diff --git a/irc/config.go b/irc/config.go
index 634ac5f5..fd997512 100644
--- a/irc/config.go
+++ b/irc/config.go
@@ -1611,7 +1611,7 @@ func LoadConfig(filename string) (config *Config, err error) {
 	// in the current implementation, we disable history by creating a history buffer
 	// with zero capacity. but the `enabled` config option MUST be respected regardless
 	// of this detail
-	if !config.History.Enabled {
+	if !config.History.Enabled || config.History.ChathistoryMax == 0 {
 		config.History.ChannelLength = 0
 		config.History.ClientLength = 0
 		config.Server.supportedCaps.Disable(caps.Chathistory)
diff --git a/irc/handlers.go b/irc/handlers.go
index 3ffc505c..b74800f0 100644
--- a/irc/handlers.go
+++ b/irc/handlers.go
@@ -700,11 +700,13 @@ func chathistoryHandler(server *Server, client *Client, msg ircmsg.Message, rb *
 	var channel *Channel
 	var sequence history.Sequence
 	var err error
-	var listTargets bool
+	var disabled, listTargets bool
 	var targets []history.TargetListing
 	defer func() {
 		// errors are sent either without a batch, or in a draft/labeled-response batch as usual
-		if err == utils.ErrInvalidParams {
+		if disabled {
+			rb.Add(nil, server.name, "FAIL", "CHATHISTORY", "MESSAGE_ERROR", msg.Params[0], client.t("That feature is disabled"))
+		} else if err == utils.ErrInvalidParams {
 			rb.Add(nil, server.name, "FAIL", "CHATHISTORY", "INVALID_PARAMS", msg.Params[0], client.t("Invalid parameters"))
 		} else if !listTargets && sequence == nil {
 			rb.Add(nil, server.name, "FAIL", "CHATHISTORY", "INVALID_TARGET", msg.Params[0], utils.SafeErrorParam(target), client.t("Messages could not be retrieved"))
@@ -730,7 +732,8 @@ func chathistoryHandler(server *Server, client *Client, msg ircmsg.Message, rb *
 
 	config := server.Config()
 	maxChathistoryLimit := config.History.ChathistoryMax
-	if maxChathistoryLimit == 0 {
+	if !config.History.Enabled || maxChathistoryLimit == 0 {
+		disabled = true
 		return
 	}
 	preposition := strings.ToLower(msg.Params[0])
diff --git a/irc/server.go b/irc/server.go
index d1cf736e..3c763593 100644
--- a/irc/server.go
+++ b/irc/server.go
@@ -908,6 +908,9 @@ func (server *Server) applyConfig(config *Config) (err error) {
 	if config.Accounts.RequireSasl.Enabled && config.Accounts.Registration.Enabled {
 		server.logger.Warning("server", "Warning: although require-sasl is enabled, users can still register accounts. If your server is not intended to be public, you must set accounts.registration.enabled to false.")
 	}
+	if config.History.Enabled && config.History.ChathistoryMax == 0 {
+		server.logger.Warning("server", "Warning: for history to work correctly, you must set history.chathistory-maxmessages (see default.yaml for a recommendation).")
+	}
 
 	return err
 }