diff --git a/irc/strings.go b/irc/strings.go
index c7b87c52..91dada77 100644
--- a/irc/strings.go
+++ b/irc/strings.go
@@ -52,13 +52,13 @@ func (name Name) IsNickname() bool {
 	// ! separates username from nickname
 	// @ separates nick+user from hostname
 	// # is a channel prefix
-	// @+ are channel membership prefixes
+	// ~&@%+ are channel membership prefixes
 	// - is typically disallowed from first char of nicknames
 	// nicknames can't start with digits
 	if strings.Contains(namestr, "*") || strings.Contains(namestr, "?") ||
 		strings.Contains(namestr, ".") || strings.Contains(namestr, ",") ||
 		strings.Contains(namestr, "!") || strings.Contains(namestr, "@") ||
-		strings.Contains("#@+-1234567890", string(namestr[0])) {
+		strings.Contains("#~&@%+-1234567890", string(namestr[0])) {
 		return false
 	}
 	// names that look like hostnames are restricted to servers, as with other ircds