diff --git a/include/znc/Message.h b/include/znc/Message.h
index 0c0f2a08..3167a304 100644
--- a/include/znc/Message.h
+++ b/include/znc/Message.h
@@ -114,6 +114,7 @@ private:
 	CClient*     m_pClient = nullptr;
 	CChan*       m_pChan = nullptr;
 	Type         m_eType = Type::Unknown;
+	bool         m_bColon = false;
 };
 
 class CTargetMessage : public CMessage {
diff --git a/src/Message.cpp b/src/Message.cpp
index 66cd8332..e02d28ce 100644
--- a/src/Message.cpp
+++ b/src/Message.cpp
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ CString CMessage::GetParams(unsigned int uIdx, unsigned int uLen) const
 	unsigned uParams = m_vsParams.size();
 	for (unsigned int i = uIdx; i < uIdx + uLen; ++i) {
 		CString sParam = m_vsParams[i];
-		if (i == uParams - 1 && (sParam.empty() || sParam.StartsWith(":") || sParam.Contains(" "))) {
+		if (i == uParams - 1 && (m_bColon || sParam.empty() || sParam.StartsWith(":") || sParam.Contains(" "))) {
 			sParam = ":" + sParam;
 		}
 		vsParams.push_back(sParam);
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ CString CMessage::ToString(unsigned int uFlags) const
 	for (unsigned int uIdx = 0; uIdx < uParams; ++uIdx) {
 		const CString& sParam = m_vsParams[uIdx];
 		sMessage += " ";
-		if (uIdx == uParams - 1 && (sParam.empty() || sParam.StartsWith(":") || sParam.Contains(" "))) {
+		if (uIdx == uParams - 1 && (m_bColon || sParam.empty() || sParam.StartsWith(":") || sParam.Contains(" "))) {
 			sMessage += ":";
 		}
 		sMessage += sParam;
@@ -173,9 +173,11 @@ void CMessage::Parse(CString sMessage)
 	sMessage = sMessage.Token(1, true);
 
 	// <params>
+	m_bColon = false;
 	m_vsParams.clear();
 	while (!sMessage.empty()) {
-		if (sMessage.TrimPrefix(":")) {
+		m_bColon = sMessage.TrimPrefix(":");
+		if (m_bColon) {
 			m_vsParams.push_back(sMessage);
 			sMessage.clear();
 		} else {
diff --git a/test/MessageTest.cpp b/test/MessageTest.cpp
index 647ce238..46e1bfe4 100644
--- a/test/MessageTest.cpp
+++ b/test/MessageTest.cpp
@@ -89,6 +89,10 @@ TEST(MessageTest, ToString) {
 	EXPECT_EQ(":irc.znc.in CMD p1 p2", CMessage(CNick(":irc.znc.in"), "CMD", {"p1", "p2"}).ToString());
 	EXPECT_EQ(":irc.znc.in CMD :p p p", CMessage(CNick(":irc.znc.in"), "CMD", {"p p p"}).ToString());
 	EXPECT_EQ(":irc.znc.in CMD :", CMessage(CNick(":irc.znc.in"), "CMD", {""}).ToString());
+
+	// #1045 - retain the colon if it was there
+	EXPECT_EQ(":services. 328 user #chan http://znc.in", CMessage(":services. 328 user #chan http://znc.in").ToString());
+	EXPECT_EQ(":services. 328 user #chan :http://znc.in", CMessage(":services. 328 user #chan :http://znc.in").ToString());
 }
 
 TEST(MessageTest, FormatFlags) {
@@ -222,7 +226,7 @@ TEST(MessageTest, Kick) {
 	EXPECT_EQ("noone", msg.GetKickedNick());
 	msg.SetReason("test");
 	EXPECT_EQ("test", msg.GetReason());
-	EXPECT_EQ(":nick KICK #chan noone test", msg.ToString());
+	EXPECT_EQ(":nick KICK #chan noone :test", msg.ToString());
 }
 
 TEST(MessageTest, Join) {
@@ -283,7 +287,7 @@ TEST(MessageTest, Part) {
 
 	msg.SetReason("test");
 	EXPECT_EQ("test", msg.GetReason());
-	EXPECT_EQ(":nick PART #chan test", msg.ToString());
+	EXPECT_EQ(":nick PART #chan :test", msg.ToString());
 }
 
 TEST(MessageTest, PrivAction) {
@@ -339,7 +343,7 @@ TEST(MessageTest, Quit) {
 
 	msg.SetReason("test");
 	EXPECT_EQ("test", msg.GetReason());
-	EXPECT_EQ(":nick QUIT test", msg.ToString());
+	EXPECT_EQ(":nick QUIT :test", msg.ToString());
 }
 
 TEST(MessageTest, Topic) {
@@ -353,7 +357,7 @@ TEST(MessageTest, Topic) {
 
 	msg.SetTopic("test");
 	EXPECT_EQ("test", msg.GetTopic());
-	EXPECT_EQ(":nick TOPIC #chan test", msg.ToString());
+	EXPECT_EQ(":nick TOPIC #chan :test", msg.ToString());
 }
 
 TEST(MessageTest, Parse) {