--- a/QTfrontend/net/newnetclient.cpp	Sat Aug 25 12:12:15 2018 +0200
+++ b/QTfrontend/net/newnetclient.cpp	Sat Aug 25 17:43:29 2018 +0200
@@ -381,22 +381,40 @@
             return;
         }
 
-        QString action = HWProto::chatStringToAction(lst[2]);
+        QString action;
+        QString message;
+        // Fake nicks are nicks used for messages from the server with nicks like
+        // [server], [random], etc.
+        // The '[' character is not allowed in real nicks.
+        bool isFakeNick = lst[1].startsWith('[');
+        if(!isFakeNick)
+        {
+            // Normal message
+            message = lst[2];
+            // Check for action (/me command)
+            action = HWProto::chatStringToAction(message);
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            // Server message
+            // Server messages are translated client-side
+            message = HWApplication::translate("server", lst[2].toLatin1().constData());
+        }
 
         if (netClientState == InLobby)
         {
-            if (action != NULL)
+            if (!action.isNull())
                 emit lobbyChatAction(lst[1], action);
             else
-                emit lobbyChatMessage(lst[1], lst[2]);
+                emit lobbyChatMessage(lst[1], message);
         }
         else
         {
-            emit chatStringFromNet(HWProto::formatChatMsg(lst[1], lst[2]));
-            if (action != NULL)
+            emit chatStringFromNet(HWProto::formatChatMsg(lst[1], message));
+            if (!action.isNull())
                 emit roomChatAction(lst[1], action);
             else
-                emit roomChatMessage(lst[1], lst[2]);
+                emit roomChatMessage(lst[1], message);
         }
         return;
     }

--- a/QTfrontend/ui/widget/chatwidget.cpp	Sat Aug 25 12:12:15 2018 +0200
+++ b/QTfrontend/ui/widget/chatwidget.cpp	Sat Aug 25 17:43:29 2018 +0200
@@ -373,8 +373,8 @@
 // it as host would convert it to it's lower case variant
 QString HWChatWidget::linkedNick(const QString & nickname)
 {
-    // '[' is reserved character used for fake player names in special server messages
-    if ((nickname != m_userNick) && (!nickname.contains('[')))
+    // '[' and '(' are reserved characters used for fake player names in special server messages
+    if ((nickname != m_userNick) && (!nickname.startsWith('[')) && (!nickname.startsWith('(')))
         // linked nick
         return QString("<a href=\"hwnick://?%1\" class=\"nick\">%2</a>").arg(
                    QString(nickname.toUtf8().toBase64())).arg(nickname.toHtmlEscaped());

--- a/gameServer/CommandHelp.hs	Sat Aug 25 12:12:15 2018 +0200
+++ b/gameServer/CommandHelp.hs	Sat Aug 25 17:43:29 2018 +0200
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@
 
 -- Helper functions for chat command handler
 cmdHelpActionEntry :: [ClientChan] -> B.ByteString -> Action
-cmdHelpActionEntry chan msg = AnswerClients chan [ "CHAT", "[server]", B.concat [ " ", msg ] ]
+cmdHelpActionEntry chan msg = AnswerClients chan [ "CHAT", "[server]", msg ]
 
 cmdHelpActionList :: [ClientChan] -> [B.ByteString] -> [Action]
 cmdHelpActionList chan list = map (cmdHelpActionEntry chan) list

--- a/gameServer/HWProtoCore.hs	Sat Aug 25 12:12:15 2018 +0200
+++ b/gameServer/HWProtoCore.hs	Sat Aug 25 17:43:29 2018 +0200
@@ -81,7 +81,8 @@
         h "GLOBAL" p = serverAdminOnly $ do
             rnc <- liftM snd ask
             let chans = map (sendChan . client rnc) $ allClients rnc
-            return [AnswerClients chans ["CHAT", "[global notice]", p]]
+            -- parenthesis instead of square brackets used to avoid accidental translation by frontend
+            return [AnswerClients chans ["CHAT", "(global notice)", p]]
         h "WATCH" f = return [QueryReplay f]
         h "FIX" _ = handleCmd ["FIX"]
         h "UNFIX" _ = handleCmd ["UNFIX"]