diff --git a/index.html b/index.html
index e8063ce..c3caae3 100644
--- a/index.html
+++ b/index.html
@@ -334,7 +334,7 @@ npm run build-electron-{windows, darwin, linux}</pre>
                   <span class="cof-chat_time cob-chat_time coa-chat_time" ng-bind-html="::bufferline.formattedTime"></span>
                 </span>
               </td>
-              <td class="prefix"><span ng-class="::{'repeated-prefix': bufferline.prefixtext==bufferlines[$index-1].prefixtext}"><a ng-click="addMention(bufferline.prefix)"><span class="hidden-bracket">&lt;</span><span ng-repeat="part in ::bufferline.prefix" ng-class="::part.classes" ng-bind="::part.text|prefixlimit:25"></span><span class="hidden-bracket">&gt;</span></a></span></td><!--
+              <td class="prefix"><span ng-class="::{'repeated-prefix': bufferline.prefixtext==bufferlines[$index-1].prefixtext}"><a ng-click="addMention(bufferline.prefix)"><span class="hidden-bracket" ng-if="::(bufferline.showHiddenBrackets)">&lt;</span><span ng-repeat="part in ::bufferline.prefix" ng-class="::part.classes" ng-bind="::part.text|prefixlimit:25"></span><span class="hidden-bracket" ng-if="::(bufferline.showHiddenBrackets)">&gt;</span></a></span></td><!--
            --><td class="message"><!--
              --><div ng-repeat="metadata in ::bufferline.metadata" plugin data="::metadata"></div><!--
              --><span ng-repeat="part in ::bufferline.content" class="text" ng-class="::part.classes.concat(['line-' + part.$$hashKey.replace(':','_')])" ng-bind-html="::part.text | linky:'_blank':{rel:'noopener noreferrer'} | DOMfilter:'irclinky' | DOMfilter:'emojify':settings.enableJSEmoji | DOMfilter:'inlinecolour' | DOMfilter:'latexmath':('.line-' + part.$$hashKey.replace(':','_')):settings.enableMathjax"></span>
diff --git a/js/models.js b/js/models.js
index 5e5a0f9..a8f6432 100644
--- a/js/models.js
+++ b/js/models.js
@@ -359,6 +359,11 @@ models.service('models', ['$rootScope', '$filter', 'bufferResume', function($roo
         var highlight = message.highlight;
         var content = parseRichText(message.message);
 
+        // only put invisible angle brackets around nicks in normal messages
+        // (for copying/pasting)
+        var showHiddenBrackets = (tags_array.indexOf('irc_privmsg') >= 0 &&
+                                  tags_array.indexOf('irc_action') === -1);
+
         if (highlight) {
             prefix.forEach(function(textEl) {
                 textEl.classes.push('highlight');
@@ -386,8 +391,8 @@ models.service('models', ['$rootScope', '$filter', 'bufferResume', function($roo
             highlight: highlight,
             displayed: displayed,
             prefixtext: prefixtext,
-            text: rtext
-
+            text: rtext,
+            showHiddenBrackets: showHiddenBrackets
         };
 
     };