diff --git a/plugins/User/config.py b/plugins/User/config.py
index b1c89afa4..babf78778 100644
--- a/plugins/User/config.py
+++ b/plugins/User/config.py
@@ -47,5 +47,7 @@ conf.registerChannelValue(User, 'listInPrivate',
     registry.Boolean(True, _("""Determines whether the output of 'user list'
     will be sent in private. This prevents mass-highlights of people who use
     their nick as their bot username.""")))
-
+conf.registerGlobalValue(User, 'customWhoamiError',
+    registry.String("", _("""Determines what message the bot sends
+    when a user isn't identified or recognized.""")))
 # vim:set shiftwidth=4 softtabstop=4 expandtab textwidth=79:
diff --git a/plugins/User/plugin.py b/plugins/User/plugin.py
index 8eb0d72e3..ac4be2cb5 100644
--- a/plugins/User/plugin.py
+++ b/plugins/User/plugin.py
@@ -480,7 +480,9 @@ class User(callbacks.Plugin):
             user = ircdb.users.getUser(msg.prefix)
             irc.reply(user.name)
         except KeyError:
-            irc.reply(_('I don\'t recognize you. You can message me either of these two commands: "user identify <username> <password>" to log in or "user register <username> <password>" to register.'))
+            error = self.registryValue('customWhoamiError') or \
+                    _('I don\'t recognize you. You can message me either of these two commands: "user identify <username> <password>" to log in or "user register <username> <password>" to register.')
+            irc.reply(error)
     whoami = wrap(whoami)
 
     @internationalizeDocstring