=== modified file 'otr.c'
--- otr.c	2009-03-13 11:31:47 +0000
+++ otr.c	2009-10-02 01:41:18 +0000
@@ -370,6 +371,7 @@
 	int st;
 	char *otrmsg = NULL;
 	ConnContext *ctx = NULL;
+	user_t *u;
 	
 	st = otrl_message_sending(ic->irc->otr->us, &global.otr_ops, ic,
 		ic->acc->user, ic->acc->prpl->name, handle,
@@ -382,7 +384,14 @@
 			handle, ic->acc->user, ic->acc->prpl->name,
 			1, NULL, NULL, NULL);
 
-	if(otrmsg) {
+	/* lookup the user_t for the given recipient */
+	u = user_findhandle(ic, handle);
+    /* we'll just assume that illegal handles would have been caught by now */
+    if (!u)
+        return -1;
+
+    /* only use encryption when recipient is online */
+	if(u->online && otrmsg) {
 		if(!ctx) {
 			otrl_message_free(otrmsg);
 			return 1;