diff --git a/db.go b/db.go
index d30352d..3c7b6a5 100644
--- a/db.go
+++ b/db.go
@@ -112,6 +112,13 @@ func (net *Network) GetUsername() string {
 	return net.Nick
 }
 
+func GetNick(user *User, net *Network) string {
+	if net.Nick != "" {
+		return net.Nick
+	}
+	return user.Username
+}
+
 func GetRealname(user *User, net *Network) string {
 	if net.Realname != "" {
 		return net.Realname
@@ -119,7 +126,7 @@ func GetRealname(user *User, net *Network) string {
 	if user.Realname != "" {
 		return user.Realname
 	}
-	return net.Nick
+	return GetNick(user, net)
 }
 
 type MessageFilter int
diff --git a/db_postgres.go b/db_postgres.go
index d4d4b11..7db1edc 100644
--- a/db_postgres.go
+++ b/db_postgres.go
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ CREATE TABLE "Network" (
 	name VARCHAR(255),
 	"user" INTEGER NOT NULL REFERENCES "User"(id) ON DELETE CASCADE,
 	addr VARCHAR(255) NOT NULL,
-	nick VARCHAR(255) NOT NULL,
+	nick VARCHAR(255),
 	username VARCHAR(255),
 	realname VARCHAR(255),
 	pass VARCHAR(255),
@@ -77,6 +77,7 @@ CREATE TABLE "DeliveryReceipt" (
 
 var postgresMigrations = []string{
 	"", // migration #0 is reserved for schema initialization
+	`ALTER TABLE "Network" ALTER COLUMN nick DROP NOT NULL`,
 }
 
 type PostgresDB struct {
@@ -259,15 +260,16 @@ func (db *PostgresDB) ListNetworks(ctx context.Context, userID int64) ([]Network
 	var networks []Network
 	for rows.Next() {
 		var net Network
-		var name, username, realname, pass, connectCommands sql.NullString
+		var name, nick, username, realname, pass, connectCommands sql.NullString
 		var saslMechanism, saslPlainUsername, saslPlainPassword sql.NullString
-		err := rows.Scan(&net.ID, &name, &net.Addr, &net.Nick, &username, &realname,
+		err := rows.Scan(&net.ID, &name, &net.Addr, &nick, &username, &realname,
 			&pass, &connectCommands, &saslMechanism, &saslPlainUsername, &saslPlainPassword,
 			&net.SASL.External.CertBlob, &net.SASL.External.PrivKeyBlob, &net.Enabled)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
 		net.Name = name.String
+		net.Nick = nick.String
 		net.Username = username.String
 		net.Realname = realname.String
 		net.Pass = pass.String
@@ -291,6 +293,7 @@ func (db *PostgresDB) StoreNetwork(ctx context.Context, userID int64, network *N
 	defer cancel()
 
 	netName := toNullString(network.Name)
+	nick := toNullString(network.Nick)
 	netUsername := toNullString(network.Username)
 	realname := toNullString(network.Realname)
 	pass := toNullString(network.Pass)
@@ -320,7 +323,7 @@ func (db *PostgresDB) StoreNetwork(ctx context.Context, userID int64, network *N
 				sasl_external_key, enabled)
 			VALUES ($1, $2, $3, $4, $5, $6, $7, $8, $9, $10, $11, $12, $13, $14)
 			RETURNING id`,
-			userID, netName, network.Addr, network.Nick, netUsername, realname, pass, connectCommands,
+			userID, netName, network.Addr, nick, netUsername, realname, pass, connectCommands,
 			saslMechanism, saslPlainUsername, saslPlainPassword, network.SASL.External.CertBlob,
 			network.SASL.External.PrivKeyBlob, network.Enabled).Scan(&network.ID)
 	} else {
@@ -331,7 +334,7 @@ func (db *PostgresDB) StoreNetwork(ctx context.Context, userID int64, network *N
 				sasl_plain_password = $11, sasl_external_cert = $12, sasl_external_key = $13,
 				enabled = $14
 			WHERE id = $1`,
-			network.ID, netName, network.Addr, network.Nick, netUsername, realname, pass, connectCommands,
+			network.ID, netName, network.Addr, nick, netUsername, realname, pass, connectCommands,
 			saslMechanism, saslPlainUsername, saslPlainPassword, network.SASL.External.CertBlob,
 			network.SASL.External.PrivKeyBlob, network.Enabled)
 	}
diff --git a/db_sqlite.go b/db_sqlite.go
index 83b914a..1616c1e 100644
--- a/db_sqlite.go
+++ b/db_sqlite.go
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ CREATE TABLE Network (
 	name TEXT,
 	user INTEGER NOT NULL,
 	addr TEXT NOT NULL,
-	nick TEXT NOT NULL,
+	nick TEXT,
 	username TEXT,
 	realname TEXT,
 	pass TEXT,
@@ -138,6 +138,36 @@ var sqliteMigrations = []string{
 	"ALTER TABLE Channel ADD COLUMN detached_internal_msgid VARCHAR(255)",
 	"ALTER TABLE Network ADD COLUMN enabled INTEGER NOT NULL DEFAULT 1",
 	"ALTER TABLE User ADD COLUMN realname VARCHAR(255)",
+	`
+		CREATE TABLE NetworkNew (
+			id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY,
+			name TEXT,
+			user INTEGER NOT NULL,
+			addr TEXT NOT NULL,
+			nick TEXT,
+			username TEXT,
+			realname TEXT,
+			pass TEXT,
+			connect_commands TEXT,
+			sasl_mechanism TEXT,
+			sasl_plain_username TEXT,
+			sasl_plain_password TEXT,
+			sasl_external_cert BLOB,
+			sasl_external_key BLOB,
+			enabled INTEGER NOT NULL DEFAULT 1,
+			FOREIGN KEY(user) REFERENCES User(id),
+			UNIQUE(user, addr, nick),
+			UNIQUE(user, name)
+		);
+		INSERT INTO NetworkNew
+			SELECT id, name, user, addr, nick, username, realname, pass,
+				connect_commands, sasl_mechanism, sasl_plain_username,
+				sasl_plain_password, sasl_external_cert, sasl_external_key,
+				enabled
+			FROM Network;
+		DROP TABLE Network;
+		ALTER TABLE NetworkNew RENAME TO Network;
+	`,
 }
 
 type SqliteDB struct {
@@ -393,15 +423,16 @@ func (db *SqliteDB) ListNetworks(ctx context.Context, userID int64) ([]Network,
 	var networks []Network
 	for rows.Next() {
 		var net Network
-		var name, username, realname, pass, connectCommands sql.NullString
+		var name, nick, username, realname, pass, connectCommands sql.NullString
 		var saslMechanism, saslPlainUsername, saslPlainPassword sql.NullString
-		err := rows.Scan(&net.ID, &name, &net.Addr, &net.Nick, &username, &realname,
+		err := rows.Scan(&net.ID, &name, &net.Addr, &nick, &username, &realname,
 			&pass, &connectCommands, &saslMechanism, &saslPlainUsername, &saslPlainPassword,
 			&net.SASL.External.CertBlob, &net.SASL.External.PrivKeyBlob, &net.Enabled)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
 		net.Name = name.String
+		net.Nick = nick.String
 		net.Username = username.String
 		net.Realname = realname.String
 		net.Pass = pass.String
@@ -446,7 +477,7 @@ func (db *SqliteDB) StoreNetwork(ctx context.Context, userID int64, network *Net
 	args := []interface{}{
 		sql.Named("name", toNullString(network.Name)),
 		sql.Named("addr", network.Addr),
-		sql.Named("nick", network.Nick),
+		sql.Named("nick", toNullString(network.Nick)),
 		sql.Named("username", toNullString(network.Username)),
 		sql.Named("realname", toNullString(network.Realname)),
 		sql.Named("pass", toNullString(network.Pass)),
diff --git a/downstream.go b/downstream.go
index 19da13d..775dadb 100644
--- a/downstream.go
+++ b/downstream.go
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ func getNetworkAttrs(network *network) irc.Tags {
 	attrs := irc.Tags{
 		"name":     irc.TagValue(network.GetName()),
 		"state":    irc.TagValue(state),
-		"nickname": irc.TagValue(network.Nick),
+		"nickname": irc.TagValue(GetNick(&network.user.User, &network.Network)),
 	}
 
 	if network.Username != "" {
@@ -335,7 +335,7 @@ func isOurNick(net *network, nick string) bool {
 	// know whether this name is our nickname. Best-effort: use the network's
 	// configured nickname and hope it was the one being used when we were
 	// connected.
-	return net.casemap(nick) == net.casemap(net.Nick)
+	return net.casemap(nick) == net.casemap(GetNick(&net.user.User, &net.Network))
 }
 
 // marshalEntity converts an upstream entity name (ie. channel or nick) into a
@@ -2414,6 +2414,9 @@ func (dc *downstreamConn) handleMessageRegistered(msg *irc.Message) error {
 				return err
 			}
 
+			if record.Nick == dc.user.Username {
+				record.Nick = ""
+			}
 			if record.Realname == dc.user.Realname {
 				record.Realname = ""
 			}
@@ -2455,6 +2458,9 @@ func (dc *downstreamConn) handleMessageRegistered(msg *irc.Message) error {
 				return err
 			}
 
+			if record.Nick == dc.user.Username {
+				record.Nick = ""
+			}
 			if record.Realname == dc.user.Realname {
 				record.Realname = ""
 			}
diff --git a/service.go b/service.go
index 2748c81..a596c14 100644
--- a/service.go
+++ b/service.go
@@ -484,7 +484,6 @@ func handleServiceNetworkCreate(dc *downstreamConn, params []string) error {
 
 	record := &Network{
 		Addr:    *fs.Addr,
-		Nick:    dc.nick,
 		Enabled: true,
 	}
 	if err := fs.update(record); err != nil {
diff --git a/upstream.go b/upstream.go
index fc9b2fd..bc7df32 100644
--- a/upstream.go
+++ b/upstream.go
@@ -1671,7 +1671,7 @@ func splitSpace(s string) []string {
 }
 
 func (uc *upstreamConn) register() {
-	uc.nick = uc.network.Nick
+	uc.nick = GetNick(&uc.user.User, &uc.network.Network)
 	uc.nickCM = uc.network.casemap(uc.nick)
 	uc.username = uc.network.GetUsername()
 	uc.realname = GetRealname(&uc.user.User, &uc.network.Network)