diff --git a/doc/ircd.conf.example b/doc/ircd.conf.example
index 2a45554f..5f03d4d3 100755
--- a/doc/ircd.conf.example
+++ b/doc/ircd.conf.example
@@ -367,6 +367,7 @@ channel {
 	disable_local_channels = no;
 	autochanmodes = "+nt";
 	displayed_usercount = 3;
+	strip_topic_colors = no;
 };
 
 serverhide {
diff --git a/doc/reference.conf b/doc/reference.conf
index 82f42b94..c4457a9d 100755
--- a/doc/reference.conf
+++ b/doc/reference.conf
@@ -822,6 +822,9 @@ channel {
 	 * such as LIST >0.
 	 */
 	displayed_usercount = 3;
+
+	/* strip_topic_colors: whether or not color codes in TOPIC should be stripped. */
+	strip_topic_colors = no;
 };
 
 
diff --git a/include/s_conf.h b/include/s_conf.h
index 3e71f715..fa490b6e 100644
--- a/include/s_conf.h
+++ b/include/s_conf.h
@@ -263,6 +263,7 @@ struct config_channel_entry
 	int disable_local_channels;
 	unsigned int autochanmodes;
 	int displayed_usercount;
+	int strip_topic_colors;
 };
 
 struct config_server_hide
diff --git a/ircd/channel.c b/ircd/channel.c
index 9bc684b4..6caf9fcb 100644
--- a/ircd/channel.c
+++ b/ircd/channel.c
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@
 #include "logger.h"
 #include "ipv4_from_ipv6.h"
 #include "s_assert.h"
+#include "inline/stringops.h"
 
 struct config_channel_entry ConfigChannel;
 rb_dlink_list global_channel_list;
@@ -1158,6 +1159,9 @@ set_channel_topic(struct Channel *chptr, const char *topic, const char *topic_in
 		rb_strlcpy(chptr->topic, topic, TOPICLEN + 1);
 		rb_strlcpy(chptr->topic_info, topic_info, USERHOST_REPLYLEN);
 		chptr->topic_time = topicts;
+
+		if (ConfigChannel.strip_topic_colors)
+			strip_colour(chptr->topic);
 	}
 	else
 	{
diff --git a/ircd/newconf.c b/ircd/newconf.c
index 15f10673..19b9d24d 100644
--- a/ircd/newconf.c
+++ b/ircd/newconf.c
@@ -2456,6 +2456,7 @@ static struct ConfEntry conf_channel_table[] =
 	{ "disable_local_channels", CF_YESNO, NULL, 0, &ConfigChannel.disable_local_channels },
 	{ "autochanmodes",	CF_QSTRING, conf_set_channel_autochanmodes, 0, NULL	},
 	{ "displayed_usercount",	CF_INT, NULL, 0, &ConfigChannel.displayed_usercount	},
+	{ "strip_topic_colors",	CF_YESNO, NULL, 0, &ConfigChannel.strip_topic_colors	},
 	{ "\0", 		0, 	  NULL, 0, NULL }
 };