_lookup(optlist, "channel") != NULL)
+                target_type = SEND_TARGET_CHANNEL;
+	else if (g_hash_table_lookup(optlist, "nick") != NULL)
+		target_type = SEND_TARGET_NICK;
+	else {
+		/* Need to rely on server_ischannel(). If the protocol
+		   doesn't really know if it's channel or nick based on the
+		   name, it should just assume it's nick, because when typing
+		   text to channels it's always sent with /MSG -channel. */
+		target_type = server_ischannel(server, target) ?
+			SEND_TARGET_CHANNEL : SEND_TARGET_NICK;
+	}
 
-	signal_emit(target != NULL && server_ischannel(server, target) ?
+	if (target != NULL)
+		server->send_message(server, target, msg, target_type);
+
+	signal_emit(target != NULL && target_type == SEND_TARGET_CHANNEL ?
 		    "message own_public" : "message own_private", 4,
 		    server, msg, target, origtarget);
 
@@ -419,6 +432,7 @@ void chat_commands_init(void)
 
 	command_set_options("connect", "4 6 !! +host noproxy -rawlog");
 	command_set_options("join", "invite");
+	command_set_options("msg", "channel nick");
 }
 
 void chat_commands_deinit(void)
diff --git a/src/core/ignore.c b/src/core/ignore.c
index c98646c1..23bdf83c 100644
--- a/src/core/ignore.c
+++ b/src/core/ignore.c
@@ -161,9 +161,8 @@ int ignore_check(SERVER_REC *server, const char *nick, const char *host,
 	g_return_val_if_fail(server != NULL, 0);
         if (nick == NULL) nick = "";
 
-	chanrec = (channel != NULL && server != NULL &&
-		   server_ischannel(server, channel)) ?
-		channel_find(server, channel) : NULL;
+	chanrec = server == NULL || channel == NULL ? NULL :
+		channel_find(server, channel);
 	if (chanrec != NULL && nick != NULL &&
 	    (nickrec = nicklist_find(chanrec, nick)) != NULL) {
                 /* nick found - check only ignores in nickmatch cache */
diff --git a/src/core/server-rec.h b/src/core/server-rec.h
index 9f5070f7..0003f698 100644
--- a/src/core/server-rec.h
+++ b/src/core/server-rec.h
@@ -60,7 +60,8 @@ int (*ischannel)(SERVER_REC *server, const char *data);
    of them aren't supported '\0' can be used. */
 const char *(*get_nick_flags)(void);
 /* send public or private message to server */
-void (*send_message)(SERVER_REC *server, const char *target, const char *msg);
+void (*send_message)(SERVER_REC *server, const char *target,
+		     const char *msg, int target_type);
 
 /* -- Default implementations are used if NULL -- */
 CHANNEL_REC *(*channel_find_func)(SERVER_REC *server, const char *name);
diff --git a/src/core/servers.h b/src/core/servers.h
index 05ebc55e..dddde263 100644
--- a/src/core/servers.h
+++ b/src/core/servers.h
@@ -31,6 +31,9 @@ struct _SERVER_REC {
 #include "server-rec.h"
 };
 
+#define SEND_TARGET_CHANNEL	0
+#define SEND_TARGET_NICK	1
+
 extern GSList *servers, *lookup_servers;
 
 void servers_init(void);
diff --git a/src/fe-common/core/chat-completion.c b/src/fe-common/core/chat-completion.c
index 6b988a1c..7be923fc 100644
--- a/src/fe-common/core/chat-completion.c
+++ b/src/fe-common/core/chat-completion.c
@@ -762,48 +762,62 @@ static char *expand_escapes(const char *line, SERVER_REC *server,
 	return ret;
 }
 
+static char *auto_complete(CHANNEL_REC *channel, const char *line)
+{
+	GList *comp;
+	const char *p;
+        char *nick, *ret;
+
+	p = strstr(line, completion_char);
+	if (p == NULL)
+		return NULL;
+
+        nick = g_strndup(line, (int) (p-line));
+
+        ret = NULL;
+	if (nicklist_find(channel, nick) == NULL) {
+                /* not an exact match, use the first possible completion */
+		comp = completion_channel_nicks(channel, nick, NULL);
+		if (comp != NULL) {
+			ret = g_strconcat(comp->data, p, NULL);
+			g_list_foreach(comp, (GFunc) g_free, NULL);
+			g_list_free(comp);
+		}
+	}
+
+	g_free(nick);
+
+        return ret;
+}
+
 static void event_text(const char *data, SERVER_REC *server, WI_ITEM_REC *item)
 {
-	CHANNEL_REC *channel;
-	GList *comp;
-	char *line, *str, *ptr, comp_char;
+	char *line, *str;
 
 	g_return_if_fail(data != NULL);
 	if (item == NULL) return;
 
 	line = settings_get_bool("expand_escapes") ?
 		expand_escapes(data, server, item) : g_strdup(data);
-	comp_char = *completion_char;
 
 	/* check for automatic nick completion */
-        ptr = NULL;
-	comp = NULL;
-	channel = CHANNEL(item);
-
-	if (completion_auto && channel != NULL && comp_char != '\0') {
-		ptr = strchr(line, comp_char);
-		if (ptr != NULL) {
-			*ptr++ = '\0';
-			if (nicklist_find(channel, line) == NULL) {
-				comp = completion_channel_nicks(channel,
-								line, NULL);
-			}
+	if (completion_auto && IS_CHANNEL(item)) {
+		str = auto_complete(CHANNEL(item), line);
+		if (str != NULL) {
+			g_free(line);
+                        line = str;
 		}
 	}
 
-	str = g_strdup_printf(ptr == NULL ? "%s %s" : "%s %s%c%s", item->name,
-			      comp != NULL ? (char *) comp->data : line,
-			      comp_char, ptr);
+	str = g_strdup_printf(IS_CHANNEL(item) ? "-channel %s %s" :
+			      IS_QUERY(item) ? "-nick %s %s" : "%s %s",
+			      item->name, line);
+
 	signal_emit("command msg", 3, str, server, item);
 
 	g_free(str);
 	g_free(line);
 
-	if (comp != NULL) {
-		g_list_foreach(comp, (GFunc) g_free, NULL);
-		g_list_free(comp);
-	}
-
 	signal_stop();
 }
 
@@ -840,6 +854,11 @@ static void read_settings(void)
 	cmdchars = settings_get_str("cmdchars");
 	completion_auto = settings_get_bool("completion_auto");
 	completion_strict = settings_get_bool("completion_strict");
+
+	if (*completion_char == '\0') {
+                /* this would break.. */
+		completion_auto = FALSE;
+	}
 }
 
 void chat_completion_init(void)
diff --git a/src/fe-common/core/fe-queries.c b/src/fe-common/core/fe-queries.c
index 9847c886..39191e5a 100644
--- a/src/fe-common/core/fe-queries.c
+++ b/src/fe-common/core/fe-queries.c
@@ -226,7 +226,8 @@ static void cmd_query(const char *data, SERVER_REC *server, WI_ITEM_REC *item)
 
 	query = query_find(server, nick);
 	if (query == NULL)
-		CHAT_PROTOCOL(server)->query_create(server->tag, nick, FALSE);
+		query = CHAT_PROTOCOL(server)->
+			query_create(server->tag, nick, FALSE);
 	else {
 		/* query already exists */
 		WINDOW_REC *window = window_item_window(query);
@@ -252,13 +253,9 @@ static void cmd_query(const char *data, SERVER_REC *server, WI_ITEM_REC *item)
 	}
 
 	if (*msg != '\0') {
-		/* FIXME: we'll need some function that does both
-		   of these. and separate the , and . target handling
-		   from own_private messagge.. */
-		server->send_message(server, nick, msg);
-
-		signal_emit("message own_private", 4,
-			    server, msg, nick, nick);
+                msg = g_strdup_printf("-nick %s %s", nick, msg);
+		signal_emit("command msg", 3, msg, server, query);
+                g_free(msg);
 	}
 
 	cmd_params_free(free_arg);
diff --git a/src/irc/core/irc-servers.c b/src/irc/core/irc-servers.c
index 91935fb5..0faa299f 100644
--- a/src/irc/core/irc-servers.c
+++ b/src/irc/core/irc-servers.c
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ static int ischannel_func(SERVER_REC *server, const char *data)
 }
 
 static void send_message(SERVER_REC *server, const char *target,
-			 const char *msg)
+			 const char *msg, int target_type)
 {
         IRC_SERVER_REC *ircserver;
 	char *str;