diff --git a/irc/handlers.go b/irc/handlers.go
index fd6581fb..ff69b241 100644
--- a/irc/handlers.go
+++ b/irc/handlers.go
@@ -556,9 +556,7 @@ func chathistoryHandler(server *Server, client *Client, msg ircmsg.IrcMessage, r
 		} else if err == utils.ErrInvalidParams {
 			rb.Add(nil, server.name, "FAIL", "CHATHISTORY", "INVALID_PARAMS", msg.Params[0], client.t("Invalid parameters"))
 		} else if sequence == nil {
-			// send an empty batch as per the spec
-			batchID := rb.StartNestedHistoryBatch(utils.SafeErrorParam(target))
-			rb.EndNestedBatch(batchID)
+			rb.Add(nil, server.name, "FAIL", "CHATHISTORY", "INVALID_TARGET", utils.SafeErrorParam(target), client.t("Messages could not be retrieved"))
 		} else if err != nil {
 			rb.Add(nil, server.name, "FAIL", "CHATHISTORY", "MESSAGE_ERROR", msg.Params[0], client.t("Messages could not be retrieved"))
 		} else {
diff --git a/irctest b/irctest
index 512b4bd7..b43e1278 160000
--- a/irctest
+++ b/irctest
@@ -1 +1 @@
-Subproject commit 512b4bd74d685aa7ff978668d2c6a124416cebd2
+Subproject commit b43e1278057113041ba51ced58571a2ad8dacb5c