diff --git a/client/components/Windows/Settings.vue b/client/components/Windows/Settings.vue
index e4ec148a..163b0103 100644
--- a/client/components/Windows/Settings.vue
+++ b/client/components/Windows/Settings.vue
@@ -109,6 +109,21 @@
 						Show seconds in timestamp
 					</label>
 				</div>
+				<div v-if="$store.state.settings.advanced" class="col-sm-12">
+					<h2>Automatic away message</h2>
+
+					<label class="opt">
+						<label for="awayMessage" class="sr-only">Automatic away message</label>
+						<input
+							id="awayMessage"
+							:value="$store.state.settings.awayMessage"
+							type="text"
+							name="awayMessage"
+							class="input"
+							placeholder="Away message if The Lounge is not open"
+						/>
+					</label>
+				</div>
 				<div class="col-sm-12">
 					<h2>
 						Status messages
diff --git a/client/js/settings.js b/client/js/settings.js
index 94d03b9c..1bd96867 100644
--- a/client/js/settings.js
+++ b/client/js/settings.js
@@ -44,6 +44,10 @@ export const config = normalizeConfig({
 		default: "",
 		sync: "always",
 	},
+	awayMessage: {
+		default: "",
+		sync: "always",
+	},
 	links: {
 		default: true,
 	},
diff --git a/src/client.js b/src/client.js
index 8d23d2fa..b7e69b10 100644
--- a/src/client.js
+++ b/src/client.js
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ const events = [
 
 function Client(manager, name, config = {}) {
 	_.merge(this, {
-		awayMessage: config.awayMessage || "",
+		awayMessage: "",
 		lastActiveChannel: -1,
 		attachedClients: {},
 		config: config,
@@ -94,6 +94,16 @@ function Client(manager, name, config = {}) {
 		client.config.browser = {};
 	}
 
+	// TODO: Backwards compatibility with older versions, remove in a future release?
+	if (client.config.awayMessage) {
+		client.config.clientSettings.awayMessage = client.config.awayMessage;
+		delete client.config.awayMessage;
+	}
+
+	if (client.config.clientSettings.awayMessage) {
+		client.awayMessage = client.config.clientSettings.awayMessage;
+	}
+
 	client.compileCustomHighlights();
 
 	_.forOwn(client.config.sessions, (session) => {
diff --git a/src/clientManager.js b/src/clientManager.js
index b8502fbf..4e617519 100644
--- a/src/clientManager.js
+++ b/src/clientManager.js
@@ -134,7 +134,6 @@ ClientManager.prototype.addUser = function(name, password, enableLog) {
 	const user = {
 		password: password || "",
 		log: enableLog,
-		awayMessage: "",
 		networks: [],
 		sessions: {},
 		clientSettings: {},
diff --git a/src/server.js b/src/server.js
index a47b9f5a..51579a16 100644
--- a/src/server.js
+++ b/src/server.js
@@ -593,6 +593,12 @@ function initializeClient(socket, client, token, lastMessage, openChannel) {
 
 				if (newSetting.name === "highlights") {
 					client.compileCustomHighlights();
+				} else if (newSetting.name === "awayMessage") {
+					if (typeof newSetting.value !== "string") {
+						newSetting.value = "";
+					}
+
+					client.awayMessage = newSetting.value;
 				}
 			}
 		});