diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 589fbdf5..72eb5e0b 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -12,10 +12,12 @@ New release of Oragono!
 
 ### Added
 * Added `REHASH` command.
+* Added ability to message channel members with a specific privelege (i.e. support for `STATUSMSG`).
 * Added ability to enable and disable SASL.
 * Added support for IRCv3 capabilities [`cap-notify`](http://ircv3.net/specs/extensions/cap-notify-3.2.html) and [`echo-message`](http://ircv3.net/specs/extensions/echo-message-3.2.html).
 
 ### Changed
+* Server operators no longer have permissions to do everything in channels. 
 
 ### Removed
 
diff --git a/irc/channel.go b/irc/channel.go
index f936a8b7..d8209949 100644
--- a/irc/channel.go
+++ b/irc/channel.go
@@ -91,14 +91,25 @@ func (channel *Channel) Names(client *Client) {
 	client.Send(nil, client.server.name, RPL_ENDOFNAMES, client.nick, channel.name, "End of NAMES list")
 }
 
-// ClientIsHalfOp returns whether client is at least a halfop.
-func (channel *Channel) ClientIsHalfOp(client *Client) bool {
-	return client.flags[Operator] || channel.members.HasMode(client, Halfop) || channel.members.HasMode(client, ChannelOperator) || channel.members.HasMode(client, ChannelAdmin) || channel.members.HasMode(client, ChannelFounder)
-}
+// ClientIsAtLeast returns whether the client has at least the given channel privilege.
+func (channel *Channel) ClientIsAtLeast(client *Client, permission ChannelMode) bool {
+	// get voice, since it's not a part of ChannelPrivModes
+	if channel.members.HasMode(client, permission) {
+		return true
+	}
 
-// ClientIsOperator returns whether client is at least a chanop.
-func (channel *Channel) ClientIsOperator(client *Client) bool {
-	return client.flags[Operator] || channel.members.HasMode(client, ChannelOperator) || channel.members.HasMode(client, ChannelAdmin) || channel.members.HasMode(client, ChannelFounder)
+	// check regular modes
+	for _, mode := range ChannelPrivModes {
+		if channel.members.HasMode(client, mode) {
+			return true
+		}
+
+		if mode == permission {
+			break
+		}
+	}
+
+	return false
 }
 
 // Prefixes returns a list of prefixes for the given set of channel modes.
@@ -276,7 +287,7 @@ func (channel *Channel) SetTopic(client *Client, topic string) {
 		return
 	}
 
-	if channel.flags[OpOnlyTopic] && !channel.ClientIsOperator(client) {
+	if channel.flags[OpOnlyTopic] && !channel.ClientIsAtLeast(client, ChannelOperator) {
 		client.Send(nil, client.server.name, ERR_CHANOPRIVSNEEDED, channel.name, "You're not a channel operator")
 		return
 	}
@@ -308,12 +319,22 @@ func (channel *Channel) CanSpeak(client *Client) bool {
 	return true
 }
 
-func (channel *Channel) PrivMsg(clientOnlyTags *map[string]ircmsg.TagValue, client *Client, message string) {
+// PrivMsg sends a private message to everyone in this channel.
+func (channel *Channel) PrivMsg(minPrefix *ChannelMode, clientOnlyTags *map[string]ircmsg.TagValue, client *Client, message string) {
 	if !channel.CanSpeak(client) {
 		client.Send(nil, client.server.name, ERR_CANNOTSENDTOCHAN, channel.name, "Cannot send to channel")
 		return
 	}
+	// for STATUSMSG
+	var minPrefixMode ChannelMode
+	if minPrefix != nil {
+		minPrefixMode = *minPrefix
+	}
 	for member := range channel.members {
+		if minPrefix != nil && !channel.ClientIsAtLeast(member, minPrefixMode) {
+			// STATUSMSG
+			continue
+		}
 		if member == client && !client.capabilities[EchoMessage] {
 			continue
 		}
@@ -327,7 +348,7 @@ func (channel *Channel) PrivMsg(clientOnlyTags *map[string]ircmsg.TagValue, clie
 
 func (channel *Channel) applyModeFlag(client *Client, mode ChannelMode,
 	op ModeOp) bool {
-	if !channel.ClientIsOperator(client) {
+	if !channel.ClientIsAtLeast(client, ChannelOperator) {
 		client.Send(nil, client.server.name, ERR_CHANOPRIVSNEEDED, channel.name, "You're not a channel operator")
 		return false
 	}
@@ -418,7 +439,7 @@ func (channel *Channel) applyModeMask(client *Client, mode ChannelMode, op ModeO
 		return false
 	}
 
-	if !channel.ClientIsOperator(client) {
+	if !channel.ClientIsAtLeast(client, ChannelOperator) {
 		client.Send(nil, client.server.name, ERR_CHANOPRIVSNEEDED, channel.name, "You're not a channel operator")
 		return false
 	}
@@ -461,7 +482,7 @@ func (channel *Channel) Kick(client *Client, target *Client, comment string) {
 		client.Send(nil, client.server.name, ERR_NOTONCHANNEL, channel.name, "You're not on that channel")
 		return
 	}
-	if !channel.ClientIsOperator(client) {
+	if !channel.ClientIsAtLeast(client, ChannelOperator) {
 		client.Send(nil, client.server.name, ERR_CANNOTSENDTOCHAN, channel.name, "Cannot send to channel")
 		return
 	}
@@ -481,7 +502,7 @@ func (channel *Channel) Kick(client *Client, target *Client, comment string) {
 }
 
 func (channel *Channel) Invite(invitee *Client, inviter *Client) {
-	if channel.flags[InviteOnly] && !channel.ClientIsOperator(inviter) {
+	if channel.flags[InviteOnly] && !channel.ClientIsAtLeast(inviter, ChannelOperator) {
 		inviter.Send(nil, inviter.server.name, ERR_CHANOPRIVSNEEDED, channel.name, "You're not a channel operator")
 		return
 	}
@@ -498,7 +519,7 @@ func (channel *Channel) Invite(invitee *Client, inviter *Client) {
 
 	// send invite-notify
 	for member := range channel.members {
-		if member.capabilities[InviteNotify] && member != inviter && member != invitee && channel.ClientIsHalfOp(member) {
+		if member.capabilities[InviteNotify] && member != inviter && member != invitee && channel.ClientIsAtLeast(member, Halfop) {
 			member.Send(nil, inviter.nickMaskString, "INVITE", invitee.nick, channel.name)
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/irc/modes.go b/irc/modes.go
index 431c238c..e4e7a1a9 100644
--- a/irc/modes.go
+++ b/irc/modes.go
@@ -156,12 +156,6 @@ var (
 )
 
 const (
-	ChannelFounder  ChannelMode = 'q' // arg
-	ChannelAdmin    ChannelMode = 'a' // arg
-	ChannelOperator ChannelMode = 'o' // arg
-	Halfop          ChannelMode = 'h' // arg
-	Voice           ChannelMode = 'v' // arg
-
 	BanMask     ChannelMode = 'b' // arg
 	ExceptMask  ChannelMode = 'e' // arg
 	InviteMask  ChannelMode = 'I' // arg
@@ -175,6 +169,12 @@ const (
 )
 
 var (
+	ChannelFounder  ChannelMode = 'q' // arg
+	ChannelAdmin    ChannelMode = 'a' // arg
+	ChannelOperator ChannelMode = 'o' // arg
+	Halfop          ChannelMode = 'h' // arg
+	Voice           ChannelMode = 'v' // arg
+
 	SupportedChannelModes = ChannelModes{
 		BanMask, ExceptMask, InviteMask, InviteOnly, Key, NoOutside,
 		OpOnlyTopic, Secret, UserLimit,
@@ -201,6 +201,38 @@ var (
 	}
 )
 
+// SplitChannelMembershipPrefixes takes a target and returns the prefixes on it, then the name.
+func SplitChannelMembershipPrefixes(target string) (prefixes string, name string) {
+	name = target
+	for {
+		if len(name) == 0 || strings.Contains("~&@%+", string(name[0])) {
+			prefixes += string(name[0])
+			name = name[1:]
+		} else {
+			break
+		}
+	}
+
+	return prefixes, name
+}
+
+// GetLowestChannelModePrefix returns the lowest channel prefix mode out of the given prefixes.
+func GetLowestChannelModePrefix(prefixes string) *ChannelMode {
+	var lowest *ChannelMode
+
+	if strings.Contains(prefixes, "+") {
+		lowest = &Voice
+	} else {
+		for i, mode := range ChannelPrivModes {
+			if strings.Contains(prefixes, ChannelModePrefixes[mode]) {
+				lowest = &ChannelPrivModes[i]
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	return lowest
+}
+
 //
 // commands
 //
diff --git a/irc/server.go b/irc/server.go
index b8a8c3c7..22b7c31b 100644
--- a/irc/server.go
+++ b/irc/server.go
@@ -236,7 +236,7 @@ func (server *Server) setISupport() {
 	server.isupport.Add("NETWORK", server.networkName)
 	server.isupport.Add("NICKLEN", strconv.Itoa(server.limits.NickLen))
 	server.isupport.Add("PREFIX", "(qaohv)~&@%+")
-	// server.isupport.Add("STATUSMSG", "@+") //TODO(dan): Support STATUSMSG
+	server.isupport.Add("STATUSMSG", "~&@%+")
 	// server.isupport.Add("TARGMAX", "")  //TODO(dan): Support this
 	server.isupport.Add("TOPICLEN", strconv.Itoa(server.limits.TopicLen))
 
@@ -686,6 +686,9 @@ func privmsgHandler(server *Server, client *Client, msg ircmsg.IrcMessage) bool
 	message := msg.Params[1]
 
 	for _, targetString := range targets {
+		prefixes, targetString := SplitChannelMembershipPrefixes(targetString)
+		lowestPrefix := GetLowestChannelModePrefix(prefixes)
+
 		target, err := CasefoldChannel(targetString)
 		if err == nil {
 			channel := server.channels.Get(target)
@@ -693,7 +696,7 @@ func privmsgHandler(server *Server, client *Client, msg ircmsg.IrcMessage) bool
 				client.Send(nil, server.name, ERR_NOSUCHCHANNEL, client.nick, targetString, "No such channel")
 				continue
 			}
-			channel.PrivMsg(clientOnlyTags, client, message)
+			channel.PrivMsg(lowestPrefix, clientOnlyTags, client, message)
 		} else {
 			target, err = CasefoldName(targetString)
 			user := server.clients.Get(target)
@@ -1112,6 +1115,9 @@ func noticeHandler(server *Server, client *Client, msg ircmsg.IrcMessage) bool {
 	message := msg.Params[1]
 
 	for _, targetString := range targets {
+		prefixes, targetString := SplitChannelMembershipPrefixes(targetString)
+		lowestPrefix := GetLowestChannelModePrefix(prefixes)
+
 		target, cerr := CasefoldChannel(targetString)
 		if cerr == nil {
 			channel := server.channels.Get(target)
@@ -1119,7 +1125,7 @@ func noticeHandler(server *Server, client *Client, msg ircmsg.IrcMessage) bool {
 				// errors silently ignored with NOTICE as per RFC
 				continue
 			}
-			channel.PrivMsg(clientOnlyTags, client, message)
+			channel.PrivMsg(lowestPrefix, clientOnlyTags, client, message)
 		} else {
 			target, err := CasefoldName(targetString)
 			if err != nil {