diff --git a/irc/channel.go b/irc/channel.go
index 1cf3db39..362178ad 100644
--- a/irc/channel.go
+++ b/irc/channel.go
@@ -23,6 +23,17 @@ type ChannelCommand interface {
 	HandleChannel(channel *Channel)
 }
 
+func IsChannel(target string) bool {
+	if target == "" {
+		return false
+	}
+	switch target[0] {
+	case '&', '#', '+', '!':
+		return true
+	}
+	return false
+}
+
 // NewChannel creates a new channel from a `Server` and a `name`
 // string, which must be unique on the server.
 func NewChannel(s *Server, name string) *Channel {
@@ -106,6 +117,11 @@ func (channel *Channel) String() string {
 	return channel.Id()
 }
 
+// <mode> <mode params>
+func (channel *Channel) ModeString() string {
+	return ""
+}
+
 func (channel *Channel) Join(client *Client) {
 	channel.members[client] = true
 	client.channels[channel] = true
diff --git a/irc/commands.go b/irc/commands.go
index adea373c..11a9059e 100644
--- a/irc/commands.go
+++ b/irc/commands.go
@@ -348,11 +348,7 @@ func NewPrivMsgCommand(args []string) (EditableCommand, error) {
 }
 
 func (m *PrivMsgCommand) TargetIsChannel() bool {
-	switch m.target[0] {
-	case '&', '#', '+', '!':
-		return true
-	}
-	return false
+	return IsChannel(m.target)
 }
 
 // TOPIC [newtopic]
@@ -428,11 +424,22 @@ func stringToRunes(str string) <-chan rune {
 	return runes
 }
 
-func NewModeCommand(args []string) (EditableCommand, error) {
-	if len(args) == 0 {
-		return nil, NotEnoughArgsError
-	}
+type ChannelModeCommand struct {
+	BaseCommand
+	channel string
+}
 
+// MODE <channel> *( ( "-" / "+" ) *<modes> *<modeparams> )
+func NewChannelModeCommand(args []string) (EditableCommand, error) {
+	cmd := &ChannelModeCommand{
+		channel: args[0],
+	}
+	// TODO implement channel mode changes
+	return cmd, nil
+}
+
+// MODE <nickname> *( ( "+" / "-" ) *( "i" / "w" / "o" / "O" / "r" ) )
+func NewUserModeCommand(args []string) (EditableCommand, error) {
 	cmd := &ModeCommand{
 		nickname: args[0],
 		changes: make([]ModeChange,
@@ -460,12 +467,25 @@ func NewModeCommand(args []string) (EditableCommand, error) {
 	return cmd, nil
 }
 
+func NewModeCommand(args []string) (EditableCommand, error) {
+	if len(args) == 0 {
+		return nil, NotEnoughArgsError
+	}
+
+	if IsChannel(args[0]) {
+		return NewChannelModeCommand(args)
+	} else {
+		return NewUserModeCommand(args)
+	}
+}
+
 type WhoisCommand struct {
 	BaseCommand
 	target string
 	masks  []string
 }
 
+// [ <target> ] <mask> *( "," <mask> )
 func NewWhoisCommand(args []string) (EditableCommand, error) {
 	if len(args) < 1 {
 		return nil, NotEnoughArgsError
diff --git a/irc/reply.go b/irc/reply.go
index ec1335ba..f17da108 100644
--- a/irc/reply.go
+++ b/irc/reply.go
@@ -234,6 +234,11 @@ func RplEndOfWhois(server *Server) Reply {
 	return NewNumericReply(server, RPL_ENDOFWHOIS, ":End of WHOIS list")
 }
 
+func RplChannelModeIs(server *Server, channel *Channel) Reply {
+	return NewNumericReply(server, RPL_CHANNELMODEIS, "%s %s",
+		channel.name, channel.ModeString())
+}
+
 // errors (also numeric)
 
 func ErrAlreadyRegistered(source Identifier) Reply {
@@ -261,8 +266,8 @@ func ErrNeedMoreParams(source Identifier, command string) Reply {
 		"%s :Not enough parameters", command)
 }
 
-func ErrNoSuchChannel(source Identifier, channel string) Reply {
-	return NewNumericReply(source, ERR_NOSUCHCHANNEL,
+func ErrNoSuchChannel(server *Server, channel string) Reply {
+	return NewNumericReply(server, ERR_NOSUCHCHANNEL,
 		"%s :No such channel", channel)
 }
 
@@ -311,3 +316,8 @@ func ErrRestricted(server *Server) Reply {
 func ErrNoSuchServer(server *Server, target string) Reply {
 	return NewNumericReply(server, ERR_NOSUCHSERVER, "%s :No such server", target)
 }
+
+func ErrUserNotInChannel(server *Server, nick string, channel *Channel) Reply {
+	return NewNumericReply(server, ERR_USERNOTINCHANNEL,
+		"%s %s :They aren't on that channel", nick, channel.name)
+}
diff --git a/irc/server.go b/irc/server.go
index f0fd6067..21cdadff 100644
--- a/irc/server.go
+++ b/irc/server.go
@@ -299,3 +299,14 @@ func (m *WhoisCommand) HandleServer(server *Server) {
 	}
 	client.replies <- RplEndOfWhois(server)
 }
+
+func (msg *ChannelModeCommand) HandleServer(server *Server) {
+	client := msg.Client()
+	channel := server.channels[msg.channel]
+	if channel == nil {
+		client.replies <- ErrNoSuchChannel(server, msg.channel)
+		return
+	}
+
+	client.replies <- RplChannelModeIs(server, channel)
+}