diff --git a/src/irclib.py b/src/irclib.py
index 6518a0fe5..bca06f348 100644
--- a/src/irclib.py
+++ b/src/irclib.py
@@ -339,11 +339,14 @@ class IrcState(IrcCommandDispatcher):
         
         })
     def _prefixParser(s):
-        (left, right) = s.split(')')
-        assert left[0] == '(', 'Odd PREFIX in 005: %s' % s
-        left = left[1:]
-        assert len(left) == len(right), 'Odd PREFIX in 005: %s' % s
-        return dict(zip(left, right))
+        if ')' in s:
+            (left, right) = s.split(')')
+            assert left[0] == '(', 'Odd PREFIX in 005: %s' % s
+            left = left[1:]
+            assert len(left) == len(right), 'Odd PREFIX in 005: %s' % s
+            return dict(zip(left, right))
+        else:
+            return dict(zip('ovh', s))
     _005converters['prefix'] = _prefixParser
     del _prefixParser
     def do005(self, irc, msg):
diff --git a/test/test_irclib.py b/test/test_irclib.py
index 875a48989..e2e4a8067 100644
--- a/test/test_irclib.py
+++ b/test/test_irclib.py
@@ -225,6 +225,13 @@ class IrcStateTestCase(SupyTestCase):
                               conf.supybot.protocols.irc.maxHistoryLength():])
         conf.supybot.protocols.irc.maxHistoryLength.setValue(oldconfmaxhistory)
 
+    def testWasteland005(self):
+        state = irclib.IrcState()
+        # Here we're testing if PREFIX works without the (ov) there.
+        state.addMsg(self.irc, ircmsgs.IrcMsg(':desolate.wasteland.org 005 jemfinch NOQUIT WATCH=128 SAFELIST MODES=6 MAXCHANNELS=10 MAXBANS=100 NICKLEN=30 TOPICLEN=307 KICKLEN=307 CHANTYPES=&# PREFIX=@+ NETWORK=DALnet SILENCE=10 :are available on this server'))
+        self.assertEqual(state.supported['prefix']['o'], '@')
+        self.assertEqual(state.supported['prefix']['v'], '+')
+                     
     def testEmptyTopic(self):
         state = irclib.IrcState()
         state.addMsg(self.irc, ircmsgs.topic('#foo'))