diff --git a/client/js/lounge.js b/client/js/lounge.js
index 41dd41a2ff..1b64c66d02 100644
--- a/client/js/lounge.js
+++ b/client/js/lounge.js
@@ -213,6 +213,10 @@ $(function() {
 			target = "#chan-" + chat.find(".active").data("id");
 		}
 
+		// Modifying data.msg.highlight directly breaks notifications, as
+		// everything is passed by instance in javascript, not by value
+		data.msg.shouldHighlight = data.msg.highlight && data.msg.chanType !== "query";
+
 		var chan = chat.find(target);
 		var msg;
 
@@ -803,7 +807,7 @@ $(function() {
 						body = msg.from + " invited you to " + msg.channel;
 					} else {
 						title = msg.from;
-						if (!button.hasClass("query")) {
+						if (msg.chanType !== "query") {
 							title += " (" + button.data("title").trim() + ")";
 						}
 						title += " says:";
@@ -827,8 +831,7 @@ $(function() {
 			}
 		}
 
-		button = button.filter(":not(.active)");
-		if (button.length === 0) {
+		if (button.hasClass("active")) {
 			return;
 		}
 
diff --git a/client/views/msg.tpl b/client/views/msg.tpl
index e605bd9570..6c716de495 100644
--- a/client/views/msg.tpl
+++ b/client/views/msg.tpl
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-<div class="msg {{type}}{{#if self}} self{{/if}}{{#if highlight}} highlight{{/if}}">
+<div class="msg {{type}}{{#if self}} self{{/if}}{{#if shouldHighlight}} highlight{{/if}}">
 	<span class="time">
 		{{tz time}}
 	</span>
diff --git a/client/views/msg_action.tpl b/client/views/msg_action.tpl
index 2eb1fe85cd..4db75a9ae2 100644
--- a/client/views/msg_action.tpl
+++ b/client/views/msg_action.tpl
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-<div class="msg {{type}}{{#if self}} self{{/if}}{{#if highlight}} highlight{{/if}}">
+<div class="msg {{type}}{{#if self}} self{{/if}}{{#if shouldHighlight}} highlight{{/if}}">
 	<span class="time">
 		{{tz time}}
 	</span>
diff --git a/src/plugins/irc-events/message.js b/src/plugins/irc-events/message.js
index 65e0bcb1ee..f8fa36cbc5 100644
--- a/src/plugins/irc-events/message.js
+++ b/src/plugins/irc-events/message.js
@@ -46,7 +46,6 @@ module.exports = function(irc, network) {
 				if (data.type === Msg.Type.NOTICE) {
 					chan = network.channels[0];
 				} else {
-					highlight = !self;
 					chan = new Chan({
 						type: Chan.Type.QUERY,
 						name: target
@@ -58,10 +57,14 @@ module.exports = function(irc, network) {
 					});
 				}
 			}
+
+			// Query messages (unless self) always highlight
+			if (chan.type === Chan.Type.QUERY) {
+				highlight = !self;
+			}
 		}
 
-		// Query messages (unless self) always highlight
-		// Self messages are never highlighted
+		// Self messages in channels are never highlighted
 		// Non-self messages are highlighted as soon as the nick is detected
 		if (!highlight && !self) {
 			highlight = network.highlightRegex.test(data.message);
@@ -76,6 +79,7 @@ module.exports = function(irc, network) {
 		}
 
 		var msg = new Msg({
+			chanType: chan.type,
 			type: data.type,
 			time: data.time,
 			mode: chan.getMode(data.nick),