diff --git a/src/plugins/irc/irc-nick.c b/src/plugins/irc/irc-nick.c
index 83d7d9259..3d33c2dab 100644
--- a/src/plugins/irc/irc-nick.c
+++ b/src/plugins/irc/irc-nick.c
@@ -490,7 +490,8 @@ irc_nick_new (struct t_irc_server *server, struct t_irc_channel *channel,
     new_nick->realname = (realname) ? strdup (realname) : NULL;
     length = strlen (irc_server_get_prefix_chars (server));
     new_nick->prefixes = malloc (length + 1);
-    if (!new_nick->name || !new_nick->prefixes)
+    new_nick->prefix = malloc (2);
+    if (!new_nick->name || !new_nick->prefixes || !new_nick->prefix)
     {
         if (new_nick->name)
             free (new_nick->name);
@@ -502,14 +503,13 @@ irc_nick_new (struct t_irc_server *server, struct t_irc_channel *channel,
             free (new_nick->realname);
         if (new_nick->prefixes)
             free (new_nick->prefixes);
+        if (new_nick->prefix)
+            free (new_nick->prefix);
         free (new_nick);
         return NULL;
     }
-    if (new_nick->prefixes)
-    {
-        memset (new_nick->prefixes, ' ', length);
-        new_nick->prefixes[length] = '\0';
-    }
+    memset (new_nick->prefixes, ' ', length);
+    new_nick->prefixes[length] = '\0';
     new_nick->prefix[0] = ' ';
     new_nick->prefix[1] = '\0';
     irc_nick_set_prefixes (server, new_nick, prefixes);
@@ -640,6 +640,8 @@ irc_nick_free (struct t_irc_server *server, struct t_irc_channel *channel,
         free (nick->host);
     if (nick->prefixes)
         free (nick->prefixes);
+    if (nick->prefix)
+        free (nick->prefix);
     if (nick->account)
         free (nick->account);
     if (nick->realname)
diff --git a/src/plugins/irc/irc-nick.h b/src/plugins/irc/irc-nick.h
index 0cc5830f6..92ef6f199 100644
--- a/src/plugins/irc/irc-nick.h
+++ b/src/plugins/irc/irc-nick.h
@@ -35,8 +35,8 @@ struct t_irc_nick
     char *name;                     /* nickname                              */
     char *host;                     /* full hostname                         */
     char *prefixes;                 /* string with prefixes enabled for nick */
-    char prefix[2];                 /* current prefix (higher prefix set in  */
-                                    /* prefixes)                             */
+    char *prefix;                   /* current prefix (higher prefix set in  */
+                                    /* prefixes); string with just one char  */
     int away;                       /* 1 if nick is away                     */
     char *account;                  /* account name of the user              */
     char *realname;                 /* realname (aka gecos) of the user      */