diff --git a/pvpgn/src/client/bnchat.cpp b/pvpgn/src/client/bnchat.cpp
index 26fb35df7..bdb2947c8 100644
--- a/pvpgn/src/client/bnchat.cpp
+++ b/pvpgn/src/client/bnchat.cpp
@@ -132,6 +132,7 @@ typedef struct _user_info
     char		curr_gamepass[MAX_GAMEPASS_LEN];
     int			count, clantag;
     char const *	inviter;
+    int			ignoreversion;
 
 } t_user_info;
 
@@ -368,6 +369,7 @@ void usage(char const * progname)
 	    "    -o NAME, --owner=NAME       report CD owner as NAME\n"
 	    "    -k KEY, --cdkey=KEY         report CD key as KEY\n"
 	    "    -l LANG --lang=LANG         report language as LANG (default \"enUS\")\n"
+	    "    -i, --ignore-version        ignore version request (do not send game version, CD owner/key)\n"
             "    -h, --help, --usage         show this information and exit\n"
             "    -v, --version               print version number and exit\n");
     std::exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
@@ -382,6 +384,7 @@ int read_commandline(int argc, char * * argv,
 		     char const * * cdowner,
 		     char const * * cdkey,
 		     char const * * gamelang,
+		     int * ignoreversion,
 		     int * useansi)
 {
   int a;
@@ -636,6 +639,10 @@ int read_commandline(int argc, char * * argv,
 	    std::fprintf(stderr,"%s: option \"%s\" requires an argument\n",argv[0],argv[a]);
 	    usage(argv[0]);
 	}
+	else if (std::strcmp(argv[a], "-i")==0 || std::strcmp(argv[a], "--ignore-version")==0)
+	{
+	    *ignoreversion = 1;
+	}
 	else
 	{
 	    std::fprintf(stderr,"%s: unknown option \"%s\"\n",argv[0],argv[a]);
@@ -721,9 +728,10 @@ extern int main(int argc, char * argv[])
     /* default values */
     user.archtag = ARCHTAG_WINX86;
     user.gamelang = CLIENT_COUNTRYINFO_109_GAMELANG;
+    user.ignoreversion = 0;
 
     read_commandline(argc,argv,&servname,&servport,&user.clienttag,&user.archtag,&changepass,
-                     &newacct,&user.channel,&user.cdowner,&user.cdkey,&user.gamelang,&client.useansi);
+                     &newacct,&user.channel,&user.cdowner,&user.cdkey,&user.gamelang,&user.ignoreversion,&client.useansi);
 
     client.fd_stdin = fileno(stdin);
     if (tcgetattr(client.fd_stdin,&client.in_attr_old)>=0)
@@ -771,7 +779,7 @@ extern int main(int argc, char * argv[])
     }
 
     if ((client.sd = client_connect(argv[0],
-			     servname,servport,user.cdowner,user.cdkey,user.clienttag,
+			     servname,servport,user.cdowner,user.cdkey,user.clienttag,user.ignoreversion,
 			     &client.saddr,&client.sessionkey,&client.sessionnum,user.archtag,user.gamelang))<0)
     {
 	std::fprintf(stderr,"%s: fatal error during handshake\n",argv[0]);
diff --git a/pvpgn/src/client/bnstat.cpp b/pvpgn/src/client/bnstat.cpp
index 6bdb82366..fca0f0fa7 100644
--- a/pvpgn/src/client/bnstat.cpp
+++ b/pvpgn/src/client/bnstat.cpp
@@ -97,6 +97,7 @@ void usage(char const * progname)
     std::fprintf(stderr,
 	    "    -o NAME, --owner=NAME       report CD owner as NAME\n"
 	    "    -k KEY, --cdkey=KEY         report CD key as KEY\n"
+	    "    -i, --ignore-version        ignore version request (do not send game version, CD owner/key)\n"
 	    "    -p PLR, --player=PLR        print stats for player PLR\n"
 	    "    --bnetd                     also print BNETD-specific stats\n"
 	    "    --fsgs                      also print FSGS-specific stats\n"
@@ -134,6 +135,7 @@ extern int main(int argc, char * argv[])
     int                use_fsgs=0;
     unsigned int       screen_width,screen_height;
     int                munged=0;
+    int                ignoreversion=0;
 
     if (argc<1 || !argv || !argv[0])
     {
@@ -332,6 +334,8 @@ extern int main(int argc, char * argv[])
 	else if (std::strcmp(argv[a],"-h")==0 || std::strcmp(argv[a],"--help")==0 || std::strcmp(argv[a],"--usage")
 ==0)
             usage(argv[0]);
+	else if (std::strcmp(argv[a],"-i")==0 || std::strcmp(argv[a],"--ignore-version")==0)
+            ignoreversion=1;
 	else if (std::strcmp(argv[a],"-v")==0 || std::strcmp(argv[a],"--version")==0)
 	{
             std::printf("version "PVPGN_VERSION"\n");
@@ -388,7 +392,7 @@ extern int main(int argc, char * argv[])
 	}
     }
 
-    if ((sd = client_connect(argv[0],servname,servport,cdowner,cdkey,clienttag,&saddr,&sessionkey,&sessionnum,ARCHTAG_WINX86,CLIENT_COUNTRYINFO_109_GAMELANG))<0)
+    if ((sd = client_connect(argv[0],servname,servport,cdowner,cdkey,clienttag,ignoreversion,&saddr,&sessionkey,&sessionnum,ARCHTAG_WINX86,CLIENT_COUNTRYINFO_109_GAMELANG))<0)
     {
 	std::fprintf(stderr,"%s: fatal error during handshake\n",argv[0]);
 	if (changed_in)
diff --git a/pvpgn/src/client/client_connect.cpp b/pvpgn/src/client/client_connect.cpp
index 1dea140b6..3bf34c5a5 100644
--- a/pvpgn/src/client/client_connect.cpp
+++ b/pvpgn/src/client/client_connect.cpp
@@ -142,6 +142,9 @@ int get_defversioninfo(char const * progname, char const * clienttag, unsigned i
     *exeinfo = "";
     *checksum = 0;
 
+    if (std::strcmp(clienttag,CLIENTTAG_BNCHATBOT)==0)
+	return 0;
+
     std::fprintf(stderr,"%s: unsupported clienttag \"%s\"\n",progname,clienttag);
     // aaron: dunno what we should return in case of this.. but returning nothing was definetly wrong
     return -1;
@@ -155,7 +158,7 @@ namespace pvpgn
 namespace client
 {
 
-extern int client_connect(char const * progname, char const * servname, unsigned short servport, char const * cdowner, char const * cdkey, char const * clienttag, struct sockaddr_in * saddr, unsigned int * sessionkey, unsigned int * sessionnum, char const * archtag, char const * gamelang)
+extern int client_connect(char const * progname, char const * servname, unsigned short servport, char const * cdowner, char const * cdkey, char const * clienttag, int ignoreversion, struct sockaddr_in * saddr, unsigned int * sessionkey, unsigned int * sessionnum, char const * archtag, char const * gamelang)
 {
     struct hostent * host;
     char const *     username;
@@ -329,6 +332,9 @@ extern int client_connect(char const * progname, char const * servname, unsigned
 	*sessionnum = bn_int_get(rpacket->u.server_authreq_109.sessionnum);
 	/* FIXME: also get filename and equation */
 
+	if (!ignoreversion)
+	{
+
 	if (!(packet = packet_create(packet_class_bnet)))
 	{
 	    std::fprintf(stderr,"%s: could not create packet\n",progname);
@@ -369,6 +375,7 @@ extern int client_connect(char const * progname, char const * servname, unsigned
          std::fprintf(stderr,"AUTHREPLY_109 failed - closing connection\n");
          goto error_rpacket;
       }
+      }
     }
     else
 	std::fprintf(stderr,"We didn't get a sessionkey, don't expect login to work!");
diff --git a/pvpgn/src/client/client_connect.h b/pvpgn/src/client/client_connect.h
index 438294198..02e8e818e 100644
--- a/pvpgn/src/client/client_connect.h
+++ b/pvpgn/src/client/client_connect.h
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ namespace pvpgn
 namespace client
 {
 
-extern int client_connect(char const * progname, char const * servname, unsigned short servport, char const * cdowner, char const * cdkey, char const * clienttag, struct sockaddr_in * saddr, unsigned int * sessionkey, unsigned int * sessionnum, char const * archtag, char const * gamelang);
+extern int client_connect(char const * progname, char const * servname, unsigned short servport, char const * cdowner, char const * cdkey, char const * clienttag, int ignoreversion, struct sockaddr_in * saddr, unsigned int * sessionkey, unsigned int * sessionnum, char const * archtag, char const * gamelang);
 
 }