diff --git a/src/fe-common/irc/fe-irc-server.c b/src/fe-common/irc/fe-irc-server.c
index f637a7e8..fbd70404 100644
--- a/src/fe-common/irc/fe-irc-server.c
+++ b/src/fe-common/irc/fe-irc-server.c
@@ -95,6 +95,19 @@ static void sig_server_add_fill(IRC_SERVER_SETUP_REC *rec,
 		rec->starttls = STARTTLS_ENABLED;
 		rec->use_tls = 0;
 	}
+	if (g_hash_table_lookup(optlist, "nocap"))
+		rec->no_cap = 1;
+	if (g_hash_table_lookup(optlist, "cap"))
+		rec->no_cap = 0;
+}
+
+static void sig_server_waiting_info(IRC_SERVER_REC *server, const char *version)
+{
+	if (!IS_IRC_SERVER(server))
+		return;
+
+	printformat(server, NULL, MSGLEVEL_CLIENTCRAP, IRCTXT_SERVER_WAITING_CAP_LS, server,
+	            version);
 }
 
 /* SYNTAX: SERVER LIST */
@@ -118,6 +131,8 @@ static void cmd_server_list(const char *data)
 			g_string_append(str, "autoconnect, ");
 		if (rec->no_proxy)
 			g_string_append(str, "noproxy, ");
+		if (rec->no_cap)
+			g_string_append(str, "nocap, ");
 		if (rec->starttls == STARTTLS_DISALLOW)
 			g_string_append(str, "disallow_starttls, ");
 		if (rec->starttls == STARTTLS_ENABLED)
@@ -167,17 +182,20 @@ static void cmd_server_list(const char *data)
 void fe_irc_server_init(void)
 {
 	signal_add("server add fill", (SIGNAL_FUNC) sig_server_add_fill);
+	signal_add("server waiting cap ls", (SIGNAL_FUNC) sig_server_waiting_info);
 	command_bind("server list", NULL, (SIGNAL_FUNC) cmd_server_list);
 
-	command_set_options("server add", "-ircnet -network -cmdspeed -cmdmax -querychans starttls "
-	                                  "nostarttls disallow_starttls nodisallow_starttls");
+	command_set_options("server add",
+	                    "-ircnet -network -cmdspeed -cmdmax -querychans starttls "
+	                    "nostarttls disallow_starttls nodisallow_starttls cap nocap");
 	command_set_options("server modify",
 	                    "-ircnet -network -cmdspeed -cmdmax -querychans starttls nostarttls "
-	                    "disallow_starttls nodisallow_starttls");
+	                    "disallow_starttls nodisallow_starttls cap nocap");
 }
 
 void fe_irc_server_deinit(void)
 {
 	signal_remove("server add fill", (SIGNAL_FUNC) sig_server_add_fill);
+	signal_remove("server waiting cap ls", (SIGNAL_FUNC) sig_server_waiting_info);
 	command_unbind("server list", (SIGNAL_FUNC) cmd_server_list);
 }
diff --git a/src/fe-common/irc/module-formats.c b/src/fe-common/irc/module-formats.c
index d4c00f25..1a96cbce 100644
--- a/src/fe-common/irc/module-formats.c
+++ b/src/fe-common/irc/module-formats.c
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ FORMAT_REC fecommon_irc_formats[] = {
 	{ "setupserver_header", "%#Server               Port  Network    Settings", 0 },
 	{ "setupserver_line", "%#%|$[!20]0 $[5]1 $[10]2 $3", 4, { 0, 1, 0, 0 } },
 	{ "setupserver_footer", "", 0 },
+	{ "server_waiting_cap_ls", "Waiting for CAP LS response...", 2, { 0, 0 } },
 	{ "sasl_success", "SASL authentication succeeded", 0 },
 	{ "sasl_error", "Cannot authenticate via SASL ($0)", 1, { 0 } },
 	{ "cap_req",  "Capabilities requested: $0", 1, { 0 } },
diff --git a/src/fe-common/irc/module-formats.h b/src/fe-common/irc/module-formats.h
index 892b77c8..5abd04a4 100644
--- a/src/fe-common/irc/module-formats.h
+++ b/src/fe-common/irc/module-formats.h
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ enum {
 	IRCTXT_SETUPSERVER_HEADER,
 	IRCTXT_SETUPSERVER_LINE,
 	IRCTXT_SETUPSERVER_FOOTER,
+	IRCTXT_SERVER_WAITING_CAP_LS,
 	IRCTXT_SASL_SUCCESS,
 	IRCTXT_SASL_ERROR,
 	IRCTXT_CAP_REQ,
diff --git a/src/irc/core/irc-commands.c b/src/irc/core/irc-commands.c
index 9cc8afe8..cba909c1 100644
--- a/src/irc/core/irc-commands.c
+++ b/src/irc/core/irc-commands.c
@@ -1053,7 +1053,7 @@ void irc_commands_init(void)
 	signal_add("whois end", (SIGNAL_FUNC) event_end_of_whois);
 	signal_add("whowas event", (SIGNAL_FUNC) event_whowas);
 
-	command_set_options("connect", "+ircnet starttls disallow_starttls");
+	command_set_options("connect", "+ircnet starttls disallow_starttls nocap");
 	command_set_options("topic", "delete");
 	command_set_options("list", "yes");
 	command_set_options("away", "one all");
diff --git a/src/irc/core/irc-servers-reconnect.c b/src/irc/core/irc-servers-reconnect.c
index cc34c6d3..e18a5a9b 100644
--- a/src/irc/core/irc-servers-reconnect.c
+++ b/src/irc/core/irc-servers-reconnect.c
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@ static void sig_server_connect_copy(SERVER_CONNECT_REC **dest,
 	rec->sasl_password = g_strdup(src->sasl_password);
 	rec->disallow_starttls = src->disallow_starttls;
 	rec->starttls = src->starttls;
+	rec->no_cap = src->no_cap;
 	*dest = (SERVER_CONNECT_REC *) rec;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/irc/core/irc-servers-setup.c b/src/irc/core/irc-servers-setup.c
index 739e364e..5299ef04 100644
--- a/src/irc/core/irc-servers-setup.c
+++ b/src/irc/core/irc-servers-setup.c
@@ -48,6 +48,8 @@ static void sig_server_setup_fill_reconn(IRC_SERVER_CONNECT_REC *conn,
 		conn->disallow_starttls = 1;
 	else if (sserver->starttls == STARTTLS_ENABLED)
 		conn->starttls = 1;
+	if (sserver->no_cap)
+		conn->no_cap = 1;
 }
 
 static void sig_server_setup_fill_connect(IRC_SERVER_CONNECT_REC *conn, GHashTable *optlist)
@@ -77,6 +79,10 @@ static void sig_server_setup_fill_optlist(IRC_SERVER_CONNECT_REC *conn, GHashTab
 	} else if (g_hash_table_lookup(optlist, "disallow_starttls") != NULL) {
 		conn->disallow_starttls = 1;
 	}
+	if (g_hash_table_lookup(optlist, "nocap"))
+		conn->no_cap = 1;
+	if (g_hash_table_lookup(optlist, "cap"))
+		conn->no_cap = 0;
 }
 
 static void sig_server_setup_fill_chatnet(IRC_SERVER_CONNECT_REC *conn,
@@ -195,6 +201,7 @@ static void sig_server_setup_read(IRC_SERVER_SETUP_REC *rec, CONFIG_NODE *node)
 	if (rec->starttls == STARTTLS_ENABLED) {
 		rec->use_tls = 0;
 	}
+	rec->no_cap = config_node_get_bool(node, "no_cap", FALSE);
 }
 
 static void sig_server_setup_saved(IRC_SERVER_SETUP_REC *rec,
@@ -213,6 +220,8 @@ static void sig_server_setup_saved(IRC_SERVER_SETUP_REC *rec,
 		iconfig_node_set_bool(node, "starttls", rec->starttls);
 	else
 		iconfig_node_set_str(node, "starttls", NULL);
+	if (rec->no_cap)
+		iconfig_node_set_bool(node, "no_cap", TRUE);
 }
 
 void irc_servers_setup_init(void)
diff --git a/src/irc/core/irc-servers-setup.h b/src/irc/core/irc-servers-setup.h
index 47bdc012..7b11a2fe 100644
--- a/src/irc/core/irc-servers-setup.h
+++ b/src/irc/core/irc-servers-setup.h
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ typedef struct {
 	int cmd_queue_speed;
         int max_query_chans;
 	int starttls;
+	int no_cap : 1;
 } IRC_SERVER_SETUP_REC;
 
 void irc_servers_setup_init(void);
diff --git a/src/irc/core/irc-servers.c b/src/irc/core/irc-servers.c
index 8d4f8a9e..06f3d3c8 100644
--- a/src/irc/core/irc-servers.c
+++ b/src/irc/core/irc-servers.c
@@ -309,11 +309,16 @@ static void server_init_1(IRC_SERVER_REC *server)
 	server->wait_cmd = g_get_real_time();
 	server->wait_cmd += 120 * G_USEC_PER_SEC;
 
-	irc_send_cmd_now(server, "CAP LS " CAP_LS_VERSION);
-	/* to detect non-CAP servers, send this bogus join */
-	irc_send_cmd_now(server, "JOIN ");
+	if (!conn->no_cap) {
+		signal_emit("server waiting cap ls", 2, server, CAP_LS_VERSION);
+		irc_send_cmd_now(server, "CAP LS " CAP_LS_VERSION);
+		/* to detect non-CAP servers, send this bogus join */
+		irc_send_cmd_now(server, "JOIN ");
+	}
 	if (conn->starttls)
 		irc_server_send_starttls(server);
+	else if (conn->no_cap)
+		server_init_2(server);
 }
 
 static void init_ssl_loop(IRC_SERVER_REC *server, GIOChannel *handle)
diff --git a/src/irc/core/irc-servers.h b/src/irc/core/irc-servers.h
index 04d1f693..544baba9 100644
--- a/src/irc/core/irc-servers.h
+++ b/src/irc/core/irc-servers.h
@@ -63,6 +63,7 @@ struct _IRC_SERVER_CONNECT_REC {
 	int max_kicks, max_msgs, max_modes, max_whois;
 	int disallow_starttls:1;
 	int starttls:1;
+	int no_cap:1;
 };
 /* clang-format on */
 
diff --git a/src/irc/core/irc-session.c b/src/irc/core/irc-session.c
index ac71f986..49d9a3f2 100644
--- a/src/irc/core/irc-session.c
+++ b/src/irc/core/irc-session.c
@@ -87,6 +87,7 @@ static void sig_session_save_server(IRC_SERVER_REC *server, CONFIG_REC *config,
 	                    server->connrec->starttls          ? STARTTLS_ENABLED :
                                                                  STARTTLS_NOTSET);
 
+	config_node_set_bool(config, node, "no_cap", server->connrec->no_cap);
 	config_node_set_bool(config, node, "isupport_sent", server->isupport_sent);
 	isupport = config_node_section(config, node, "isupport", NODE_TYPE_BLOCK);
         isupport_data.config = config;
@@ -115,6 +116,7 @@ static void sig_session_restore_server(IRC_SERVER_REC *server,
 	server->emode_known = config_node_get_bool(node, "emode_known", FALSE);
 	server->isupport_sent = config_node_get_bool(node, "isupport_sent", FALSE);
 
+	server->connrec->no_cap = config_node_get_bool(node, "no_cap", FALSE);
 	server->connrec->sasl_mechanism = config_node_get_int(node, "sasl_mechanism", SASL_MECHANISM_NONE);
 	/* The fields below might have been filled when loading the chatnet
 	 * description from the config and we favor the content that's been saved