diff --git a/css/glowingbear.css b/css/glowingbear.css
index d62d9d8..9c7d540 100644
--- a/css/glowingbear.css
+++ b/css/glowingbear.css
@@ -477,10 +477,21 @@ h2 span, h2 small {
 /* bold hash before channels */
 li.buffer.channel a span:last-of-type:before {
     color: #888;
-    content: "#";
     font-weight: bold;
 }
 
+li.buffer.channel_hash a span:last-of-type:before {
+    content: '#';
+}
+
+li.buffer.channel_plus a span:last-of-type:before {
+    content: '+';
+}
+
+li.buffer.channel_ampersand a span:last-of-type:before {
+    content: '&';
+}
+
 li.buffer.channel.active a span:last-of-type:before {
     color: #444;
 }
diff --git a/index.html b/index.html
index 1ec3144..512b424 100644
--- a/index.html
+++ b/index.html
@@ -234,7 +234,7 @@ $ openssl req -nodes -newkey rsa:4096 -keyout relay.pem -x509 -days 365 -out rel
               <input class="form-control favorite-font" type="text" id="bufferFilter" ng-model="search" ng-keydown="handleSearchBoxKey($event)" placeholder="Search">
             </form>
           </li>
-          <li class="buffer" ng-class="{'active': buffer.active, 'indent': buffer.indent, 'channel': buffer.type === 'channel', 'private': buffer.type === 'private'}" ng-repeat="(key, buffer) in (filteredBuffers = (getBuffers() | toArray:'withidx' | filter:{fullName:search} | filter:hasUnread | orderBy:predicate | getBufferQuickKeys:this))">
+          <li class="buffer" ng-class="{'active': buffer.active, 'indent': buffer.indent, 'channel': buffer.type === 'channel', 'channel_hash': buffer.prefix === '#', 'channel_plus': buffer.prefix === '+', 'channel_ampersand': buffer.prefix === '&', 'private': buffer.type === 'private'}" ng-repeat="(key, buffer) in (filteredBuffers = (getBuffers() | toArray:'withidx' | filter:{fullName:search} | filter:hasUnread | orderBy:predicate | getBufferQuickKeys:this))">
             <a href="#" ng-click="setActiveBuffer(buffer.id)" title="{{ buffer.fullName }}">
               <span class="badge pull-right" ng-class="{'danger': buffer.notification}" ng-if="buffer.notification || buffer.unread" ng-bind="buffer.notification || buffer.unread"></span>
               <span class="buffer-quick-key">{{ buffer.$quickKey }}</span>
diff --git a/js/handlers.js b/js/handlers.js
index 0e3381b..4418389 100644
--- a/js/handlers.js
+++ b/js/handlers.js
@@ -74,7 +74,8 @@ weechat.factory('handlers', ['$rootScope', '$log', 'models', 'plugins', 'notific
         var old = models.getBuffer(buffer);
         old.fullName = obj.full_name;
         old.shortName = obj.short_name;
-        old.trimmedName = obj.short_name.replace(/^[#&+]/, '');
+        old.trimmedName = obj.short_name.replace(/^[#&+]/, '') || ' ';
+        old.prefix = ['#', '&', '+'].indexOf(obj.short_name.charAt(0)) >= 0 ? obj.short_name.charAt(0) : '';
     };
 
     var handleBufferLocalvarChanged = function(message) {
diff --git a/js/models.js b/js/models.js
index ea4324f..559950c 100644
--- a/js/models.js
+++ b/js/models.js
@@ -15,7 +15,10 @@ models.service('models', ['$rootScope', '$filter', function($rootScope, $filter)
         // weechat properties
         var fullName = message.full_name;
         var shortName = message.short_name;
-        var trimmedName = shortName.replace(/^[#&+]/, '');
+        // just use a space if the rest of the channel name is empty ('#')
+        var trimmedName = shortName.replace(/^[#&+]/, '') || ' ';
+        // get channel identifier
+        var prefix = ['#', '&', '+'].indexOf(shortName.charAt(0)) >= 0 ? shortName.charAt(0) : '';
         var title = message.title;
         var number = message.number;
         var pointer = message.pointers[0];
@@ -226,6 +229,7 @@ models.service('models', ['$rootScope', '$filter', function($rootScope, $filter)
             fullName: fullName,
             shortName: shortName,
             trimmedName: trimmedName,
+            prefix: prefix,
             number: number,
             title: title,
             lines: lines,