diff --git a/ChangeLog.adoc b/ChangeLog.adoc
index 8db80c68b..05f938fd8 100644
--- a/ChangeLog.adoc
+++ b/ChangeLog.adoc
@@ -10,6 +10,13 @@ This document lists all the changes for each version. +
 For a list of important changes that require manual actions, please look at release notes.
 
 
+[[v4.2.3]]
+== Version 4.2.3 (under dev)
+
+Bug fixes::
+
+  * irc: fix crash in split of IRC message containing a newline if the server is not given
+
 [[v4.2.2]]
 == Version 4.2.2 (2024-04-07)
 
diff --git a/src/plugins/irc/irc-message.c b/src/plugins/irc/irc-message.c
index 0b27d66e9..c2712e38c 100644
--- a/src/plugins/irc/irc-message.c
+++ b/src/plugins/irc/irc-message.c
@@ -1683,8 +1683,9 @@ irc_message_split (struct t_irc_server *server, const char *message)
     }
 
     multiline = (
-        ((weechat_strcasecmp (command, "privmsg") == 0)
-         || (weechat_strcasecmp (command, "notice") == 0))
+        server
+        && ((weechat_strcasecmp (command, "privmsg") == 0)
+            || (weechat_strcasecmp (command, "notice") == 0))
         && message
         && strchr (message, '\n')
         && (index_args + 1 <= argc - 1)
diff --git a/tests/unit/plugins/irc/test-irc-message.cpp b/tests/unit/plugins/irc/test-irc-message.cpp
index aed8d4fe8..4e39a8491 100644
--- a/tests/unit/plugins/irc/test-irc-message.cpp
+++ b/tests/unit/plugins/irc/test-irc-message.cpp
@@ -1997,6 +1997,21 @@ TEST(IrcMessage, Split)
     hashtable_remove (server->cap_list, "batch");
     hashtable_remove (server->cap_list, "draft/multiline");
 
+    /* PRIVMSG with newlines but no server: BATCH is not used */
+    hashtable = irc_message_split (NULL, "PRIVMSG #channel :test\n\nline 3");
+    CHECK(hashtable);
+    LONGS_EQUAL(7, hashtable->items_count);
+    STRCMP_EQUAL("3", (const char *)hashtable_get (hashtable, "count"));
+    STRCMP_EQUAL("PRIVMSG #channel :test",
+                 (const char *)hashtable_get (hashtable, "msg1"));
+    STRCMP_EQUAL("test", (const char *)hashtable_get (hashtable, "args1"));
+    STRCMP_EQUAL("PRIVMSG #channel :",
+                 (const char *)hashtable_get (hashtable, "msg2"));
+    STRCMP_EQUAL("", (const char *)hashtable_get (hashtable, "args2"));
+    STRCMP_EQUAL("PRIVMSG #channel :line 3",
+                 (const char *)hashtable_get (hashtable, "msg3"));
+    STRCMP_EQUAL("line 3", (const char *)hashtable_get (hashtable, "args3"));
+
     /* 005: no split */
     hashtable = irc_message_split (server, "005 nick " MSG_005);
     CHECK(hashtable);