diff --git a/irc/accounts.go b/irc/accounts.go
index 1b5e28c7..44b94bcc 100644
--- a/irc/accounts.go
+++ b/irc/accounts.go
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/oragono/oragono/irc/connection_limits"
 	"github.com/oragono/oragono/irc/email"
 	"github.com/oragono/oragono/irc/ldap"
+	"github.com/oragono/oragono/irc/modes"
 	"github.com/oragono/oragono/irc/passwd"
 	"github.com/oragono/oragono/irc/utils"
 	"github.com/tidwall/buntdb"
@@ -40,6 +41,7 @@ const (
 	keyAccountChannels         = "account.channels %s" // channels registered to the account
 	keyAccountJoinedChannels   = "account.joinedto %s" // channels a persistent client has joined
 	keyAccountLastSeen         = "account.lastseen %s"
+	keyAccountModes            = "account.modes %s" // user modes for the always-on client as a string
 
 	keyVHostQueueAcctToId = "vhostQueue %s"
 	vhostRequestIdx       = "vhostQueue"
@@ -127,7 +129,7 @@ func (am *AccountManager) createAlwaysOnClients(config *Config) {
 		account, err := am.LoadAccount(accountName)
 		if err == nil && account.Verified &&
 			persistenceEnabled(config.Accounts.Multiclient.AlwaysOn, account.Settings.AlwaysOn) {
-			am.server.AddAlwaysOnClient(account, am.loadChannels(accountName), am.loadLastSeen(accountName))
+			am.server.AddAlwaysOnClient(account, am.loadChannels(accountName), am.loadLastSeen(accountName), am.loadModes(accountName))
 		}
 	}
 }
@@ -594,6 +596,28 @@ func (am *AccountManager) loadChannels(account string) (channels []string) {
 	return
 }
 
+func (am *AccountManager) saveModes(account string, uModes modes.Modes) {
+	modeStr := uModes.String()
+	key := fmt.Sprintf(keyAccountModes, account)
+	am.server.store.Update(func(tx *buntdb.Tx) error {
+		tx.Set(key, modeStr, nil)
+		return nil
+	})
+}
+
+func (am *AccountManager) loadModes(account string) (uModes modes.Modes) {
+	key := fmt.Sprintf(keyAccountModes, account)
+	var modeStr string
+	am.server.store.View(func(tx *buntdb.Tx) error {
+		modeStr, _ = tx.Get(key)
+		return nil
+	})
+	for _, m := range modeStr {
+		uModes = append(uModes, modes.Mode(m))
+	}
+	return
+}
+
 func (am *AccountManager) saveLastSeen(account string, lastSeen time.Time) {
 	key := fmt.Sprintf(keyAccountLastSeen, account)
 	var val string
diff --git a/irc/client.go b/irc/client.go
index 927f460c..bf8d2664 100644
--- a/irc/client.go
+++ b/irc/client.go
@@ -360,7 +360,7 @@ func (server *Server) RunClient(conn IRCConn) {
 	client.run(session)
 }
 
-func (server *Server) AddAlwaysOnClient(account ClientAccount, chnames []string, lastSeen time.Time) {
+func (server *Server) AddAlwaysOnClient(account ClientAccount, chnames []string, lastSeen time.Time, uModes modes.Modes) {
 	now := time.Now().UTC()
 	config := server.Config()
 	if lastSeen.IsZero() {
@@ -383,9 +383,10 @@ func (server *Server) AddAlwaysOnClient(account ClientAccount, chnames []string,
 		alwaysOn: true,
 	}
 
-	ApplyUserModeChanges(client, config.Accounts.defaultUserModes, false, nil)
-
 	client.SetMode(modes.TLS, true)
+	for _, m := range uModes {
+		client.SetMode(m, true)
+	}
 	client.writerSemaphore.Initialize(1)
 	client.history.Initialize(0, 0)
 	client.brbTimer.Initialize(client)
@@ -1633,6 +1634,7 @@ func (client *Client) historyStatus(config *Config) (status HistoryStatus, targe
 const (
 	IncludeChannels uint = 1 << iota
 	IncludeLastSeen
+	IncludeUserModes
 )
 
 func (client *Client) markDirty(dirtyBits uint) {
@@ -1691,4 +1693,18 @@ func (client *Client) performWrite() {
 	if (dirtyBits & IncludeLastSeen) != 0 {
 		client.server.accounts.saveLastSeen(account, lastSeen)
 	}
+	if (dirtyBits & IncludeUserModes) != 0 {
+		uModes := make(modes.Modes, 0, len(modes.SupportedUserModes))
+		for _, m := range modes.SupportedUserModes {
+			switch m {
+			case modes.Operator, modes.ServerNotice:
+				// these can't be persisted because they depend on the operator block
+			default:
+				if client.HasMode(m) {
+					uModes = append(uModes, m)
+				}
+			}
+		}
+		client.server.accounts.saveModes(account, uModes)
+	}
 }
diff --git a/irc/modes.go b/irc/modes.go
index 11912544..06dd8e51 100644
--- a/irc/modes.go
+++ b/irc/modes.go
@@ -102,6 +102,10 @@ func ApplyUserModeChanges(client *Client, changes modes.ModeChanges, force bool,
 		// can't do anything to TLS mode
 	}
 
+	if len(applied) != 0 {
+		client.markDirty(IncludeUserModes)
+	}
+
 	// return the changes we could actually apply
 	return applied
 }