diff --git a/doc/Extensions/IRC-Bot.md b/doc/Extensions/IRC-Bot.md
index c06353f67b..7410869f19 100644
--- a/doc/Extensions/IRC-Bot.md
+++ b/doc/Extensions/IRC-Bot.md
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ Option | Default-Value | Notes
 --- | --- | ---
 `$config['irc_alert']` | `false` | Optional; Enables Alerting-Socket. `EXPERIMENTAL`
 `$config['irc_alert_chan']` | `false` | Optional; Multiple channels can be defined as Array or delimited with `,`. `EXPERIMENTAL`
+`$config['irc_alert_utf8']` | `false` | Optional; Enables use of strikethrough in alerts via UTF-8 encoded characters. Might cause trouble for some clients.
 `$config['irc_authtime']` | `3` | Optional; Defines how long in Hours an auth-session is valid.
 `$config['irc_chan']` | `##librenms` | Optional; Multiple channels can be defined as Array or delimited with `,`
 `$config['irc_debug']` | `false` | Optional; Enables debug output (Wall of text)
diff --git a/includes/defaults.inc.php b/includes/defaults.inc.php
index e421950151..a47a32d87e 100644
--- a/includes/defaults.inc.php
+++ b/includes/defaults.inc.php
@@ -501,16 +501,17 @@ $config['device_traffic_descr'][] = '/null/';
 $config['device_traffic_descr'][] = '/dummy/';
 
 // IRC Bot configuration
-$config['irc_host']     = '';
-$config['irc_port']     = '';
-$config['irc_maxretry'] = 3;
-$config['irc_nick']     = $config['project_name'];
-$config['irc_chan'][]   = '##'.$config['project_id'];
-$config['irc_pass']     = '';
-$config['irc_external'] = '';
-$config['irc_authtime'] = 3;
-$config['irc_debug']    = false;
-$config['irc_alert']    = false;
+$config['irc_host']       = '';
+$config['irc_port']       = '';
+$config['irc_maxretry']   = 3;
+$config['irc_nick']       = $config['project_name'];
+$config['irc_chan'][]     = '##'.$config['project_id'];
+$config['irc_pass']       = '';
+$config['irc_external']   = '';
+$config['irc_authtime']   = 3;
+$config['irc_debug']      = false;
+$config['irc_alert']      = false;
+$config['irc_alert_utf8'] = false;
 
 // Authentication
 $config['allow_unauth_graphs'] = 0;
diff --git a/irc.php b/irc.php
index 96cc1a572a..38953b8a9f 100755
--- a/irc.php
+++ b/irc.php
@@ -227,9 +227,20 @@ class ircbot {
                 return false;
             }
 
+            switch ($alert['state']):
+                case 3: $severity_extended = '+'; break;
+                case 4: $severity_extended = '-'; break;
+                default: $severity_extended = '';
+            endswitch;
+
+            $severity = str_replace(array('warning', 'critical'), array(chr(3).'8Warning', chr(3).'4Critical'), $alert['severity']).$severity_extended.chr(3).' ';
+            if ($alert['state'] == 0 and $this->config['irc_alert_utf8']) {
+                $severity = str_replace(array('Warning', 'Critical'), array('W̶a̶r̶n̶i̶n̶g̶', 'C̶r̶i̶t̶i̶c̶a̶l̶'), $severity);
+            }
+
             if ($this->config['irc_alert_chan']) {
                 foreach ($this->config['irc_alert_chan'] as $chan) {
-                    $this->irc_raw('PRIVMSG '.$chan.' :'.trim($alert['title']).' - Rule: '.trim($alert['name'] ? $alert['name'] : $alert['rule']).(sizeof($alert['faults']) > 0 ? ' - Faults:' : ''));
+                    $this->irc_raw('PRIVMSG '.$chan.' :'.$severity.trim($alert['title']).' - Rule: '.trim($alert['name'] ? $alert['name'] : $alert['rule']).(sizeof($alert['faults']) > 0 ? ' - Faults:' : ''));
                     foreach ($alert['faults'] as $k => $v) {
                         $this->irc_raw('PRIVMSG '.$chan.' :#'.$k.' '.$v['string']);
                     }
@@ -238,7 +249,7 @@ class ircbot {
             else {
                 foreach ($this->authd as $nick => $data) {
                     if ($data['expire'] >= time()) {
-                        $this->irc_raw('PRIVMSG '.$nick.' :'.trim($alert['title']).' - Rule: '.trim($alert['name'] ? $alert['name'] : $alert['rule']).(sizeof($alert['faults']) > 0 ? ' - Faults'.(sizeof($alert['faults']) > 3 ? ' (showing first 3 out of '.sizeof($alert['faults']).' )' : '' ).':' : ''));
+                        $this->irc_raw('PRIVMSG '.$nick.' :'.$severity.trim($alert['title']).' - Rule: '.trim($alert['name'] ? $alert['name'] : $alert['rule']).(sizeof($alert['faults']) > 0 ? ' - Faults'.(sizeof($alert['faults']) > 3 ? ' (showing first 3 out of '.sizeof($alert['faults']).' )' : '' ).':' : ''));
                         foreach ($alert['faults'] as $k => $v) {
                             $this->irc_raw('PRIVMSG '.$nick.' :#'.$k.' '.$v['string']);
                             if ($k >= 3) {