diff --git a/example-conf.yml b/example-conf.yml
index fe2d907..80e9559 100644
--- a/example-conf.yml
+++ b/example-conf.yml
@@ -584,6 +584,18 @@ relay:
     # silently dropped. This defaults to True for consistency with older releases.
     #accept_weird_senders: false
 
+    # Optionally defines a message that should be sent to all leaf channels that a network owns, when
+    # it disconnects. This uses a template string as documented at
+    # https://docs.python.org/3/library/string.html#template-strings, with the following substitutions:
+    #     $network: the name of the network that this message is being announced to
+    #     $channel: the channel that this message is being announced to
+    #     $homenetwork: the name of the network that disconnected
+    #     $homechannel: the original name of the channel this message is being announced to
+    # If this option is empty or not set, no announcement is made.
+    #disconnect_announcement: >-
+    # Network $homenetwork has disconnected: $channel will remain open as the link is
+    # re-established, but new links will be disabled.
+
 #servprotect:
     # This block configures the servprotect plugin; you don't need this if you aren't using it.
 
diff --git a/plugins/relay.py b/plugins/relay.py
index 7c47d85..e4fe4ea 100644
--- a/plugins/relay.py
+++ b/plugins/relay.py
@@ -1472,6 +1472,7 @@ utils.add_hook(handle_services_login, 'CLIENT_SERVICES_LOGIN')
 
 def handle_disconnect(irc, numeric, command, args):
     """Handles IRC network disconnections (internal hook)."""
+
     # Quit all of our users' representations on other nets, and remove
     # them from our relay clients index.
     log.debug('(%s) Grabbing spawnlocks[%s]', irc.name, irc.name)
@@ -1506,6 +1507,22 @@ def handle_disconnect(irc, numeric, command, args):
 
         spawnlocks_servers[irc.name].release()
 
+    # Announce the disconnects to every leaf channel where the disconnected network is the owner
+    announcement = conf.conf.get('relay', {}).get('disconnect_announcement')
+    if announcement:
+        with db_lock:
+            for chanpair, entrydata in db.items():
+                if chanpair[0] == irc.name:
+                    for leaf in entrydata['links']:
+                        log.debug('(%s) relay: Announcing disconnect to %s%s', irc.name,
+                                  leaf[0], leaf[1])
+                        remoteirc = world.networkobjects.get(leaf[0])
+                        if remoteirc and remoteirc.connected.is_set():
+                            text = string.Template(announcement).safe_substitute(
+                                {'homenetwork': irc.name, 'homechannel': chanpair[1],
+                                 'network': remoteirc.name, 'channel': leaf[1]})
+                            remoteirc.msg(leaf[1], text, loopback=False)
+
 utils.add_hook(handle_disconnect, "PYLINK_DISCONNECT")
 
 def nick_collide(irc, target):