diff --git a/src/fe-common/irc/fe-irc-messages.c b/src/fe-common/irc/fe-irc-messages.c
index 7eb2fff1..d287bf1f 100644
--- a/src/fe-common/irc/fe-irc-messages.c
+++ b/src/fe-common/irc/fe-irc-messages.c
@@ -67,13 +67,14 @@ static void sig_message_own_public(SERVER_REC *server, const char *msg,
 
 }
 
-/* received msg to all ops in channel */
+/* received msg to all ops in channel.
+   TODO: this code is a duplication of sig_message_public */
 static void sig_message_irc_op_public(SERVER_REC *server, const char *msg,
 				      const char *nick, const char *address,
 				      const char *target)
 {
 	CHANNEL_REC *chanrec;
-	char *nickmode, *optarget, *prefix, *color;
+	char *nickmode, *optarget, *prefix, *color, *freemsg = NULL;
 	const char *cleantarget;
 	int for_me, level;
 	HILIGHT_REC *hilight;
@@ -86,26 +87,33 @@ static void sig_message_irc_op_public(SERVER_REC *server, const char *msg,
 	/* and clean the rest here */
 	cleantarget = get_visible_target(IRC_SERVER(server), cleantarget);
 
-	nickmode = channel_get_nickmode(channel_find(server, cleantarget),
-					nick);
+	if (ignore_check_plus(server, nick, address, cleantarget, msg, &level, TRUE)) {
+		g_free(prefix);
+		return;
+	}
+
+	chanrec = channel_find(server, cleantarget);
+
+	nickmode = channel_get_nickmode(chanrec, nick);
 
 	optarget = g_strconcat(prefix, cleantarget, NULL);
 
-	chanrec = channel_find(server, target);
-
 	/* Check for hilights */
 	for_me = !settings_get_bool("hilight_nick_matches") ? FALSE :
 		!settings_get_bool("hilight_nick_matches_everywhere") ?
 		nick_match_msg(chanrec, msg, server->nick) :
 		nick_match_msg_everywhere(chanrec, msg, server->nick);
 	hilight = for_me ? NULL :
-		hilight_match_nick(server, target, nick, address, MSGLEVEL_PUBLIC, msg);
+		hilight_match_nick(server, cleantarget, nick, address, MSGLEVEL_PUBLIC, msg);
 	color = (hilight == NULL) ? NULL : hilight_get_color(hilight);
 
 	level = MSGLEVEL_PUBLIC;
 	if (for_me)
 		level |= MSGLEVEL_HILIGHT;
 
+	if (settings_get_bool("emphasis"))
+		msg = freemsg = expand_emphasis((WI_ITEM_REC *) chanrec, msg);
+
 	if (color != NULL) {
 		format_create_dest(&dest, server, cleantarget, level, NULL);
 		dest.address = address;
@@ -119,7 +127,10 @@ static void sig_message_irc_op_public(SERVER_REC *server, const char *msg,
 			for_me ? TXT_PUBMSG_ME_CHANNEL : TXT_PUBMSG_CHANNEL,
 			nick, optarget, msg, nickmode);
 	}
+
 	g_free(nickmode);
+	g_free(freemsg);
+	g_free(color);
 	g_free(optarget);
 	g_free(prefix);
 }