diff --git a/src/freedombone b/src/freedombone
index 3879906f..f28f8034 100755
--- a/src/freedombone
+++ b/src/freedombone
@@ -85,6 +85,9 @@ CONFIGURATION_FILE="freedombone.cfg"
 SSH_PORT=2222
 IRC_PORT=6697
 
+# An optional password to log into IRC. This applies to all users
+IRC_PASSWORD=
+
 # If this file exists it contains a global password used with
 # disk image installs. This simplifies password management for
 # deployment at scale
@@ -868,6 +871,9 @@ function read_configuration {
       if [[ $CONFIGURATION_FILE != '/root/freedombone.cfg' ]]; then
           cp $CONFIGURATION_FILE /root/freedombone.cfg
       fi
+      if grep -q "IRC_PASSWORD" $CONFIGURATION_FILE; then
+          IRC_PASSWORD=$(grep "IRC_PASSWORD" $CONFIGURATION_FILE | awk -F '=' '{print $2}')
+      fi
       if grep -q "DEFAULT_LANGUAGE" $CONFIGURATION_FILE; then
           DEFAULT_LANGUAGE=$(grep "DEFAULT_LANGUAGE" $CONFIGURATION_FILE | awk -F '=' '{print $2}')
       fi
@@ -6689,6 +6695,9 @@ function install_irc_server {
   sed -i 's/;RequireAuthPing = no/RequireAuthPing = no/g' /etc/ngircd/ngircd.conf
   sed -i "s/;Name = TheOper/Name = $MY_USERNAME/g" /etc/ngircd/ngircd.conf
   sed -i "s/;Password = ThePwd/Password = $IRC_OPERATOR_PASSWORD/g" /etc/ngircd/ngircd.conf
+  if [ $IRC_PASSWORD ]; then
+      sed -i "0,/RE/s/Password =.*/Password = $IRC_PASSWORD/" /etc/ngircd/ngircd.conf
+  fi
   # If we are on a mesh then DNS is not available
   if [[ $SYSTEM_TYPE == "$VARIANT_MESH" ]]; then
       sed -i "s/;DNS =.*/DNS = no/g" /etc/ngircd/ngircd.conf