diff --git a/src/irc/core/irc-chatnets.c b/src/irc/core/irc-chatnets.c
index d72f71dd..0796e0cb 100644
--- a/src/irc/core/irc-chatnets.c
+++ b/src/irc/core/irc-chatnets.c
@@ -35,10 +35,13 @@ void ircnet_create(IRC_CHATNET_REC *rec)
 
 static void sig_chatnet_read(IRC_CHATNET_REC *rec, CONFIG_NODE *node)
 {
+	char *value;
+
 	if (!IS_IRC_CHATNET(rec))
 		return;
 
-	rec->usermode = g_strdup(config_node_get_str(node, "usermode", NULL));
+	value = config_node_get_str(node, "usermode", NULL);
+	rec->usermode = (value != NULL && *value != '\0') ? g_strdup(value) : NULL;
 
 	rec->max_cmds_at_once = config_node_get_int(node, "cmdmax", 0);
 	rec->cmd_queue_speed = config_node_get_int(node, "cmdspeed", 0);
diff --git a/src/irc/core/irc-servers-setup.c b/src/irc/core/irc-servers-setup.c
index bf1d2ddf..f425b587 100644
--- a/src/irc/core/irc-servers-setup.c
+++ b/src/irc/core/irc-servers-setup.c
@@ -48,12 +48,18 @@ static void sig_server_setup_fill_reconn(IRC_SERVER_CONNECT_REC *conn,
 
 static void sig_server_setup_fill_connect(IRC_SERVER_CONNECT_REC *conn)
 {
+	const char *value;
+
 	if (!IS_IRC_SERVER_CONNECT(conn))
 		return;
 
-	conn->alternate_nick = *settings_get_str("alternate_nick") != '\0' ?
-		g_strdup(settings_get_str("alternate_nick")) : NULL;
-        conn->usermode = g_strdup(settings_get_str("usermode"));
+	value = settings_get_str("alternate_nick");
+	conn->alternate_nick = (value != NULL && *value != '\0') ?
+		g_strdup(value) : NULL;
+
+	value = settings_get_str("usermode");
+	conn->usermode = (value != NULL && *value != '\0') ?
+		g_strdup(value) : NULL;
 }
 
 static void sig_server_setup_fill_chatnet(IRC_SERVER_CONNECT_REC *conn,