diff --git a/degesch.c b/degesch.c
index 0f5eb5c..897f1c1 100644
--- a/degesch.c
+++ b/degesch.c
@@ -6326,17 +6326,19 @@ handle_command_mode (struct app_context *ctx, char *arguments)
 	// Channel names prefixed by "+" collide with mode strings,
 	// so we just disallow specifying these channels
 	char *target = NULL;
-	if (strchr ("+-\0", *arguments)
-	 || !(target = maybe_cut_word (&arguments, validate_channel_name, s))
-	 || !(target = cut_word (&arguments)))
+	if (strchr ("+-\0", *arguments))
 	{
 		if (ctx->current_buffer->type == BUFFER_CHANNEL)
 			target = ctx->current_buffer->channel->name;
 		if (ctx->current_buffer->type == BUFFER_PM)
 			target = ctx->current_buffer->user->nickname;
 		if (ctx->current_buffer->type == BUFFER_SERVER)
-			target = ctx->current_buffer->server->irc_user->nickname;
+			target = s->irc_user->nickname;
 	}
+	else
+		// If there arguments and they don't begin with a mode string,
+		// they're either a user name or a channel name
+		target = cut_word (&arguments);
 
 	if (!target)
 		buffer_send_error (ctx, ctx->current_buffer,