diff --git a/src/fe-common/irc/fe-events-numeric.c b/src/fe-common/irc/fe-events-numeric.c
index 3eb124fc..420b7f40 100644
--- a/src/fe-common/irc/fe-events-numeric.c
+++ b/src/fe-common/irc/fe-events-numeric.c
@@ -511,6 +511,11 @@ static void event_bad_channel_mask(IRC_SERVER_REC *server, const char *data)
 	cannot_join(server, data, IRCTXT_JOINERROR_BAD_MASK);
 }
 
+static void event_operators_only(IRC_SERVER_REC *server, const char *data)
+{
+	cannot_join(server, data, IRCTXT_JOINERROR_OPERSONLY);
+}
+
 static void event_477(IRC_SERVER_REC *server, const char *data,
 		      const char *nick)
 {
@@ -688,6 +693,7 @@ void fe_events_numeric_init(void)
 	signal_add("event 372", (SIGNAL_FUNC) event_motd);
 	signal_add("event 422", (SIGNAL_FUNC) event_motd);
 	signal_add("event 439", (SIGNAL_FUNC) event_target_too_fast);
+	signal_add("event 520", (SIGNAL_FUNC) event_operators_only);
 	signal_add("event 707", (SIGNAL_FUNC) event_target_too_fast);
 
         signal_add("default event numeric", (SIGNAL_FUNC) event_numeric);
@@ -781,6 +787,7 @@ void fe_events_numeric_deinit(void)
 	signal_remove("event 372", (SIGNAL_FUNC) event_motd);
 	signal_remove("event 422", (SIGNAL_FUNC) event_motd);
 	signal_remove("event 439", (SIGNAL_FUNC) event_target_too_fast);
+	signal_remove("event 520", (SIGNAL_FUNC) event_operators_only);
 	signal_remove("event 707", (SIGNAL_FUNC) event_target_too_fast);
 
         signal_remove("default event numeric", (SIGNAL_FUNC) event_numeric);
diff --git a/src/fe-common/irc/module-formats.c b/src/fe-common/irc/module-formats.c
index f7b074ec..009c7df6 100644
--- a/src/fe-common/irc/module-formats.c
+++ b/src/fe-common/irc/module-formats.c
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@ FORMAT_REC fecommon_irc_formats[] = {
 	{ "joinerror_bad_key", "Cannot join to channel {channel $0} (Bad channel key)", 1, { 0 } },
 	{ "joinerror_bad_mask", "Cannot join to channel {channel $0} (Bad channel mask)", 1, { 0 } },
 	{ "joinerror_unavail", "Cannot join to channel {channel $0} (Channel is temporarily unavailable)", 1, { 0 } },
+	{ "joinerror_opersonly", "Cannot join to channel {channel $0} (You must be an operator)", 1, { 0 } },
 	{ "joinerror_duplicate", "Channel {channel $0} already exists - cannot create it", 1, { 0 } },
 	{ "channel_rejoin", "Channel {channel $0} is temporarily unavailable, this is normally because of netsplits. Irssi will now automatically try to rejoin back to this channel until the join is successful. Use /RMREJOINS command if you wish to abort this.", 1, { 0 } },
 	{ "inviting", "Inviting {nick $0} to {channel $1}", 2, { 0, 0 } },
diff --git a/src/fe-common/irc/module-formats.h b/src/fe-common/irc/module-formats.h
index c45f4562..add2032f 100644
--- a/src/fe-common/irc/module-formats.h
+++ b/src/fe-common/irc/module-formats.h
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ enum {
 	IRCTXT_JOINERROR_BAD_KEY,
 	IRCTXT_JOINERROR_BAD_MASK,
 	IRCTXT_JOINERROR_UNAVAIL,
+	IRCTXT_JOINERROR_OPERSONLY,
 	IRCTXT_JOINERROR_DUPLICATE,
 	IRCTXT_CHANNEL_REJOIN,
 	IRCTXT_INVITING,