diff --git a/main.lua b/main.lua
index 493094e..6710c4a 100644
--- a/main.lua
+++ b/main.lua
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ local IrcChatView = TextViewer:extend{
     _ordered_targets = nil,  -- ordered list of targets for UI
     _current_target = nil,   -- active target ("*" for server console)
     _server_label = nil,
+    _unread = nil,          -- map target => count of unseen messages
 }
 
 function IrcChatView:init()
@@ -62,6 +63,9 @@ function IrcChatView:init()
     self._ordered_targets = {}
     self._current_target = nil
     self._server_label = self._server and (self._server.name or (self._server.host .. ":" .. tostring(self._server.port or 6667))) or "IRC"
+    self._unread = {}
+    -- default to server console target
+    self:switchTarget("*")
     self:updateTitle()
     TextViewer.init(self)
     -- Start connection after UI init so we can show logs
@@ -71,7 +75,7 @@ end
 function IrcChatView:updateTitle()
     local tgt = self._current_target
     if tgt and tgt ~= "*" then
-        self.title = T(_("%1 — %2"), self._server_label, tgt)
+        self.title = tgt
     else
         self.title = self._server_label
     end
@@ -83,6 +87,9 @@ function IrcChatView:ensureBuffer(target)
         self._buffers[target] = ""
         table.insert(self._ordered_targets, target)
     end
+    if self._unread[target] == nil then
+        self._unread[target] = 0
+    end
 end
 
 function IrcChatView:switchTarget(target)
@@ -94,6 +101,8 @@ function IrcChatView:switchTarget(target)
         self.scroll_text_w.text_widget:setText(self._buffers[target] or "")
         self.scroll_text_w:scrollToBottom()
     end
+    -- reset unread counter when focusing this target
+    self._unread[target] = 0
 end
 
 function IrcChatView:appendLine(line, target)
@@ -109,6 +118,9 @@ function IrcChatView:appendLine(line, target)
             self.scroll_text_w.text_widget:setText(buf)
             self.scroll_text_w:scrollToBottom()
         end
+    else
+        -- increment unread counter for background target
+        self._unread[target] = (self._unread[target] or 0) + 1
     end
 end
 
@@ -124,7 +136,7 @@ function IrcChatView:startConnection()
         return
     end
 
-    -- Do a blocking connect with a short timeout, then switch to non-blocking.
+    -- Do a blocking connect with a short timeout, then switch to non-blocking (and TLS if needed).
     sock:settimeout(10, 't')
     local ok, cerr = sock:connect(host, port)
     if not ok then
@@ -132,8 +144,43 @@ function IrcChatView:startConnection()
         pcall(function() sock:close() end)
         return
     end
-    sock:settimeout(0, 'b')
-    self._sock = sock
+    local use_tls = (tonumber(port) == 6697) or (self._server.tls == true)
+    if use_tls then
+        local okreq, ssl = pcall(require, "ssl")
+        if not okreq or not ssl then
+            self:appendLine(_("TLS requested but LuaSec is unavailable."))
+            sock:settimeout(0, 'b')
+            self._sock = sock
+        else
+            local params = {
+                mode = "client",
+                protocol = "tlsv1_2",
+                verify = "none",
+                options = "all",
+                -- SNI support
+                server = host,
+            }
+            local ssock, werr = ssl.wrap(sock, params)
+            if not ssock then
+                self:appendLine(T(_("TLS wrap failed: %1"), tostring(werr)))
+                sock:settimeout(0, 'b')
+                self._sock = sock
+            else
+                ssock:settimeout(10, 't')
+                local hok, herr = ssock:dohandshake()
+                if not hok then
+                    self:appendLine(T(_("TLS handshake failed: %1"), tostring(herr)))
+                    pcall(function() ssock:close() end)
+                    return
+                end
+                ssock:settimeout(0, 'b')
+                self._sock = ssock
+            end
+        end
+    else
+        sock:settimeout(0, 'b')
+        self._sock = sock
+    end
 
     -- Authenticate if configured, then send NICK/USER; Join will be sent after welcome (001)
     self._connected = true
@@ -328,13 +375,26 @@ function IrcChatView:handleLine(line)
             end
             return
         elseif command == "001" then -- welcome (registered)
-            local msg = rest:match("^%S+%s+:(.+)$") or rest
+            local target_nick, msg = rest:match("^(%S+)%s+:(.+)$")
+            if target_nick then
+                self._nick = target_nick
+            else
+                msg = rest
+            end
             self._registered = true
             self:appendLine(msg)
             if self._pending_join and #self._pending_join > 0 then
                 self:sendRaw(string.format("JOIN %s\r\n", self._pending_join))
             end
             return
+        elseif command == "NICK" then -- someone changed nick; update ours if it's us
+            local newnick = rest:match("^:(.+)$") or rest
+            local oldnick = prefix:match("^([^!]+)!") or prefix
+            if oldnick == self._nick and newnick and #newnick > 0 then
+                self._nick = newnick
+                self:appendLine(T(_("You are now known as %1"), newnick))
+            end
+            return
         elseif command == "376" or command == "422" then
             -- End of MOTD / No MOTD: safe to join if not yet joined
             if not self._registered then self._registered = true end
@@ -382,7 +442,14 @@ function IrcChatView:onShowMenu()
         for _, tgt in ipairs(self._ordered_targets) do
             table.insert(buttons, {
                 {
-                    text = tgt,
+                    text_func = function()
+                        local n = self._unread[tgt] or 0
+                        if n > 0 then
+                            return string.format("%s (%d)", tgt, n)
+                        else
+                            return tgt
+                        end
+                    end,
                     checked_func = function() return self._current_target == tgt end,
                     callback = function()
                         self:switchTarget(tgt)