diff --git a/data/example.conf b/data/example.conf
index 32c536207..4592ae7c9 100644
--- a/data/example.conf
+++ b/data/example.conf
@@ -267,6 +267,10 @@ networkinfo
 	 * but recommended.
 	 */
 	hostlen = 64
+
+	/* Set this to the maximum allowed channel length on your network.
+	 */
+	chanlen = 32
 }
 
 /*
diff --git a/include/config.h b/include/config.h
index d9ec11abd..23ebe2da9 100644
--- a/include/config.h
+++ b/include/config.h
@@ -391,6 +391,8 @@ class CoreExport ServerConfig
 	unsigned UserLen;
 	/* Max lenght of hostnames */
 	unsigned HostLen;
+	/* Max length of channel names */
+	unsigned ChanLen;
 
 	/* Casemapping to use */
 	Anope::string CaseMap;
diff --git a/modules/protocol/unreal.cpp b/modules/protocol/unreal.cpp
index 59dd9ddd6..d3b94b26c 100644
--- a/modules/protocol/unreal.cpp
+++ b/modules/protocol/unreal.cpp
@@ -341,10 +341,10 @@ class UnrealIRCdProto : public IRCDProto
 
 	bool IsChannelValid(const Anope::string &chan) anope_override
 	{
-		if (chan.find(':') != Anope::string::npos || chan[0] != '#')
+		if (chan.find(':') != Anope::string::npos)
 			return false;
 
-		return true;
+		return IRCDProto::IsChannelValid(chan);
 	}
 
 	void SendLogin(User *u) anope_override
diff --git a/src/config.cpp b/src/config.cpp
index 6896be7c8..375a097ce 100644
--- a/src/config.cpp
+++ b/src/config.cpp
@@ -1164,6 +1164,7 @@ ConfigItems::ConfigItems(ServerConfig *conf)
 		{"networkinfo", "nicklen", "31", new ValueContainerUInt(&conf->NickLen), DT_UINTEGER | DT_NORELOAD, ValidateNickLen},
 		{"networkinfo", "userlen", "10", new ValueContainerUInt(&conf->UserLen), DT_UINTEGER | DT_NORELOAD, NoValidation},
 		{"networkinfo", "hostlen", "64", new ValueContainerUInt(&conf->HostLen), DT_UINTEGER | DT_NORELOAD, NoValidation},
+		{"networkinfo", "chanlen", "32", new ValueContainerUInt(&conf->ChanLen), DT_UINTEGER | DT_NORELOAD, NoValidation},
 		{"options", "casemap", "ascii", new ValueContainerString(&conf->CaseMap), DT_STRING, NoValidation},
 		{"options", "passlen", "32", new ValueContainerUInt(&conf->PassLen), DT_UINTEGER | DT_NORELOAD, NoValidation},
 		{"options", "seed", "0", new ValueContainerLUInt(&conf->Seed), DT_LUINTEGER, NoValidation},
diff --git a/src/protocol.cpp b/src/protocol.cpp
index e9ab88c77..c6ace2a16 100644
--- a/src/protocol.cpp
+++ b/src/protocol.cpp
@@ -310,7 +310,7 @@ void IRCDProto::SendNumeric(int numeric, const Anope::string &dest, const char *
 
 bool IRCDProto::IsChannelValid(const Anope::string &chan)
 {
-	if (chan[0] != '#')
+	if (chan.empty() || chan[0] != '#' || chan.length() > Config->ChanLen)
 		return false;
 
 	return true;