diff --git a/src/common.c b/src/common.c
index 8ec6646..f35493f 100644
--- a/src/common.c
+++ b/src/common.c
@@ -277,6 +277,13 @@ str_vector_free (struct str_vector *self)
 	self->vector = NULL;
 }
 
+static void
+str_vector_reset (struct str_vector *self)
+{
+	str_vector_free (self);
+	str_vector_init (self);
+}
+
 static void
 str_vector_add_owned (struct str_vector *self, char *s)
 {
diff --git a/src/kike.c b/src/kike.c
index 9734f2b..60774cf 100644
--- a/src/kike.c
+++ b/src/kike.c
@@ -28,6 +28,8 @@
 static struct config_item g_config_table[] =
 {
 	{ "server_name",     NULL,              "Server name"                    },
+	{ "motd",            NULL,              "MOTD filename"                  },
+
 	{ "bind_host",       NULL,              "Address of the IRC server"      },
 	{ "bind_port",       "6667",            "Port of the IRC server"         },
 	{ "ssl_cert",        NULL,              "Server SSL certificate (PEM)"   },
@@ -321,6 +323,8 @@ struct server_context
 	struct poller poller;               ///< Manages polled description
 	bool quitting;                      ///< User requested quitting
 	bool polling;                       ///< The event loop is running
+
+	struct str_vector motd;             ///< MOTD (none if empty)
 };
 
 static void
@@ -341,6 +345,8 @@ server_context_init (struct server_context *self)
 	poller_init (&self->poller);
 	self->quitting = false;
 	self->polling = false;
+
+	str_vector_init (&self->motd);
 }
 
 static void
@@ -366,6 +372,8 @@ server_context_free (struct server_context *self)
 	str_map_free (&self->users);
 	str_map_free (&self->channels);
 	poller_free (&self->poller);
+
+	str_vector_free (&self->motd);
 }
 
 // --- Main program ------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -786,6 +794,32 @@ error_ssl_1:
 	return false;
 }
 
+static bool
+irc_initialize_motd (struct server_context *ctx, struct error **e)
+{
+	hard_assert (ctx->motd.len == 0);
+	const char *motd = str_map_find (&ctx->config, "motd");
+	if (!motd)
+		return true;
+
+	FILE *fp = fopen (motd, "r");
+	if (!fp)
+	{
+		error_set (e, IO_ERROR, IO_ERROR_FAILED,
+			"%s: %s", "failed reading the MOTD file", strerror (errno));
+		return false;
+	}
+
+	struct str line;
+	str_init (&line);
+	while (read_line (fp, &line))
+		str_vector_add_owned (&ctx->motd, str_steal (&line));
+	str_free (&line);
+
+	fclose (fp);
+	return true;
+}
+
 static bool
 irc_initialize_server_name (struct server_context *ctx, struct error **e)
 {
@@ -834,6 +868,8 @@ irc_listen (struct server_context *ctx, struct error **e)
 
 	if (!irc_initialize_server_name (ctx, e))
 		return false;
+	if (!irc_initialize_motd (ctx, e))
+		return false;
 
 	struct addrinfo gai_hints, *gai_result, *gai_iter;
 	memset (&gai_hints, 0, sizeof gai_hints);