diff --git a/ChangeLog.asciidoc b/ChangeLog.asciidoc
index 1b21b6548..6f5da309c 100644
--- a/ChangeLog.asciidoc
+++ b/ChangeLog.asciidoc
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@ https://weechat.org/files/releasenotes/ReleaseNotes-devel.html[release notes]
 
 * core: fix crash when a root bar has conditions different from
   active/inactive/nicklist (closes #317)
+* irc: don't close channel buffer on second /part when option
+  irc.look.part_closes_buffer is off (closes #313)
 * irc: fix /join on a channel buffer opened with autojoin but which failed to
   join
 * irc: send QUIT to server and no PART for channels when the server buffer
diff --git a/src/plugins/irc/irc-command.c b/src/plugins/irc/irc-command.c
index 42c49a018..af982a3ae 100644
--- a/src/plugins/irc/irc-command.c
+++ b/src/plugins/irc/irc-command.c
@@ -3650,6 +3650,7 @@ irc_command_part (void *data, struct t_gui_buffer *buffer, int argc,
     {
         if (irc_channel_is_channel (ptr_server, argv[1]))
         {
+            ptr_channel = irc_channel_search (ptr_server, argv[1]);
             channel_name = argv[1];
             pos_args = argv_eol[2];
         }
@@ -3679,15 +3680,20 @@ irc_command_part (void *data, struct t_gui_buffer *buffer, int argc,
                 weechat_prefix ("error"), IRC_PLUGIN_NAME, "part");
             return WEECHAT_RC_OK;
         }
-        if (!ptr_channel->nicks)
-        {
-            weechat_buffer_close (ptr_channel->buffer);
-            return WEECHAT_RC_OK;
-        }
         channel_name = ptr_channel->name;
         pos_args = NULL;
     }
 
+    if (ptr_channel && !ptr_channel->nicks)
+    {
+        if ((ptr_channel->type == IRC_CHANNEL_TYPE_PRIVATE)
+            || weechat_config_boolean (irc_config_look_part_closes_buffer))
+        {
+            weechat_buffer_close (ptr_channel->buffer);
+        }
+        return WEECHAT_RC_OK;
+    }
+
     irc_command_part_channel (ptr_server, channel_name, pos_args);
 
     return WEECHAT_RC_OK;