diff --git a/default.theme b/default.theme
index 0b796daf..bd9020db 100644
--- a/default.theme
+++ b/default.theme
@@ -31,7 +31,8 @@ abstracts = {
   msgownnick = "%W$0-%n";
   msgchannel = "%K:%c$0-%n";
   msgme = "%Y$0-%n";
-  privmsgnick = "[%R$0-%n] "
+  privmsg = "[$0-] "
+  privmsgnick = "%R$0-%n"
   privmsghost = "%K(%r$0-%K)%n";
   ownprivmsg = "[%r$0-%n] ";
   ownprivmsgdest = "%K(%R$0-%K)";
diff --git a/src/fe-common/core/module-formats.c b/src/fe-common/core/module-formats.c
index 43379fa8..ba42964f 100644
--- a/src/fe-common/core/module-formats.c
+++ b/src/fe-common/core/module-formats.c
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ FORMAT_REC fecommon_core_formats[] = {
 	{ "pubmsg_hilight_channel", "{msgnick $4$0$1{msgchannel 2}}$3", 5, { 0, 0, 0, 0, 0 } },
 	{ "pubmsg", "{msgnick $2$0}$1", 3, { 0, 0, 0 } },
 	{ "pubmsg_channel", "{msgnick $3$0{msgchannel $1}}$2", 4, { 0, 0, 0, 0 } },
-	{ "msg_private", "{privmsgnick $0{privmsghost $1}}$2", 3, { 0, 0, 0 } },
+	{ "msg_private", "{privmsg {privmsgnick $0{privmsghost $1}}}$2", 3, { 0, 0, 0 } },
 	{ "msg_private_query", "{msgnick {privmsgnick $0}}$2", 3, { 0, 0, 0 } },
 	{ "no_msgs_got", "You have not received a message from anyone yet", 0 },
 	{ "no_msgs_sent", "You have not sent a message to anyone yet", 0 },