diff --git a/mods/irc/config.lua b/mods/irc/config.lua
index 8dfd3817..52067537 100644
--- a/mods/irc/config.lua
+++ b/mods/irc/config.lua
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 
 irc.config = {}
 
-local function setting(stype, name, default)
+local function setting(stype, name, default, required)
 	local value
 	if stype == "bool" then
 		value = minetest.setting_getbool("irc."..name)
@@ -14,6 +14,10 @@ local function setting(stype, name, default)
 		value = tonumber(minetest.setting_get("irc."..name))
 	end
 	if value == nil then
+		if required then
+			error("Required configuration option irc."..
+				name.." missing.")
+		end
 		value = default
 	end
 	irc.config[name] = value
@@ -23,13 +27,13 @@ end
 -- BASIC USER SETTINGS --
 -------------------------
 
-setting("string", "nick") -- Nickname (default "MT-<hash>", <hash> 6 random hexidecimal characters)
-setting("string", "server", "irc.freenode.net") -- Server to connect on joinplayer
-setting("number", "port", 6667) -- Port to connect on joinplayer
+setting("string", "nick", nil, true) -- Nickname
+setting("string", "server", nil, true) -- Server address to connect to
+setting("number", "port", 6667) -- Server port to connect to
 setting("string", "NSPass") -- NickServ password
 setting("string", "sasl.user", irc.config.nick) -- SASL username
 setting("string", "sasl.pass") -- SASL password
-setting("string", "channel", "##mt-irc-mod") -- Channel to join
+setting("string", "channel", nil, true) -- Channel to join
 setting("string", "key") -- Key for the channel
 setting("bool",   "send_join_part", true) -- Whether to send player join and part messages to the channel
 
@@ -46,14 +50,3 @@ setting("bool",   "enable_player_part", true) -- Whether to enable players joini
 setting("bool",   "auto_join", true) -- Whether to automatically show players in the channel when they join
 setting("bool",   "auto_connect", true) -- Whether to automatically connect to the server on mod load
 
--- Generate a random nickname if one isn't specified.
-if not irc.config.nick then
-	local pr = PseudoRandom(os.time())
-	-- Workaround for bad distribution in minetest PRNG implementation.
-	irc.config.nick = ("MT-%02X%02X%02X"):format(
-		pr:next(0, 255),
-		pr:next(0, 255),
-		pr:next(0, 255)
-	)
-end
-