diff --git a/Bantracker/plugin.py b/Bantracker/plugin.py
index 9b8de36..fb4bd1b 100644
--- a/Bantracker/plugin.py
+++ b/Bantracker/plugin.py
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ import supybot.ircdb as ircdb
 import supybot.schedule as schedule
 import supybot.utils as utils
 from fnmatch import fnmatch
+from collections import defaultdict
 import sqlite
 import pytz
 import cPickle
@@ -869,6 +870,7 @@ class Bantracker(callbacks.Plugin):
 
     def autoRemoveBans(self, irc):
         modedict = { 'quiet': '-q', 'ban': '-b' }
+        unbandict = defaultdict(list)
         for ban in self.managedBans.popExpired():
             channel, mask, type = ban.ban.channel, ban.ban.mask, ban.ban.type
             if not self.registryValue('autoremove', channel):
@@ -880,9 +882,15 @@ class Bantracker(callbacks.Plugin):
                                                       ban.ban.id,
                                                       mask,
                                                       channel)
-            # send unban msg
-            unban = ircmsgs.mode(channel, (modedict[type], mask))
-            irc.queueMsg(unban)
+            unbandict[channel].append((modedict[type], mask))
+        # send unban messages, with 4 modes max each.
+        maxModes = 4
+        for channel, modes in unbandict.iteritems():
+            for i in range(len(modes) / maxModes + 1):
+                L = modes[i * maxModes : (i + 1) * maxModes]
+                if L:
+                    msg = ircmsgs.mode(channel, ircutils.joinModes(L))
+                    irc.queueMsg(msg)
 
         # notify about bans soon to expire
         for ban in self.managedBans.getExpired(600):
diff --git a/Bantracker/test.py b/Bantracker/test.py
index bbbeb11..4dcf164 100644
--- a/Bantracker/test.py
+++ b/Bantracker/test.py
@@ -361,6 +361,29 @@ class BantrackerTestCase(ChannelPluginTestCase):
         msg = self.irc.takeMsg() # unban msg
         self.assertEqual(str(msg).strip(), "MODE #test -b :asd!*@*")
 
+    def testBanremoveMergeModes(self):
+        cb = self.getCallback()
+        self.feedBan('asd!*@*')
+        self.feedBan('qwe!*@*')
+        self.feedBan('zxc!*@*')
+        self.feedBan('asd!*@*', mode='q')
+        self.feedBan('qwe!*@*', mode='q')
+        self.feedBan('zxc!*@*', mode='q')
+        self.assertNotError('banremove 1 0')
+        self.assertNotError('banremove 2 0')
+        self.assertNotError('banremove 3 0')
+        self.assertNotError('banremove 4 0')
+        self.assertNotError('banremove 5 0')
+        self.assertNotError('banremove 6 0')
+        print 'waiting 1 secs ...'
+        time.sleep(1)
+        cb.autoRemoveBans(self.irc)
+        msg = self.irc.takeMsg() # unban msg
+        self.assertEqual(str(msg).strip(),
+                         "MODE #test -qqqb zxc!*@* qwe!*@* asd!*@* :zxc!*@*")
+        msg = self.irc.takeMsg()
+        self.assertEqual(str(msg).strip(), "MODE #test -bb qwe!*@* :asd!*@*")
+
     def testBanremoveQuiet(self):
         cb = self.getCallback()
         self.feedBan('asd!*@*', mode='q')