diff --git a/src/net/java/sip/communicator/impl/protocol/irc/ChatRoomIrcImpl.java b/src/net/java/sip/communicator/impl/protocol/irc/ChatRoomIrcImpl.java
index 1bb01da5a..81b0528a7 100644
--- a/src/net/java/sip/communicator/impl/protocol/irc/ChatRoomIrcImpl.java
+++ b/src/net/java/sip/communicator/impl/protocol/irc/ChatRoomIrcImpl.java
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ public class ChatRoomIrcImpl
     /**
      * The object used for logging.
      */
-    private static final Logger logger
+    private static final Logger LOGGER
         = Logger.getLogger(ChatRoomIrcImpl.class);
 
     /**
@@ -982,8 +982,8 @@ public void fireMemberPresenceEvent(ChatRoomMember member,
             evt = new ChatRoomMemberPresenceChangeEvent(
                 this, member, eventID, eventReason);
 
-        if (logger.isTraceEnabled())
-            logger.trace("Will dispatch the following ChatRoom event: " + evt);
+        if (LOGGER.isTraceEnabled())
+            LOGGER.trace("Will dispatch the following ChatRoom event: " + evt);
 
         Iterable<ChatRoomMemberPresenceListener> listeners;
         synchronized (memberListeners)
@@ -1016,8 +1016,8 @@ public void fireMemberRoleEvent(   ChatRoomMember member,
                                                 previousRole,
                                                 newRole);
 
-        if (logger.isTraceEnabled())
-            logger.trace("Will dispatch the following ChatRoom event: " + evt);
+        if (LOGGER.isTraceEnabled())
+            LOGGER.trace("Will dispatch the following ChatRoom event: " + evt);
 
         Iterable<ChatRoomMemberRoleListener> listeners;
         synchronized (memberRoleListeners)
@@ -1253,8 +1253,9 @@ public ConferenceDescription publishConference(ConferenceDescription cd,
     @Override
     public Contact getPrivateContactByNickname(String name)
     {
+        LOGGER.debug("Getting private contact for nick name '" + name + "'.");
         return this.parentProvider.getPersistentPresence()
-            .findContactByID(name);
+            .findOrCreateContactByID(name);
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/src/net/java/sip/communicator/impl/protocol/irc/ContactIrcImpl.java b/src/net/java/sip/communicator/impl/protocol/irc/ContactIrcImpl.java
index 2b1c00e74..8d2c29934 100644
--- a/src/net/java/sip/communicator/impl/protocol/irc/ContactIrcImpl.java
+++ b/src/net/java/sip/communicator/impl/protocol/irc/ContactIrcImpl.java
@@ -119,6 +119,8 @@ public ProtocolProviderService getProtocolProvider()
     @Override
     public boolean isPersistent()
     {
+        // TODO implement notion of persistence based on whether or not the nick
+        // name is registered on the IRC network, for NickServ.
         return false;
     }
 
@@ -130,6 +132,10 @@ public boolean isPersistent()
     @Override
     public boolean isResolved()
     {
+        // TODO implement resolved status based on whether or not the nick name
+        // is registered and the nick is currently "active" according to the
+        // server, i.e. NickServ.
+        // For now, we consider the contact unresolved ...
         return false;
     }
 
@@ -141,6 +147,8 @@ public boolean isResolved()
     @Override
     public String getPersistentData()
     {
+        // TODO this could retrieve some whois/contact data from NickServ, since
+        // the "persistent contact" is registered.
         return null;
     }
 
diff --git a/src/net/java/sip/communicator/impl/protocol/irc/IrcStack.java b/src/net/java/sip/communicator/impl/protocol/irc/IrcStack.java
index 2a483567a..ce224305b 100644
--- a/src/net/java/sip/communicator/impl/protocol/irc/IrcStack.java
+++ b/src/net/java/sip/communicator/impl/protocol/irc/IrcStack.java
@@ -835,10 +835,10 @@ private void prepareChatRoom(final ChatRoomIrcImpl chatRoom,
 
         for (IRCUser user : channel.getUsers())
         {
-            ChatRoomMemberRole role = ChatRoomMemberRole.SILENT_MEMBER;
             ChatRoomMemberIrcImpl member =
                 new ChatRoomMemberIrcImpl(this.provider, chatRoom,
-                    user.getNick(), role);
+                    user.getNick(), ChatRoomMemberRole.SILENT_MEMBER);
+            ChatRoomMemberRole role;
             for (IRCUserStatus status : channel.getStatusesForUser(user))
             {
                 role = convertMemberMode(status.getChanModeType().charValue());
diff --git a/src/net/java/sip/communicator/impl/protocol/irc/OperationSetPersistentPresenceIrcImpl.java b/src/net/java/sip/communicator/impl/protocol/irc/OperationSetPersistentPresenceIrcImpl.java
index 9560b6e62..a209bc559 100644
--- a/src/net/java/sip/communicator/impl/protocol/irc/OperationSetPersistentPresenceIrcImpl.java
+++ b/src/net/java/sip/communicator/impl/protocol/irc/OperationSetPersistentPresenceIrcImpl.java
@@ -162,6 +162,9 @@ public void moveContactToGroup(Contact contactToMove, ContactGroup newParent)
     @Override
     public ContactGroup getServerStoredContactListRoot()
     {
+        // TODO consider using this for contacts that are registered at NickServ
+        // for the IRC network. Store contacts and possibly some whois info if
+        // useful for these contacts as persistent data.
         return this.rootGroup;
     }
 
@@ -223,8 +226,7 @@ public PresenceStatus queryContactStatus(String contactIdentifier)
     @Override
     public Contact findContactByID(String contactID)
     {
-        // FIXME DEBUG
-        LOGGER.warn("findContactByID(\"" + contactID + "\") called");
+        LOGGER.trace("Finding contact for nick name '" + contactID + "'");
         if (contactID == null)
             return null;
         Contact contact = this.rootGroup.getContact(contactID);
@@ -238,8 +240,8 @@ public Contact findContactByID(String contactID)
             if (contact != null)
                 return contact;
         }
-        // FIXME currently just creates a new volatile contact
-        return createVolatileContact(contactID);
+        LOGGER.trace("No contact found for nick name '" + contactID + "'");
+        return null;
     }
 
     @Override
@@ -261,4 +263,16 @@ public Contact createUnresolvedContact(String address, String persistentData)
     {
         return null;
     }
+
+    Contact findOrCreateContactByID(String name)
+    {
+        Contact contact = findContactByID(name);
+        if (contact == null)
+        {
+            contact = createVolatileContact(name);
+            LOGGER.debug("No existing contact found. Created volatile contact"
+                + " for nick name '" + name + "'.");
+        }
+        return contact;
+    }
 }