diff --git a/plugins/Irc/ChannelResponseChannel.php b/plugins/Irc/ChannelResponseChannel.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..0fee49c8eb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plugins/Irc/ChannelResponseChannel.php
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+<?php
+/**
+ * StatusNet, the distributed open-source microblogging tool
+ *
+ * Override the IMChannel class to allow commands to send messages
+ * to a channel instead of PMing a user
+ *
+ * PHP version 5
+ *
+ * LICENCE: This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ * it under the terms of the GNU Affero General Public License as published by
+ * the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+ * (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+ * GNU Affero General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU Affero General Public License
+ * along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+ *
+ * @category  Network
+ * @package   StatusNet
+ * @author    Luke Fitzgerald <lw.fitzgerald@googlemail.com>
+ * @copyright 2010 StatusNet, Inc.
+ * @license   http://www.fsf.org/licensing/licenses/agpl-3.0.html GNU Affero General Public License version 3.0
+ * @link      http://status.net/
+ */
+
+if (!defined('STATUSNET') && !defined('LACONICA')) {
+    exit(1);
+}
+
+class ChannelResponseChannel extends IMChannel {
+    protected $ircChannel;
+
+    public function __construct($imPlugin, $ircChannel) {
+        $this->ircChannel = $ircChannel;
+        parent::__construct($imPlugin);
+    }
+
+    public function output($user, $text) {
+        $text = $user->nickname.': ['.common_config('site', 'name') . '] ' . $text;
+        $this->imPlugin->send_message($this->ircChannel, $text);
+    }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/plugins/Irc/IrcPlugin.php b/plugins/Irc/IrcPlugin.php
index 8fda359452..75eaf687b2 100644
--- a/plugins/Irc/IrcPlugin.php
+++ b/plugins/Irc/IrcPlugin.php
@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@ class IrcPlugin extends ImPlugin {
     public $regregexp = null;
 
     public $transport = 'irc';
+    public $whiteList;
     public $fake_irc;
 
     /**
@@ -125,6 +126,7 @@ class IrcPlugin extends ImPlugin {
                 include_once $dir . '/'.strtolower($cls).'.php';
                 return false;
             case 'Fake_Irc':
+            case 'ChannelResponseChannel':
                 include_once $dir . '/'. $cls .'.php';
                 return false;
             default:
@@ -181,11 +183,12 @@ class IrcPlugin extends ImPlugin {
     public function receive_raw_message($data) {
         if (strpos($data['source'], '#') === 0) {
             $message = $data['message'];
-            $nickpos = strpos($message, $this->nick);
-            $nicklen = strlen($this->nick);
-            $colonpos = strpos($message, ':', $nicklen);
-            if ($nickpos === 0 && $colonpos == $nicklen) {
-                $this->handle_incoming($data['sender'], substr($message, $colonpos+1));
+            $parts = explode(' ', $message, 2);
+            $command = $parts[0];
+            if (in_array($command, $this->whiteList)) {
+                $this->handle_channel_incoming($data['sender'], $data['source'], $message);
+            } else {
+                $this->handle_incoming($data['sender'], $message);
             }
         } else {
             $this->handle_incoming($data['sender'], $data['message']);
@@ -193,6 +196,59 @@ class IrcPlugin extends ImPlugin {
         return true;
     }
 
+    protected function handle_channel_incoming($nick, $channel, $notice_text) {
+        $user = $this->get_user($nick);
+        // For common_current_user to work
+        global $_cur;
+        $_cur = $user;
+
+        if (!$user) {
+            $this->send_from_site($nick, 'Unknown user; go to ' .
+                             common_local_url('imsettings') .
+                             ' to add your address to your account');
+            common_log(LOG_WARNING, 'Message from unknown user ' . $nick);
+            return;
+        }
+        if ($this->handle_channel_command($user, $channel, $notice_text)) {
+            common_log(LOG_INFO, "Command message by $nick handled.");
+            return;
+        } else if ($this->is_autoreply($notice_text)) {
+            common_log(LOG_INFO, 'Ignoring auto reply from ' . $nick);
+            return;
+        } else if ($this->is_otr($notice_text)) {
+            common_log(LOG_INFO, 'Ignoring OTR from ' . $nick);
+            return;
+        } else {
+            common_log(LOG_INFO, 'Posting a notice from ' . $user->nickname);
+            $this->add_notice($nick, $user, $notice_text);
+        }
+
+        $user->free();
+        unset($user);
+        unset($_cur);
+        unset($message);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Attempt to handle a message from a channel as a command
+     *
+     * @param User $user user the message is from
+     * @param string $channel Channel the message originated from
+     * @param string $body message text
+     * @return boolean true if the message was a command and was executed, false if it was not a command
+     */
+    protected function handle_channel_command($user, $channel, $body) {
+        $inter = new CommandInterpreter();
+        $cmd = $inter->handle_command($user, $body);
+        if ($cmd) {
+            $chan = new ChannelResponseChannel($this, $channel);
+            $cmd->execute($chan);
+            return true;
+        } else {
+            return false;
+        }
+    }
+
     /**
      * Send a confirmation code to a user
      *
@@ -277,6 +333,12 @@ class IrcPlugin extends ImPlugin {
         }
 
         $this->fake_irc = new Fake_Irc;
+
+        /*
+         * Commands allowed to return output to a channel
+         */
+        $this->whiteList = array('stats', 'last', 'get');
+
         return true;
     }
 
diff --git a/plugins/Irc/extlib/phergie/Phergie/Plugin/Statusnet.php b/plugins/Irc/extlib/phergie/Phergie/Plugin/Statusnet.php
index ec2b427466..fb75f1d798 100644
--- a/plugins/Irc/extlib/phergie/Phergie/Plugin/Statusnet.php
+++ b/plugins/Irc/extlib/phergie/Phergie/Plugin/Statusnet.php
@@ -75,7 +75,18 @@ class Phergie_Plugin_Statusnet extends Phergie_Plugin_Abstract {
             $sender = $event->getNick();
             $message = trim($event->getText());
 
-            call_user_func($this->messageCallback, array('source' => $source, 'sender' => $sender, 'message' => $message));
+            if (strpos($source, '#') === 0) {
+                $botNick = $this->getConnection()->getNick();
+                $nickPos = strpos($message, $botNick);
+                $nickLen = strlen($botNick);
+                $colonPos = strpos($message, ':', $nickLen);
+                $commandStr = trim(substr($message, $colonPos+1));
+                if ($nickPos === 0 && $colonPos == $nickLen && !empty($commandStr)) {
+                    call_user_func($this->messageCallback, array('source' => $source, 'sender' => $sender, 'message' => $commandStr));
+                }
+            } else {
+                call_user_func($this->messageCallback, array('source' => $source, 'sender' => $sender, 'message' => $message));
+            }
         }
     }