diff --git a/source/ircd/channel.d b/source/ircd/channel.d
index 4b5ccb5..3aa891d 100644
--- a/source/ircd/channel.d
+++ b/source/ircd/channel.d
@@ -37,4 +37,12 @@ class Channel
 		connection.send(Message(_server.name, "353", [connection.nick, channelType, name, members.map!(m => m.nick).join(' ')], true));
 		connection.send(Message(_server.name, "366", [connection.nick, name, "End of NAMES list"], true));
 	}
+
+	void sendPrivMsg(Connection sender, string text)
+	{
+		foreach(member; members.filter!(m => m.nick != sender.nick))
+		{
+			member.send(Message(sender.mask, "PRIVMSG", [name, text], true));
+		}
+	}
 }
diff --git a/source/ircd/connection.d b/source/ircd/connection.d
index d07dc89..86b001a 100644
--- a/source/ircd/connection.d
+++ b/source/ircd/connection.d
@@ -118,6 +118,9 @@ class Connection
 				case "PART":
 					onPart(message);
 					break;
+				case "PRIVMSG":
+					onPrivMsg(message);
+					break;
 				default:
 					writeln("unknown command '", message.command, "'");
 					send(Message(_server.name, "421", [nick, message.command, "Unknown command"]));
@@ -176,7 +179,7 @@ class Connection
 		auto channel = message.parameters[0];
 		if(!Server.isValidChannelName(channel))
 		{
-			send(Message(_server.name, "403", [nick, channel, "No such channel"], true));
+			sendErrNoSuchChannel(channel);
 		}
 		else
 		{
@@ -191,7 +194,7 @@ class Connection
 		auto channel = message.parameters[0];
 		if(!Server.isValidChannelName(channel))
 		{
-			send(Message(_server.name, "403", [nick, channel, "No such channel"], true));
+			sendErrNoSuchChannel(channel);
 		}
 		else if(!channels.canFind!(c => c.name == channel))
 		{
@@ -210,6 +213,62 @@ class Connection
 		}
 	}
 
+	void onPrivMsg(Message message)
+	{
+		//TODO: Support special message targets
+		auto target = message.parameters[0];
+		auto text = message.parameters[1];
+
+		if(message.parameters.length == 0)
+		{
+			send(Message(_server.name, "411", [nick, "No recipient given (PRIVMSG)"], true));
+			return;
+		}
+		if(message.parameters.length == 1)
+		{
+			send(Message(_server.name, "412", [nick, "No text to send"], true));
+			return;
+		}
+
+		if(Server.isValidChannelName(target))
+		{
+			if(!_server.channels.canFind!(c => c.name == target))
+			{
+				sendErrNoSuchNick(target);
+			}
+			else
+			{
+				_server.sendToChannel(this, target, text);
+			}
+		}
+		else if(Server.isValidNick(target))
+		{
+			if(!_server.connections.canFind!(c => c.nick == target))
+			{
+				sendErrNoSuchNick(target);
+			}
+			else
+			{
+				_server.sendToUser(this, target, text);
+			}
+		}
+		else
+		{
+			//is this the right response?
+			sendErrNoSuchNick(target);
+		}
+	}
+
+	void sendErrNoSuchChannel(string name)
+	{
+		send(Message(_server.name, "403", [nick, name, "No such channel"], true));
+	}
+
+	void sendErrNoSuchNick(string name)
+	{
+		send(Message(_server.name, "401", [nick, name, "No such nick/channel"], true));
+	}
+
 	string getHost()
 	{
 		auto address = parseAddress(_connection.peerAddress);
diff --git a/source/ircd/message.d b/source/ircd/message.d
index d48866f..d12ca69 100644
--- a/source/ircd/message.d
+++ b/source/ircd/message.d
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ struct Message
 			line = line[prefix.length + 1 .. $];
 		}
 
+		//stop early when no space character can be found (message without parameters)
 		if(!line.canFind(' '))
 		{
 			return Message(prefix, line, [], false);
diff --git a/source/ircd/server.d b/source/ircd/server.d
index 44bbc07..4412070 100644
--- a/source/ircd/server.d
+++ b/source/ircd/server.d
@@ -58,6 +58,12 @@ class Server
 		return (name.startsWith('#') || name.startsWith('&')) && name.length <= 200;
 	}
 
+	static bool isValidNick(string name)
+	{
+		//TODO: Use the real rules
+		return !name.startsWith('#') && !name.startsWith('&') && name.length <= 9;
+	}
+
 	void join(Connection connection, string channelName)
 	{
 		auto channelRange = channels.find!(c => c.name == channelName);
@@ -132,6 +138,18 @@ class Server
 		}
 	}
 
+	void sendToChannel(Connection sender, string target, string text)
+	{
+		auto channel = channels.find!(c => c.name == target)[0];
+		channel.sendPrivMsg(sender, text);
+	}
+
+	void sendToUser(Connection sender, string target, string text)
+	{
+		auto user = connections.find!(c => c.nick == target)[0];
+		user.send(Message(sender.mask, "PRIVMSG", [target, text], true));
+	}
+
 	void listen(ushort port = 6667)
 	{
 		listenTCP(port, &acceptConnection);