diff --git a/src/gui/curses/gui-curses-window.c b/src/gui/curses/gui-curses-window.c
index eae4612..fefc029 100644
--- a/src/gui/curses/gui-curses-window.c
+++ b/src/gui/curses/gui-curses-window.c
@@ -333,15 +333,15 @@ gui_window_set_custom_color_fg (WINDOW *window, int fg)
         {
             if (fg & GUI_COLOR_EXTENDED_BOLD_FLAG)
                 gui_window_set_color_style (window, A_BOLD);
-            else
+            else if (!(fg & GUI_COLOR_EXTENDED_KEEPATTR_FLAG))
                 gui_window_remove_color_style (window, A_BOLD);
             if (fg & GUI_COLOR_EXTENDED_REVERSE_FLAG)
                 gui_window_set_color_style (window, A_REVERSE);
-            else
+            else if (!(fg & GUI_COLOR_EXTENDED_KEEPATTR_FLAG))
                 gui_window_remove_color_style (window, A_REVERSE);
             if (fg & GUI_COLOR_EXTENDED_UNDERLINE_FLAG)
                 gui_window_set_color_style (window, A_UNDERLINE);
-            else
+            else if (!(fg & GUI_COLOR_EXTENDED_KEEPATTR_FLAG))
                 gui_window_remove_color_style (window, A_UNDERLINE);
             gui_window_set_color (window,
                                   fg & GUI_COLOR_EXTENDED_MASK,
@@ -349,8 +349,11 @@ gui_window_set_custom_color_fg (WINDOW *window, int fg)
         }
         else if ((fg & GUI_COLOR_EXTENDED_MASK) < GUI_CURSES_NUM_WEECHAT_COLORS)
         {
-            gui_window_remove_color_style (window,
-                                           A_BOLD | A_REVERSE | A_UNDERLINE);
+            if (!(fg & GUI_COLOR_EXTENDED_KEEPATTR_FLAG))
+            {
+                gui_window_remove_color_style (window,
+                                               A_BOLD | A_REVERSE | A_UNDERLINE);
+            }
             attributes = 0;
             if (fg & GUI_COLOR_EXTENDED_BOLD_FLAG)
                 attributes |= A_BOLD;
@@ -425,22 +428,25 @@ gui_window_set_custom_color_fg_bg (WINDOW *window, int fg, int bg)
         {
             if (fg & GUI_COLOR_EXTENDED_BOLD_FLAG)
                 gui_window_set_color_style (window, A_BOLD);
-            else
+            else if (!(fg & GUI_COLOR_EXTENDED_KEEPATTR_FLAG))
                 gui_window_remove_color_style (window, A_BOLD);
             if (fg & GUI_COLOR_EXTENDED_REVERSE_FLAG)
                 gui_window_set_color_style (window, A_REVERSE);
-            else
+            else if (!(fg & GUI_COLOR_EXTENDED_KEEPATTR_FLAG))
                 gui_window_remove_color_style (window, A_REVERSE);
             if (fg & GUI_COLOR_EXTENDED_UNDERLINE_FLAG)
                 gui_window_set_color_style (window, A_UNDERLINE);
-            else
+            else if (!(fg & GUI_COLOR_EXTENDED_KEEPATTR_FLAG))
                 gui_window_remove_color_style (window, A_UNDERLINE);
             fg &= GUI_COLOR_EXTENDED_MASK;
         }
         else if ((fg & GUI_COLOR_EXTENDED_MASK) < GUI_CURSES_NUM_WEECHAT_COLORS)
         {
-            gui_window_remove_color_style (window,
-                                           A_BOLD | A_REVERSE | A_UNDERLINE);
+            if (!(fg & GUI_COLOR_EXTENDED_KEEPATTR_FLAG))
+            {
+                gui_window_remove_color_style (window,
+                                               A_BOLD | A_REVERSE | A_UNDERLINE);
+            }
             attributes = 0;
             if (fg & GUI_COLOR_EXTENDED_BOLD_FLAG)
                 attributes |= A_BOLD;
diff --git a/src/gui/gui-color.c b/src/gui/gui-color.c
index 1dcb4c8..06a3060 100644
--- a/src/gui/gui-color.c
+++ b/src/gui/gui-color.c
@@ -104,6 +104,9 @@ gui_color_attr_get_flag (char c)
     if (c == GUI_COLOR_EXTENDED_UNDERLINE_CHAR)
         return GUI_COLOR_EXTENDED_UNDERLINE_FLAG;
     
+    if (c == GUI_COLOR_EXTENDED_KEEPATTR_CHAR)
+        return GUI_COLOR_EXTENDED_KEEPATTR_FLAG;
+    
     return 0;
 }
 
@@ -128,6 +131,8 @@ gui_color_attr_build_string (int color, char *str_attr)
         str_attr[i++] = GUI_COLOR_EXTENDED_ITALIC_CHAR;
     if (color & GUI_COLOR_EXTENDED_UNDERLINE_FLAG)
         str_attr[i++] = GUI_COLOR_EXTENDED_UNDERLINE_CHAR;
+    if (color & GUI_COLOR_EXTENDED_KEEPATTR_FLAG)
+        str_attr[i++] = GUI_COLOR_EXTENDED_KEEPATTR_CHAR;
     
     str_attr[i] = '\0';
 }
diff --git a/src/gui/gui-color.h b/src/gui/gui-color.h
index b78cfe4..5b87e2a 100644
--- a/src/gui/gui-color.h
+++ b/src/gui/gui-color.h
@@ -98,6 +98,7 @@ enum t_gui_color_enum
 #define GUI_COLOR_EXTENDED_REVERSE_CHAR       '!'
 #define GUI_COLOR_EXTENDED_ITALIC_CHAR        '/'
 #define GUI_COLOR_EXTENDED_UNDERLINE_CHAR     '_'
+#define GUI_COLOR_EXTENDED_KEEPATTR_CHAR      '|'
 
 /* color codes specific to bars */
 #define GUI_COLOR_BAR_CHAR                    'b'
@@ -115,6 +116,7 @@ enum t_gui_color_enum
 #define GUI_COLOR_EXTENDED_REVERSE_FLAG       0x0400000
 #define GUI_COLOR_EXTENDED_ITALIC_FLAG        0x0800000
 #define GUI_COLOR_EXTENDED_UNDERLINE_FLAG     0x1000000
+#define GUI_COLOR_EXTENDED_KEEPATTR_FLAG      0x2000000
 #define GUI_COLOR_EXTENDED_MASK               0x00FFFFF
 #define GUI_COLOR_EXTENDED_MAX                99999
 
diff --git a/src/plugins/irc/irc-color.c b/src/plugins/irc/irc-color.c
index a80de57..798a8a3 100644
--- a/src/plugins/irc/irc-color.c
+++ b/src/plugins/irc/irc-color.c
@@ -176,7 +176,7 @@ irc_color_decode (const char *string, int keep_colors)
                             }
                         }
                         snprintf (str_color, sizeof (str_color),
-                                  "%s%s%s",
+                                  "|%s%s%s",
                                   (fg >= 0) ? irc_color_to_weechat[fg] : "",
                                   (bg >= 0) ? "," : "",
                                   (bg >= 0) ? irc_color_to_weechat[bg] : "");