diff --git a/irc/client.go b/irc/client.go
index a861f021..13b6abbf 100644
--- a/irc/client.go
+++ b/irc/client.go
@@ -176,7 +176,10 @@ func NewClient(server *Server, conn net.Conn, isTLS bool) {
 		client.Notice(client.t("*** Looking up your username"))
 		resp, err := ident.Query(clientHost, serverPort, clientPort, IdentTimeoutSeconds)
 		if err == nil {
-			ident := resp.Identifier[:config.Limits.IdentLen-1]
+			ident := resp.Identifier
+			if config.Limits.IdentLen < len(ident) {
+				ident = ident[:config.Limits.IdentLen]
+			}
 			if isIdent(ident) {
 				identLower := strings.ToLower(ident) // idents can only be ASCII chars only
 				client.Notice(client.t("*** Found your username"))
diff --git a/irc/handlers.go b/irc/handlers.go
index 8f941a35..0841d149 100644
--- a/irc/handlers.go
+++ b/irc/handlers.go
@@ -2193,7 +2193,11 @@ func userHandler(server *Server, client *Client, msg ircmsg.IrcMessage, rb *Resp
 		return false
 	}
 
-	ident := msg.Params[0][:server.Limits().IdentLen-1] // -1 as SetNames adds the ~ at the start for us
+	ident := msg.Params[0]
+	identLen := server.Limits().IdentLen
+	if identLen-1 < len(ident) {
+		ident = ident[:server.Limits().IdentLen-1] // -1 as SetNames adds the ~ at the start for us
+	}
 
 	err := client.SetNames(ident, msg.Params[3])
 	if err == errInvalidUsername {