diff --git a/irc3/__init__.py b/irc3/__init__.py
index 2cd5fe7..f4ec938 100644
--- a/irc3/__init__.py
+++ b/irc3/__init__.py
@@ -225,14 +225,20 @@ def _send(self, data):
     def privmsg(self, target, message, nowait=False):
         """send a privmsg to target"""
         if message:
-            messages = utils.split_message(message, self.config.max_length)
-            if isinstance(target, DCCChat):
+            is_dcc = isinstance(target, DCCChat)
+            prefix = '' if is_dcc else 'PRIVMSG %s :' % target
+            messages = utils.split_message(
+                message,
+                self.config.max_length,
+                prefix=prefix,
+            )
+            if is_dcc:
                 for message in messages:
                     target.send_line(message)
             elif target:
                 f = None
                 for message in messages:
-                    f = self.send_line('PRIVMSG %s :%s' % (target, message),
+                    f = self.send_line(prefix + message,
                                        nowait=nowait)
                 return f
 
@@ -243,14 +249,20 @@ def action(self, target, message, nowait=False):
     def notice(self, target, message, nowait=False):
         """send a notice to target"""
         if message:
-            messages = utils.split_message(message, self.config.max_length)
-            if isinstance(target, DCCChat):
+            is_dcc = isinstance(target, DCCChat)
+            prefix = '' if is_dcc else 'NOTICE %s :' % target
+            messages = utils.split_message(
+                message,
+                self.config.max_length,
+                prefix=prefix,
+            )
+            if is_dcc:
                 for message in messages:
-                    target.action(message)
+                    target.send_line(message)
             elif target:
                 f = None
                 for message in messages:
-                    f = self.send_line('NOTICE %s :%s' % (target, message),
+                    f = self.send_line(prefix + message,
                                        nowait=nowait)
                 return f
 
diff --git a/irc3/utils.py b/irc3/utils.py
index 4f158f8..13d05a9 100644
--- a/irc3/utils.py
+++ b/irc3/utils.py
@@ -164,8 +164,9 @@ def tagdict(self):
 STRIPPED_CHARS = '\t '
 
 
-def split_message(message, max_length):
+def split_message(message, max_length, prefix=''):
     """Split long messages"""
+    max_length = max_length - len(prefix)
     if len(message) > max_length:
         for message in textwrap.wrap(message, max_length):
             yield message
diff --git a/tests/test_bot.py b/tests/test_bot.py
index 6d14cf5..d8d7505 100644
--- a/tests/test_bot.py
+++ b/tests/test_bot.py
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ def test_message(self):
         self.assertSent(['PRIVMSG gawel :\x01ACTION does a cool action\x01'])
 
     def test_long_message(self):
-        bot = self.callFTU(max_length=8)
+        bot = self.callFTU(max_length=23)
         message = 'How you doing?'
         bot.privmsg('gawel', message)
         self.assertSent([