diff --git a/irc/channel.go b/irc/channel.go
index 10f924a1..ea502d14 100644
--- a/irc/channel.go
+++ b/irc/channel.go
@@ -49,25 +49,33 @@ func (channel *Channel) ClientIsOperator(client *Client) bool {
 	return client.flags[Operator] || channel.members.HasMode(client, ChannelOperator)
 }
 
+// Prefixes returns a list of prefixes for the given set of channel modes.
+func (modes ChannelModeSet) Prefixes(isMultiPrefix bool) string {
+	var prefixes string
+
+	// add prefixes in order from highest to lowest privs
+	for _, mode := range ChannelPrivModes {
+		if modes[mode] {
+			prefixes += ChannelModePrefixes[mode]
+		}
+	}
+	if modes[Voice] {
+		prefixes += ChannelModePrefixes[Voice]
+	}
+
+	if !isMultiPrefix && len(prefixes) > 1 {
+		prefixes = string(prefixes[0])
+	}
+
+	return prefixes
+}
+
 func (channel *Channel) Nicks(target *Client) []string {
 	isMultiPrefix := (target != nil) && target.capabilities[MultiPrefix]
 	nicks := make([]string, len(channel.members))
 	i := 0
 	for client, modes := range channel.members {
-		if isMultiPrefix {
-			if modes[ChannelOperator] {
-				nicks[i] += "@"
-			}
-			if modes[Voice] {
-				nicks[i] += "+"
-			}
-		} else {
-			if modes[ChannelOperator] {
-				nicks[i] += "@"
-			} else if modes[Voice] {
-				nicks[i] += "+"
-			}
-		}
+		nicks[i] += modes.Prefixes(isMultiPrefix)
 		nicks[i] += client.Nick().String()
 		i += 1
 	}
@@ -160,7 +168,7 @@ func (channel *Channel) Join(client *Client, key Text) {
 	client.channels.Add(channel)
 	channel.members.Add(client)
 	if !channel.flags[Persistent] && (len(channel.members) == 1) {
-		channel.members[client][ChannelCreator] = true
+		channel.members[client][ChannelFounder] = true
 		channel.members[client][ChannelOperator] = true
 	}
 
@@ -400,9 +408,38 @@ func (channel *Channel) applyMode(client *Client, change *ChannelModeChange) boo
 		channel.userLimit = limit
 		return true
 
-	case ChannelOperator, Voice:
-		return channel.applyModeMember(client, change.mode, change.op,
-			NewName(change.arg))
+	case ChannelFounder, ChannelAdmin, ChannelOperator, Halfop, Voice:
+		var hasPrivs bool
+
+		// make sure client has privs to edit the given prefix
+		for _, mode := range ChannelPrivModes {
+			if channel.members[client][mode] {
+				hasPrivs = true
+
+				// Admins can't give other people Admin or remove it from others,
+				// standard for that channel mode, we worry about this later
+				if mode == ChannelAdmin && change.mode == ChannelAdmin {
+					hasPrivs = false
+				}
+
+				break
+			} else if mode == change.mode {
+				break
+			}
+		}
+
+		name := NewName(change.arg)
+
+		if !hasPrivs {
+			if change.op == Remove && name.ToLower() == client.nick.ToLower() {
+				// success!
+			} else {
+				client.ErrChanOPrivIsNeeded(channel)
+				return false
+			}
+		}
+
+		return channel.applyModeMember(client, change.mode, change.op, name)
 
 	default:
 		client.ErrUnknownMode(change.mode, channel)
diff --git a/irc/commands.go b/irc/commands.go
index fe253716..7ad41283 100644
--- a/irc/commands.go
+++ b/irc/commands.go
@@ -545,8 +545,9 @@ func ParseChannelModeCommand(channel Name, args []string) (Command, error) {
 				op:   op,
 			}
 			switch change.mode {
+			// TODO(dan): separate this into the type A/B/C/D args and use those lists here
 			case Key, BanMask, ExceptMask, InviteMask, UserLimit,
-				ChannelOperator, ChannelCreator, Voice:
+				ChannelOperator, ChannelFounder, ChannelAdmin, Halfop, Voice:
 				if len(args) > skipArgs {
 					change.arg = args[skipArgs]
 					skipArgs += 1
diff --git a/irc/modes.go b/irc/modes.go
index 040f63de..caa99b04 100644
--- a/irc/modes.go
+++ b/irc/modes.go
@@ -67,25 +67,26 @@ var (
 )
 
 const (
-	Anonymous       ChannelMode = 'a' // flag
-	BanMask         ChannelMode = 'b' // arg
-	ChannelCreator  ChannelMode = 'O' // flag
+	ChannelFounder  ChannelMode = 'q' // arg
+	ChannelAdmin    ChannelMode = 'a' // arg
 	ChannelOperator ChannelMode = 'o' // arg
-	ExceptMask      ChannelMode = 'e' // arg
-	InviteMask      ChannelMode = 'I' // arg
-	InviteOnly      ChannelMode = 'i' // flag
-	Key             ChannelMode = 'k' // flag arg
-	Moderated       ChannelMode = 'm' // flag
-	NoOutside       ChannelMode = 'n' // flag
-	OpOnlyTopic     ChannelMode = 't' // flag
-	Persistent      ChannelMode = 'P' // flag
-	Private         ChannelMode = 'p' // flag
-	Quiet           ChannelMode = 'q' // flag
-	ReOp            ChannelMode = 'r' // flag
-	Secret          ChannelMode = 's' // flag, deprecated
-	Theater         ChannelMode = 'T' // flag, nonstandard
-	UserLimit       ChannelMode = 'l' // flag arg
+	Halfop          ChannelMode = 'h' // arg
 	Voice           ChannelMode = 'v' // arg
+
+	BanMask     ChannelMode = 'b' // arg
+	ExceptMask  ChannelMode = 'e' // arg
+	InviteMask  ChannelMode = 'I' // arg
+	InviteOnly  ChannelMode = 'i' // flag
+	Key         ChannelMode = 'k' // flag arg
+	Moderated   ChannelMode = 'm' // flag
+	NoOutside   ChannelMode = 'n' // flag
+	OpOnlyTopic ChannelMode = 't' // flag
+	Persistent  ChannelMode = 'P' // flag
+	Private     ChannelMode = 'p' // flag
+	ReOp        ChannelMode = 'r' // flag
+	Secret      ChannelMode = 's' // flag, deprecated
+	Theater     ChannelMode = 'T' // flag, nonstandard
+	UserLimit   ChannelMode = 'l' // flag arg
 )
 
 var (
@@ -93,6 +94,20 @@ var (
 		BanMask, ExceptMask, InviteMask, InviteOnly, Key, NoOutside,
 		OpOnlyTopic, Persistent, Private, Theater, UserLimit,
 	}
+
+	// ChannelPrivModes holds the list of modes that are privileged, ie founder/op/halfop, in order.
+	// voice is not in this list because it cannot perform channel operator actions.
+	ChannelPrivModes = ChannelModes{
+		ChannelFounder, ChannelAdmin, ChannelOperator, Halfop,
+	}
+
+	ChannelModePrefixes = map[ChannelMode]string{
+		ChannelFounder:  "~",
+		ChannelAdmin:    "&",
+		ChannelOperator: "@",
+		Halfop:          "%",
+		Voice:           "+",
+	}
 )
 
 //
diff --git a/irc/reply.go b/irc/reply.go
index cdf3bb19..3cecce29 100644
--- a/irc/reply.go
+++ b/irc/reply.go
@@ -298,21 +298,8 @@ func (target *Client) RplWhoReply(channel *Channel, client *Client) {
 	}
 
 	if channel != nil {
+		flags += channel.members[client].Prefixes(target.capabilities[MultiPrefix])
 		channelName = channel.name.String()
-		if target.capabilities[MultiPrefix] {
-			if channel.members[client][ChannelOperator] {
-				flags += "@"
-			}
-			if channel.members[client][Voice] {
-				flags += "+"
-			}
-		} else {
-			if channel.members[client][ChannelOperator] {
-				flags += "@"
-			} else if channel.members[client][Voice] {
-				flags += "+"
-			}
-		}
 	}
 	target.NumericReply(RPL_WHOREPLY,
 		"%s %s %s %s %s %s :%d %s", channelName, client.username, client.hostname,
@@ -432,7 +419,7 @@ func (target *Client) RplNamReply(channel *Channel) {
 }
 
 func (target *Client) RplWhoisChannels(client *Client) {
-	target.MultilineReply(client.WhoisChannelsNames(), RPL_WHOISCHANNELS,
+	target.MultilineReply(client.WhoisChannelsNames(target.capabilities[MultiPrefix]), RPL_WHOISCHANNELS,
 		"%s :%s", client.Nick())
 }
 
diff --git a/irc/server.go b/irc/server.go
index 3e77511e..bc03df31 100644
--- a/irc/server.go
+++ b/irc/server.go
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ func NewServer(config *Config) *Server {
 	// server.isupport.Add("MODES", "")   //TODO(dan): Support max modes?
 	server.isupport.Add("NETWORK", config.Network.Name)
 	// server.isupport.Add("NICKLEN", "") //TODO(dan): Support nick length
-	server.isupport.Add("PREFIX", "(ov)@+")
+	server.isupport.Add("PREFIX", "(qaohv)~&@%+")
 	// server.isupport.Add("STATUSMSG", "@+") //TODO(dan): Autogenerate based on PREFIXes, support STATUSMSG
 	// server.isupport.Add("TARGMAX", "")  //TODO(dan): Support this
 	// server.isupport.Add("TOPICLEN", "") //TODO(dan): Support topic length
@@ -504,20 +504,12 @@ func (msg *PrivMsgCommand) HandleServer(server *Server) {
 	}
 }
 
-func (client *Client) WhoisChannelsNames() []string {
+func (client *Client) WhoisChannelsNames(isMultiPrefix bool) []string {
 	chstrs := make([]string, len(client.channels))
 	index := 0
+	//TODO(dan): handle secret (+s) channels here properly?
 	for channel := range client.channels {
-		switch {
-		case channel.members[client][ChannelOperator]:
-			chstrs[index] = "@" + channel.name.String()
-
-		case channel.members[client][Voice]:
-			chstrs[index] = "+" + channel.name.String()
-
-		default:
-			chstrs[index] = channel.name.String()
-		}
+		chstrs[index] = channel.members[client].Prefixes(isMultiPrefix) + channel.name.String()
 		index += 1
 	}
 	return chstrs
@@ -664,7 +656,28 @@ func (msg *KickCommand) HandleServer(server *Server) {
 			continue
 		}
 
-		channel.Kick(client, target, msg.Comment())
+		// make sure client has privs to kick the given user
+		var hasPrivs bool
+		for _, mode := range ChannelPrivModes {
+			if channel.members[client][mode] {
+				hasPrivs = true
+
+				// admins cannot kick other admins
+				if mode == ChannelAdmin && channel.members[target][ChannelAdmin] {
+					hasPrivs = false
+				}
+
+				break
+			} else if channel.members[target][mode] {
+				break
+			}
+		}
+
+		if hasPrivs {
+			channel.Kick(client, target, msg.Comment())
+		} else {
+			client.ErrChanOPrivIsNeeded(channel)
+		}
 	}
 }