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 3b5e73205..1eff37956 100644
--- a/src/net/java/sip/communicator/impl/protocol/irc/IrcStack.java
+++ b/src/net/java/sip/communicator/impl/protocol/irc/IrcStack.java
@@ -804,12 +804,9 @@ public void onError(ErrorMessage msg)
         @Override
         public void onUserPrivMessage(UserPrivMsg msg)
         {
-            // TODO handle special formatting/color control codes in message
-            // (see also channel private messages)
-
             ChatRoomIrcImpl chatroom = null;
             String user = msg.getSource().getNick();
-            String text = msg.getText();
+            String text = Utils.parse(msg.getText());
             chatroom = IrcStack.this.joined.get(user);
             if (chatroom == null)
             {
@@ -1066,11 +1063,9 @@ public void onChannelMessage(ChannelPrivMsg msg)
             if (!isThisChatRoom(msg.getChannelName()))
                 return;
 
-            // TODO handle special formatting/color control codes in message
-            // (see also user private messages)
-
+            String text = Utils.parse(msg.getText());            
             MessageIrcImpl message =
-                new MessageIrcImpl(msg.getText(), "text/plain", "UTF-8", null);
+                new MessageIrcImpl(text, "text/plain", "UTF-8", null);
             ChatRoomMemberIrcImpl member =
                 new ChatRoomMemberIrcImpl(IrcStack.this.provider,
                     this.chatroom, msg.getSource().getNick(),
diff --git a/src/net/java/sip/communicator/impl/protocol/irc/Utils.java b/src/net/java/sip/communicator/impl/protocol/irc/Utils.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e10cc29eb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/net/java/sip/communicator/impl/protocol/irc/Utils.java
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+/*
+ * Jitsi, the OpenSource Java VoIP and Instant Messaging client.
+ * 
+ * Distributable under LGPL license. See terms of license at gnu.org.
+ */
+package net.java.sip.communicator.impl.protocol.irc;
+
+/**
+ * Some IRC-related utility methods.
+ * 
+ * @author Danny van Heumen
+ */
+public final class Utils
+{
+    /**
+     * Starting value of HTML entities.
+     * 
+     * The first 32 chars cannot be converted into HTML entities.
+     */
+    private static final int START_OF_HTML_ENTITIES = 32;
+
+    /**
+     * Private constructor since we do not need to construct anything.
+     */
+    private Utils()
+    {
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Parse IRC text message and process possible control codes.
+     * 
+     * 1. Remove chars which have a value < 32, since there are no equivalent
+     * HTML entities available when storing them in the history log.
+     * 
+     * @param text message
+     * @return returns the processed message
+     */
+    public static String parse(String text)
+    {
+        StringBuilder builder = new StringBuilder(text);
+
+        // TODO support IRC control codes for formatting (now only removes them)
+
+        for (int i = 0; i < builder.length(); )
+        {
+            if (builder.charAt(i) < START_OF_HTML_ENTITIES)
+            {
+                builder.deleteCharAt(i);
+            }
+            else
+            {
+                // nothing to do here, go to next char
+                i++;
+            }
+        }
+        return builder.toString();
+    }
+}