diff --git a/OpenRA.Game/GlobalChat.cs b/OpenRA.Game/GlobalChat.cs
index f6d9b9acb1..ca62061a1e 100644
--- a/OpenRA.Game/GlobalChat.cs
+++ b/OpenRA.Game/GlobalChat.cs
@@ -79,6 +79,8 @@ namespace OpenRA.Chat
 		volatile ChatConnectionStatus connectionStatus = ChatConnectionStatus.Disconnected;
 		public ChatConnectionStatus ConnectionStatus { get { return connectionStatus; } }
 
+		string nickname;
+
 		public GlobalChat()
 		{
 			client.Encoding = System.Text.Encoding.UTF8;
@@ -128,11 +130,13 @@ namespace OpenRA.Chat
 			});
 		}
 
-		public void Connect()
+		public void Connect(string nickname)
 		{
-			if (client.IsConnected)
+			if (client.IsConnected || !IsValidNickname(nickname))
 				return;
 
+			this.nickname = nickname;
+
 			new Thread(() =>
 			{
 				try
@@ -183,12 +187,7 @@ namespace OpenRA.Chat
 			AddNotification("Connected.");
 			connectionStatus = ChatConnectionStatus.Connected;
 
-			// Guard against settings.yaml modification
-			var nick = SanitizedName(Game.Settings.Chat.Nickname);
-			if (nick != Game.Settings.Chat.Nickname)
-				Game.RunAfterTick(() => Game.Settings.Chat.Nickname = nick);
-
-			client.Login(nick, "in-game IRC client", 0, "OpenRA");
+			client.Login(nickname, "in-game IRC client", 0, "OpenRA");
 			client.RfcJoin("#" + Game.Settings.Chat.Channel);
 		}
 
@@ -339,7 +338,6 @@ namespace OpenRA.Chat
 			if (Rfc2812.IsValidNickname(nick))
 			{
 				client.RfcNick(nick);
-				Game.Settings.Chat.Nickname = nick;
 				return true;
 			}
 
@@ -366,7 +364,7 @@ namespace OpenRA.Chat
 
 			AddNotification("Disconnecting from {0}...".F(client.Address));
 
-			Game.RunAfterTick(() => Game.Settings.Chat.ConnectAutomatically = false);
+			Game.RunAfterTick(() => { Game.Settings.Chat.ConnectAutomatically = false; Game.Settings.Save(); });
 		}
 
 		public void Dispose()
diff --git a/OpenRA.Game/Settings.cs b/OpenRA.Game/Settings.cs
index aebeee4707..0327fe3991 100644
--- a/OpenRA.Game/Settings.cs
+++ b/OpenRA.Game/Settings.cs
@@ -325,7 +325,6 @@ namespace OpenRA
 		public string Hostname = "irc.openra.net";
 		public int Port = 6667;
 		public string Channel = "lobby";
-		public string Nickname = "Newbie";
 		public string QuitMessage = "Battle control terminated!";
 		public string TimestampFormat = "HH:mm";
 		public bool ConnectAutomatically = false;
diff --git a/OpenRA.Mods.Common/Widgets/Logic/GlobalChatLogic.cs b/OpenRA.Mods.Common/Widgets/Logic/GlobalChatLogic.cs
index 9bb59da8a6..e99e6d6e0e 100644
--- a/OpenRA.Mods.Common/Widgets/Logic/GlobalChatLogic.cs
+++ b/OpenRA.Mods.Common/Widgets/Logic/GlobalChatLogic.cs
@@ -42,12 +42,9 @@ namespace OpenRA.Mods.Common.Widgets.Logic
 			inputBox.IsDisabled = () => Game.GlobalChat.ConnectionStatus != ChatConnectionStatus.Joined;
 			inputBox.OnEnterKey = EnterPressed;
 
-			// Set a random default nick
-			if (Game.Settings.Chat.Nickname == new ChatSettings().Nickname)
-				Game.Settings.Chat.Nickname += Game.CosmeticRandom.Next(100, 999);
-
+			var nickName = Game.GlobalChat.SanitizedName(Game.Settings.Player.Name);
 			var nicknameBox = widget.Get<TextFieldWidget>("NICKNAME_TEXTFIELD");
-			nicknameBox.Text = Game.GlobalChat.SanitizedName(Game.Settings.Chat.Nickname);
+			nicknameBox.Text = nickName;
 			nicknameBox.OnTextEdited = () =>
 			{
 				nicknameBox.Text = Game.GlobalChat.SanitizedName(nicknameBox.Text);
@@ -65,20 +62,15 @@ namespace OpenRA.Mods.Common.Widgets.Logic
 
 			var connectButton = connectPanel.Get<ButtonWidget>("CONNECT_BUTTON");
 			connectButton.IsDisabled = () => !Game.GlobalChat.IsValidNickname(nicknameBox.Text);
-			connectButton.OnClick = () =>
-			{
-				Game.Settings.Chat.Nickname = nicknameBox.Text;
-				Game.Settings.Save();
-				Game.GlobalChat.Connect();
-			};
+			connectButton.OnClick = () => Game.GlobalChat.Connect(nicknameBox.Text);
 
 			var mainPanel = widget.Get("GLOBALCHAT_MAIN_PANEL");
 			mainPanel.IsVisible = () => Game.GlobalChat.ConnectionStatus != ChatConnectionStatus.Disconnected;
 
 			mainPanel.Get<LabelWidget>("CHANNEL_TOPIC").GetText = () => Game.GlobalChat.Topic;
 
-			if (Game.Settings.Chat.ConnectAutomatically && Game.GlobalChat.IsValidNickname(Game.Settings.Chat.Nickname))
-				Game.GlobalChat.Connect();
+			if (Game.Settings.Chat.ConnectAutomatically)
+				Game.GlobalChat.Connect(nickName);
 		}
 
 		Widget MakeHistoryWidget(object o)