diff --git a/src/main/java/com/faforever/client/chat/PrivateChatTabController.java b/src/main/java/com/faforever/client/chat/PrivateChatTabController.java
index a327a22601..36810418de 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/faforever/client/chat/PrivateChatTabController.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/faforever/client/chat/PrivateChatTabController.java
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@
 import com.faforever.client.avatar.AvatarService;
 import com.faforever.client.domain.server.PlayerInfo;
 import com.faforever.client.fx.JavaFxUtil;
+import com.faforever.client.fx.ObservableConstant;
+import com.faforever.client.player.PlayerService;
 import com.faforever.client.player.PrivatePlayerInfoController;
 import javafx.beans.value.ObservableValue;
 import javafx.scene.Node;
@@ -15,11 +17,14 @@
 import org.springframework.context.annotation.Scope;
 import org.springframework.stereotype.Component;
 
+import java.util.Optional;
+
 @Component
 @Scope(ConfigurableBeanFactory.SCOPE_PROTOTYPE)
 public class PrivateChatTabController extends AbstractChatTabController {
 
   private final AvatarService avatarService;
+  private final PlayerService playerService;
 
   public Tab privateChatTabRoot;
   public ImageView avatarImageView;
@@ -29,9 +34,10 @@ public class PrivateChatTabController extends AbstractChatTabController {
   public ScrollPane gameDetailScrollPane;
 
   @Autowired
-  public PrivateChatTabController(ChatService chatService, AvatarService avatarService) {
+  public PrivateChatTabController(ChatService chatService, AvatarService avatarService, PlayerService playerService) {
     super(chatService);
     this.avatarService = avatarService;
+    this.playerService = playerService;
   }
 
   @Override
@@ -48,7 +54,10 @@ protected void onInitialize() {
 
     ObservableValue<ChatChannelUser> chatUser = chatChannel.flatMap(
         channel -> channelName.map(chanName -> channel.getUser(chanName).orElse(null)));
-    privatePlayerInfoController.chatUserProperty().bind(chatUser.when(showing));
+    privatePlayerInfoController.playerInfoProperty()
+                               .bind(channelName.map(playerName -> playerService.getPlayerByNameIfOnline(playerName).orElse(null))
+                                                .when(showing));
+
 
     avatarImageView.imageProperty().bind(chatUser
                                              .flatMap(ChatChannelUser::playerProperty)
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/faforever/client/player/PrivatePlayerInfoController.java b/src/main/java/com/faforever/client/player/PrivatePlayerInfoController.java
index f819349b31..241dbdd8ea 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/faforever/client/player/PrivatePlayerInfoController.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/faforever/client/player/PrivatePlayerInfoController.java
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 package com.faforever.client.player;
 
 import com.faforever.client.achievements.AchievementService;
-import com.faforever.client.chat.ChatChannelUser;
 import com.faforever.client.domain.api.Leaderboard;
 import com.faforever.client.domain.server.GameInfo;
 import com.faforever.client.domain.server.PlayerInfo;
@@ -63,7 +62,7 @@ public class PrivatePlayerInfoController extends NodeController<Node> {
   public Label unlockedAchievementsLabel;
   public Separator separator;
 
-  private final ObjectProperty<ChatChannelUser> chatUser = new SimpleObjectProperty<>();
+  private final ObjectProperty<PlayerInfo> playerInfo = new SimpleObjectProperty<>();
 
   private final ChangeListener<PlayerInfo> playerChangeListener = (observable, oldValue, newValue) -> {
     if (newValue != null && !Objects.equals(oldValue, newValue)) {
@@ -85,8 +84,7 @@ protected void onInitialize() {
     gameDetailController.setPlaytimeVisible(true);
     gameDetailWrapper.setVisible(false);
 
-    ObservableValue<Boolean> playerExistsProperty = chatUser.flatMap(user -> user.playerProperty().isNotNull())
-                                                            .when(showing);
+    ObservableValue<Boolean> playerExistsProperty = playerInfo.isNotNull().when(showing);
     userImageView.visibleProperty().bind(playerExistsProperty);
     country.visibleProperty().bind(playerExistsProperty);
     ratingsLabels.visibleProperty().bind(playerExistsProperty);
@@ -96,36 +94,26 @@ protected void onInitialize() {
     unlockedAchievements.visibleProperty().bind(playerExistsProperty);
     unlockedAchievementsLabel.visibleProperty().bind(playerExistsProperty);
 
-    ObservableValue<PlayerInfo> playerObservable = chatUser.flatMap(ChatChannelUser::playerProperty);
-
     gamesPlayed.textProperty()
-               .bind(playerObservable.flatMap(PlayerInfo::numberOfGamesProperty).map(i18n::number).when(showing));
+               .bind(playerInfo.flatMap(PlayerInfo::numberOfGamesProperty).map(i18n::number).when(showing));
 
-    username.textProperty().bind(chatUser.map(ChatChannelUser::getUsername).when(showing));
+    username.textProperty().bind(playerInfo.flatMap(PlayerInfo::usernameProperty).when(showing));
     country.textProperty()
-           .bind(
-               playerObservable.flatMap(PlayerInfo::countryProperty).map(i18n::getCountryNameLocalized).when(showing));
+           .bind(playerInfo.flatMap(PlayerInfo::countryProperty).map(i18n::getCountryNameLocalized).when(showing));
     userImageView.imageProperty()
-                 .bind(playerObservable.map(PlayerInfo::getId).map(IdenticonUtil::createIdenticon).when(showing));
-    ObservableValue<GameInfo> gameObservable = playerObservable.flatMap(PlayerInfo::gameProperty);
-    gameDetailController.gameProperty().bind(gameObservable.when(showing));
-    gameDetailWrapper.visibleProperty().bind(gameObservable.flatMap(GameInfo::statusProperty)
-                                         .map(status -> status == GameStatus.OPEN || status == GameStatus.PLAYING)
-                                         .orElse(false)
-                                         .when(showing));
-    chatUser.flatMap(ChatChannelUser::playerProperty).addListener(playerChangeListener);
-  }
-
-  public void setChatUser(ChatChannelUser chatUser) {
-    this.chatUser.set(chatUser);
-  }
-
-  public ChatChannelUser getChatUser() {
-    return chatUser.get();
+                 .bind(playerInfo.map(PlayerInfo::idProperty).map(IdenticonUtil::createIdenticon).when(showing));
+    gameDetailController.gameProperty().bind(playerInfo.flatMap(PlayerInfo::gameProperty).when(showing));
+    gameDetailWrapper.visibleProperty()
+                     .bind(playerInfo.flatMap(PlayerInfo::gameProperty)
+                                     .flatMap(GameInfo::statusProperty)
+                                     .map(status -> status == GameStatus.OPEN || status == GameStatus.PLAYING)
+                                     .orElse(false)
+                                     .when(showing));
+    playerInfo.addListener(playerChangeListener);
   }
 
-  public ObjectProperty<ChatChannelUser> chatUserProperty() {
-    return chatUser;
+  public ObjectProperty<PlayerInfo> playerInfoProperty() {
+    return playerInfo;
   }
 
   private void populateUnlockedAchievementsLabel(PlayerInfo player) {