diff --git a/modules/karma.py b/modules/karma.py
index d2982765..3d709523 100644
--- a/modules/karma.py
+++ b/modules/karma.py
@@ -5,7 +5,10 @@ REGEX_KARMA = re.compile("^(.*[^-+])[-+]*(\+{2,}|\-{2,})$")
 KARMA_DELAY_SECONDS = 3
 
 @Utils.export("channelset", {"setting": "karma-verbose",
-    "help": "Disable/Enable automatically responding to karma changes",
+    "help": "Enable/disable automatically responding to karma changes",
+    "validate": Utils.bool_or_none})
+@Utils.export("serverset", {"setting": "karma-nickname-only",
+    "help": "Enable/disable karma being for nicknames only",
     "validate": Utils.bool_or_none})
 class Module(ModuleManager.BaseModule):
     @Utils.hook("new.user")
@@ -18,31 +21,46 @@ class Module(ModuleManager.BaseModule):
         match = re.match(REGEX_KARMA, event["message"].strip())
         if match and not event["action"]:
             verbose = event["channel"].get_setting("karma-verbose", False)
+            nickname_only = event["server"].get_setting("karma-nickname-only",
+                False)
+
             if not event["user"].last_karma or (time.time()-event["user"
                     ].last_karma) >= KARMA_DELAY_SECONDS:
-                target = match.group(1).lower().strip()
-                if not target == event["user"].name and target:
-                    positive = match.group(2)[0] == "+"
-                    setting = "karma-%s" % target
-                    karma = event["server"].get_setting(setting, 0)
-                    if positive:
-                        karma += 1
-                    else:
-                        karma -= 1
-                    if karma:
-                        event["server"].set_setting(setting, karma)
-                    else:
-                        event["server"].del_setting(setting)
+                target = match.group(1).strip()
+                if target == event["user"].name:
                     if verbose:
-                        self.events.on("send.stdout").call(
-                            module_name="Karma", target=event["channel"],
-                            message="%s now has %d karma" % (target, karma))
-                    event["user"].last_karma = time.time()
-                elif verbose:
-                    if target:
                         self.events.on("send.stderr").call(
                             module_name="Karma", target=event["channel"],
                             message="You cannot change your own karma")
+                    return
+
+                setting = "karma-%s" % target
+                setting_target = event["server"]
+                if nickname_only:
+                    user = event["server"].get_user(target)
+                    setting = target
+                    setting_target = user
+                    if not event["channel"].has_user(user):
+                        if verbose:
+                            self.events.on("send.stderr").call(
+                                module_name="Karma", target=event["channel"],
+                                message="User not found")
+                        return
+
+                positive = match.group(2)[0] == "+"
+                karma = event["server"].get_setting(setting, 0)
+                karma += 1 if positive else -1
+
+                if karma:
+                    event["server"].set_setting(setting, karma)
+                else:
+                    event["server"].del_setting(setting)
+
+                if verbose:
+                    self.events.on("send.stdout").call(
+                       module_name="Karma", target=event["channel"],
+                       message="%s now has %d karma" % (target, karma))
+                event["user"].last_karma = time.time()
             elif verbose:
                 self.events.on("send.stderr").call(module_name="Karma",
                     target=event["channel"],
@@ -58,7 +76,11 @@ class Module(ModuleManager.BaseModule):
             target = event["args"]
         else:
             target = event["user"].nickname
-        karma = event["server"].get_setting("karma-%s" % target, 0)
+
+        if event["server"].get_setting("karma-nickname-only", False):
+            karma = event["server"].get_user(target).get_setting("karma", 0)
+        else:
+            karma = event["server"].get_setting("karma-%s" % target, 0)
         event["stdout"].write("%s has %s karma" % (target, karma))
 
     @Utils.hook("received.command.resetkarma", min_args=1)