diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index a478da1ac5..1051289658 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -23,3 +23,5 @@ examples/chat_client/chat_client
 examples/chat_client/chat_client
 
 test/basic/tests
+
+examples/chat_client/chat_client
diff --git a/examples/chat_client/chat_client b/examples/chat_client/chat_client
index 9dce4933e5..84a2d40930 100755
Binary files a/examples/chat_client/chat_client and b/examples/chat_client/chat_client differ
diff --git a/examples/chat_client/chat_client_handler.cpp b/examples/chat_client/chat_client_handler.cpp
index 94d2c71f15..38f8ff80ee 100644
--- a/examples/chat_client/chat_client_handler.cpp
+++ b/examples/chat_client/chat_client_handler.cpp
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ void chat_client_handler::on_close(session_ptr s,uint16_t status,const std::stri
 }
 
 void chat_client_handler::on_message(session_ptr s,const std::string &msg) {
-	std::cout << "message from server: " << msg << std::endl;
+	//std::cout << "message from server: " << msg << std::endl;
 
 	decode_server_msg(msg);
 }
@@ -82,9 +82,9 @@ void chat_client_handler::do_send(const std::string &msg) {
 	}
 	
 	// check for local commands
-	if (msg == "list") {
+	if (msg == "/list") {
 		std::cout << "list all participants" << std::endl;
-	} else if (msg == "close") {
+	} else if (msg == "/close") {
 		do_close();
 	} else {
 		m_session->send(msg);
diff --git a/examples/chat_server/chat.cpp b/examples/chat_server/chat.cpp
index 4db52eaeb1..d346281f99 100644
--- a/examples/chat_server/chat.cpp
+++ b/examples/chat_server/chat.cpp
@@ -104,8 +104,19 @@ void chat_server_handler::on_message(session_ptr client,const std::string &msg)
 			alias = msg.substr(7);
 		}
 		
-		// store alias
 		response = m_connections[client] + " is now known as "+alias;
+
+		// store alias pre-escaped so we don't have to do this replacing every time this
+		// user sends a message
+		
+		// escape JSON characters
+		boost::algorithm::replace_all(alias,"\\","\\\\");
+		boost::algorithm::replace_all(alias,"\"","\\\"");
+		
+		// escape HTML characters
+		boost::algorithm::replace_all(alias,"&","&amp;");
+		boost::algorithm::replace_all(alias,"<","&lt;");
+		boost::algorithm::replace_all(alias,">","&gt;");
 		
 		m_connections[client] = alias;