diff --git a/degesch.c b/degesch.c
index 275f744..2c300b2 100644
--- a/degesch.c
+++ b/degesch.c
@@ -1473,8 +1473,8 @@ static struct
 	bool stdout_is_tty;                 ///< `stdout' is a terminal
 	bool stderr_is_tty;                 ///< `stderr' is a terminal
 
-	char *color_set_fg[8];              ///< Codes to set the foreground colour
-	char *color_set_bg[8];              ///< Codes to set the background colour
+	char *color_set_fg[256];            ///< Codes to set the foreground colour
+	char *color_set_bg[256];            ///< Codes to set the background colour
 
 	int lines;                          ///< Number of lines
 	int columns;                        ///< Number of columns
@@ -1527,7 +1527,8 @@ init_terminal (void)
 	g_terminal.columns = tigetnum ("cols");
 	update_screen_size ();
 
-	for (size_t i = 0; i < N_ELEMENTS (g_terminal.color_set_fg); i++)
+	int max = MIN (256, max_colors);
+	for (int i = 0; i < max; i++)
 	{
 		g_terminal.color_set_fg[i] = xstrdup (tparm (set_a_foreground,
 			i, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0));
@@ -1544,7 +1545,7 @@ free_terminal (void)
 	if (!g_terminal.initialized)
 		return;
 
-	for (size_t i = 0; i < N_ELEMENTS (g_terminal.color_set_fg); i++)
+	for (int i = 0; i < 256; i++)
 	{
 		free (g_terminal.color_set_fg[i]);
 		free (g_terminal.color_set_bg[i]);
@@ -1552,6 +1553,36 @@ free_terminal (void)
 	del_curterm (cur_term);
 }
 
+static int
+index_to_terminal_palette (int color)
+{
+	hard_assert (color >= 0 && color < 256);
+
+	// No conversion
+	if (max_colors == 256)
+		return color;
+	// These colours are the same everywhere
+	if (color < 16 && max_colors > color)
+		return color;
+
+	// Outside the 16-color range, we only support the 88-color palette,
+	// which we can interpolate to from the 256-color one on input
+	if (max_colors != 88)
+		return -1;
+
+	// 24 -> 8 extra shades of gray
+	if (color >= 232)
+		return 80 + (color - 232) / 3;
+
+	// 6 * 6 * 6 cube -> 4 * 4 * 4 cube
+	int x[6] = { 0, 1, 1, 2, 2, 3 };
+	int index = color - 16;
+	return 16 +
+		( x[ index / 36      ] << 8
+		| x[(index /  6) % 6 ] << 4
+		| x[(index %  6)     ] );
+}
+
 // - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
 
 typedef int (*terminal_printer_fn) (int);
@@ -1678,6 +1709,7 @@ init_colors (struct app_context *ctx)
 // Format strings use a #-quoted notation, to differentiate from printf:
 //   #s inserts a string
 //   #d inserts a signed integer; also supports the #<N> and #0<N> notation
+//   #m inserts a mIRC-formatted string (auto-resets at boundaries)
 //
 //   #a inserts named attributes (auto-resets)
 //   #r resets terminal attributes
@@ -1801,6 +1833,105 @@ formatter_add_bg_color (struct formatter *self, int color)
 	item->color = color;
 }
 
+// - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
+
+enum
+{
+	MIRC_WHITE,  MIRC_BLACK,    MIRC_BLUE,   MIRC_GREEN,
+	MIRC_L_RED,  MIRC_RED,      MIRC_PURPLE, MIRC_ORANGE,
+	MIRC_YELLOW, MIRC_L_GREEN,  MIRC_CYAN,   MIRC_L_CYAN,
+	MIRC_L_BLUE, MIRC_L_PURPLE, MIRC_GRAY,   MIRC_L_GRAY,
+};
+
+// We use estimates from the 16 color terminal palette, or the 256 color cube,
+// which is not always available.  The mIRC orange colour is only in the cube.
+
+// NOTE: commonly terminals have 8 colors (worst), 16 colors (allows brightness
+//   without the bold/blink attributes), 88 colors (the same plus a 4^3 RGB cube
+//   and a few shades of gray), or 256 colors (best)
+
+#define FORMATTER_NORMAL 0
+#define FORMATTER_BRIGHT 1 << 8
+
+#define FORMATTER_MAP(name, flags, c256) \
+	COLOR_ ## name | FORMATTER_ ## flags | c256 << 16
+
+static const uint32_t g_mirc_to_term[] =
+{
+	[MIRC_WHITE]    = FORMATTER_MAP (WHITE,   BRIGHT, 231),
+	[MIRC_BLACK]    = FORMATTER_MAP (BLACK,   NORMAL,  16),
+	[MIRC_BLUE]     = FORMATTER_MAP (BLUE,    NORMAL,  19),
+	[MIRC_GREEN]    = FORMATTER_MAP (GREEN,   NORMAL,  34),
+	[MIRC_L_RED]    = FORMATTER_MAP (RED,     BRIGHT, 196),
+	[MIRC_RED]      = FORMATTER_MAP (RED,     NORMAL, 124),
+	[MIRC_PURPLE]   = FORMATTER_MAP (MAGENTA, NORMAL, 127),
+	[MIRC_ORANGE]   = FORMATTER_MAP (YELLOW,  BRIGHT, 214),
+	[MIRC_YELLOW]   = FORMATTER_MAP (YELLOW,  BRIGHT, 226),
+	[MIRC_L_GREEN]  = FORMATTER_MAP (GREEN,   BRIGHT,  46),
+	[MIRC_CYAN]     = FORMATTER_MAP (CYAN,    NORMAL,  37),
+	[MIRC_L_CYAN]   = FORMATTER_MAP (CYAN,    BRIGHT,  51),
+	[MIRC_L_BLUE]   = FORMATTER_MAP (BLUE,    BRIGHT,  21),
+	[MIRC_L_PURPLE] = FORMATTER_MAP (MAGENTA, BRIGHT, 201),
+	[MIRC_GRAY]     = FORMATTER_MAP (BLACK,   BRIGHT, 244),
+	[MIRC_L_GRAY]   = FORMATTER_MAP (WHITE,   NORMAL, 252),
+};
+
+static void
+formatter_parse_mirc (struct formatter *self, const char *s)
+{
+	struct str buffer;
+	str_init (&buffer);
+
+#define FLUSH if (buffer.len) \
+	{ formatter_add_text (self, buffer.str); str_reset (&buffer); }
+
+	formatter_add_reset (self);
+
+	char c;
+	while ((c = *s++))
+	{
+		switch (c)
+		{
+		case '\x02':
+			FLUSH
+			// TODO: bold
+			break;
+		case '\x03':
+			FLUSH
+			// TODO: color
+			// TODO: parse \d(\d(,\d(\d)?)?)?
+			break;
+		case '\x1d':
+			FLUSH
+			// TODO: italic
+			break;
+		case '\x1f':
+			FLUSH
+			// TODO: underline
+			break;
+		case '\x16':
+			FLUSH
+			// TODO: swap background/foreground
+			break;
+		case '\x0f':
+			FLUSH
+			formatter_add_reset (self);
+			break;
+		default:
+			str_append_c (&buffer, c);
+		}
+	}
+
+	FLUSH
+	str_free (&buffer);
+
+#undef FLUSH
+
+	formatter_add_reset (self);
+}
+
+// - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
+
 static const char *
 formatter_parse_field (struct formatter *self,
 	const char *field, struct str *buf, va_list *ap)
@@ -1822,6 +1953,10 @@ restart:
 			str_append_c (buf, ' ');
 		str_append (buf, s);
 		break;
+	case 'm':
+		s = va_arg (*ap, char *);
+		formatter_parse_mirc (self, s);
+		break;
 	case 'd':
 		s = xstrdup_printf ("%d", va_arg (*ap, int));
 		for (size_t len = strlen (s); len < width; len++)
@@ -1981,6 +2116,9 @@ buffer_line_display (struct app_context *ctx,
 
 	char *nick = NULL;
 	const char *userhost = NULL;
+
+	// TODO: always assign the default colour to ourselves
+	// FIXME: never use the black colour, use the default instead
 	int nick_color = -1;
 	int object_color = -1;
 
@@ -2019,24 +2157,24 @@ buffer_line_display (struct app_context *ctx,
 	{
 	case BUFFER_LINE_PRIVMSG:
 		if (line->flags & BUFFER_LINE_HIGHLIGHT)
-			formatter_add (&f, "#a<#s>#r #s", ATTR_HIGHLIGHT, nick, a->text);
+			formatter_add (&f, "#a<#s>#r #m", ATTR_HIGHLIGHT, nick, a->text);
 		else
-			formatter_add (&f, "<#c#s#r> #s", nick_color, nick, a->text);
+			formatter_add (&f, "<#c#s#r> #m", nick_color, nick, a->text);
 		break;
 	case BUFFER_LINE_ACTION:
 		if (line->flags & BUFFER_LINE_HIGHLIGHT)
 			formatter_add (&f, " #a*#r  ", ATTR_HIGHLIGHT);
 		else
 			formatter_add (&f, " #a*#r  ", ATTR_ACTION);
-		formatter_add (&f, "#c#s#r #s", nick_color, nick, a->text);
+		formatter_add (&f, "#c#s#r #m", nick_color, nick, a->text);
 		break;
 	case BUFFER_LINE_NOTICE:
 		formatter_add (&f, " -  ");
 		if (line->flags & BUFFER_LINE_HIGHLIGHT)
-			formatter_add (&f, "#a#s(#s)#r: #s",
+			formatter_add (&f, "#a#s(#s)#r: #m",
 				ATTR_HIGHLIGHT, "Notice", nick, a->text);
 		else
-			formatter_add (&f, "#s(#c#s#r): #s",
+			formatter_add (&f, "#s(#c#s#r): #m",
 				"Notice", nick_color, nick, a->text);
 		break;
 	case BUFFER_LINE_JOIN:
@@ -2051,7 +2189,7 @@ buffer_line_display (struct app_context *ctx,
 			nick_color, nick, ATTR_USERHOST, userhost,
 			ATTR_PART, "has left", a->object);
 		if (a->reason)
-			formatter_add (&f, " (#s)", a->reason);
+			formatter_add (&f, " (#m)", a->reason);
 		break;
 	case BUFFER_LINE_KICK:
 		formatter_add (&f, "#a<--#r ", ATTR_PART);
@@ -2059,7 +2197,7 @@ buffer_line_display (struct app_context *ctx,
 			nick_color, nick, ATTR_USERHOST, userhost,
 			ATTR_PART, "has kicked", object_color, a->object);
 		if (a->reason)
-			formatter_add (&f, " (#s)", a->reason);
+			formatter_add (&f, " (#m)", a->reason);
 		break;
 	case BUFFER_LINE_NICK:
 		formatter_add (&f, " -  ");
@@ -2073,7 +2211,7 @@ buffer_line_display (struct app_context *ctx,
 		break;
 	case BUFFER_LINE_TOPIC:
 		formatter_add (&f, " -  ");
-		formatter_add (&f, "#c#s#r #s \"#s\"",
+		formatter_add (&f, "#c#s#r #s \"#m\"",
 			nick_color, nick,
 			"has changed the topic to", a->text);
 		break;
@@ -2083,7 +2221,7 @@ buffer_line_display (struct app_context *ctx,
 			nick_color, nick, ATTR_USERHOST, userhost,
 			ATTR_PART, "has quit");
 		if (a->reason)
-			formatter_add (&f, " (#s)", a->reason);
+			formatter_add (&f, " (#m)", a->reason);
 		break;
 	case BUFFER_LINE_STATUS:
 		formatter_add (&f, " -  ");