diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 9a026d7..68d8675 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -33,6 +33,8 @@ player (aka regular) that left the server is forgotten by the bot and can be ann
 case the player leaves and rejoins in a short time (because of a crash or otherwise). If you want these announcements to go to a different
 channel, set `regular_channel_id`.
 
+`down_notify_ids` and `up_notify_ids` may be optionally set to arrays of Discord IDs to notify (ping) if the server goes down and back online. It's NOT your Discord username but a long unique number ID that you can find by right-clicking a user and choosing "Copy User ID" in the dropdown menu. These parameters should ALWAYS be set as arrays even if you only want to ping one user.
+
 If you already have a database that's been populated before these changes, run the bot with `--reindex` to fill the Steam ID => Discord
 index. All new players registering themselves with `-bind` will be indexed automatically.
 
diff --git a/config.go b/config.go
index 7ceef73..856161a 100644
--- a/config.go
+++ b/config.go
@@ -24,31 +24,33 @@ type regular struct {
 }
 
 type ns2server struct {
-	Name               string        `json:"name"`
-	Address            string        `json:"address"`
-	SpecSlots          int           `json:"spec_slots"`
-	PlayerSlots        int           `json:"player_slots"`
-	StatusTemplate     string        `json:"status_template"`
-	IDURL              string        `json:"id_url"`
-	QueryIDInterval    time.Duration `json:"query_id_interval"`
-	AnnounceDelay      time.Duration `json:"announce_delay"`
-	RegularTimeout     time.Duration `json:"regular_timeout"`
-	RegularChannelID   string        `json:"regular_channel_id"`
-	regularTimeouts    map[uint32]*time.Time
-	regularNames       []string
-	newRegulars        map[uint32]regular
-	announceScheduled  bool
-	statusTemplate     *template.Template
-	players            []string
-	serverState        state
-	maxStateToMessage  state
-	lastStateAnnounced state
-	lastStatePromotion time.Time
-	currentMap         string
-	avgSkill           int
-	restartChan        chan struct{}
-	failures           int
-	downSince          *time.Time
+	Name                 string        `json:"name"`
+	Address              string        `json:"address"`
+	SpecSlots            int           `json:"spec_slots"`
+	PlayerSlots          int           `json:"player_slots"`
+	StatusTemplate       string        `json:"status_template"`
+	IDURL                string        `json:"id_url"`
+	QueryIDInterval      time.Duration `json:"query_id_interval"`
+	AnnounceDelay        time.Duration `json:"announce_delay"`
+	RegularTimeout       time.Duration `json:"regular_timeout"`
+	RegularChannelID     string        `json:"regular_channel_id"`
+	DownNotifyDiscordIDs []string      `json:"down_notify_ids"`
+	UpNotifyDiscordIDs   []string      `json:"up_notify_ids"`
+	regularTimeouts      map[uint32]*time.Time
+	regularNames         []string
+	newRegulars          map[uint32]regular
+	announceScheduled    bool
+	statusTemplate       *template.Template
+	players              []string
+	serverState          state
+	maxStateToMessage    state
+	lastStateAnnounced   state
+	lastStatePromotion   time.Time
+	currentMap           string
+	avgSkill             int
+	restartChan          chan struct{}
+	failures             int
+	downSince            *time.Time
 }
 
 func (s *ns2server) playersString() string {
@@ -78,6 +80,22 @@ func (s *ns2server) playersString() string {
 	return result
 }
 
+func idsToPing(ids []string) (result string) {
+	for _, id := range ids {
+		result += fmt.Sprintf("<@%s>", id)
+	}
+	return
+}
+
+func (s *ns2server) formatDowntimeMsg(down bool) string {
+	if down {
+		return fmt.Sprintf("Server %s is down! %s", s.Name, idsToPing(s.DownNotifyDiscordIDs))
+	} else {
+		return fmt.Sprintf("Server %s is back up! Was down since: %s %s",
+			s.Name, s.downSince.Format(timeFormat), idsToPing(s.UpNotifyDiscordIDs))
+	}
+}
+
 type seeding struct {
 	Seeding    int               `json:"seeding"`
 	AlmostFull int               `json:"almost_full"`
diff --git a/config_sample.json b/config_sample.json
index 8be6846..dcb3e5f 100644
--- a/config_sample.json
+++ b/config_sample.json
@@ -26,7 +26,9 @@
             "announce_delay": 300,
             "regular_timeout": 3600,
             "regular_channel_id": "123412342564546234",
-            "status_template": "{{ .ServerName }} Pl:{{ .Players }}/{{ .PlayerSlots }}+{{ .SpecSlots }}={{ .TotalSlots }};{{ .Map }}@{{ .Skill }}"
+            "status_template": "{{ .ServerName }} Pl:{{ .Players }}/{{ .PlayerSlots }}+{{ .SpecSlots }}={{ .TotalSlots }};{{ .Map }}@{{ .Skill }}",
+            "down_notify_ids": ["373545713602910362", "1231241134234"],
+            "up_notify_ids": ["373545713602910362"]
         },
         {
             "name": "Server 2",
diff --git a/query.go b/query.go
index ca8ac88..cd5a084 100644
--- a/query.go
+++ b/query.go
@@ -178,12 +178,11 @@ func (srv *ns2server) serverLoop() {
 			if srv.failures > config.FailureLimit && srv.downSince == nil {
 				now := time.Now().In(time.UTC)
 				srv.downSince = &now
-				sendChan <- message{MessageSend: &discordgo.MessageSend{Content: fmt.Sprintf("Server %s is down!", srv.Name)}}
+				sendChan <- message{MessageSend: &discordgo.MessageSend{Content: srv.formatDowntimeMsg(true)}}
 			}
 		} else {
 			if srv.failures > config.FailureLimit && srv.downSince != nil {
-				sendChan <- message{MessageSend: &discordgo.MessageSend{Content: fmt.Sprintf("Server %s is back up! Was down since: %s",
-					srv.Name, srv.downSince.Format(timeFormat))}}
+				sendChan <- message{MessageSend: &discordgo.MessageSend{Content: srv.formatDowntimeMsg(false)}}
 				srv.downSince = nil
 			}
 			srv.failures = 0