diff --git a/irssi.conf b/irssi.conf
index 6afd598f..c873071c 100644
--- a/irssi.conf
+++ b/irssi.conf
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ statusbar = {
     # treated "normally", you could change the time/user name to whatever
     time = "{sb $Z}";
     user = "{sb $cumode$N{sbmode $usermode}{sbaway $A}}";
-    topic = "$topic";
+    topic = " $topic";
     info = " Irssi v$J - http://irssi.org/beginner/ - go read it";
 
     # treated specially .. window is printed with non-empty windows,