diff --git a/source/src/client.cpp b/source/src/client.cpp
index ab4416d0..dd594630 100644
--- a/source/src/client.cpp
+++ b/source/src/client.cpp
@@ -385,6 +385,13 @@ void addmsg(int type, const char *fmt, ...)
                 numi += n;
                 break;
             }
+            case 'a':
+            {
+                int n = isdigit(*fmt) ? *fmt++-'0' : 1;
+                loopi(n) putaint(p, va_arg(args, int));
+                numi += n;
+                break;
+            }
             case 's':
             {
                 const char *t = va_arg(args, const char *);
diff --git a/source/src/protocol.cpp b/source/src/protocol.cpp
index 4af51532..bcd75c39 100644
--- a/source/src/protocol.cpp
+++ b/source/src/protocol.cpp
@@ -34,6 +34,32 @@ int getint(ucharbuf &p)
     }
 }
 
+// special encoding for asymmetric small integers: -1..252 go into one byte, -256..65279 go into three bytes and any other int goes into five bytes
+// (the network encoding is compatible with basic getint)
+template<class T>
+static inline void putaint_(T &p, int n)
+{
+    DEBUGVAR(n);
+    if(n<253 && n>-2) p.put(n - 125);
+    else if(n<0xFF00 && n>=-256) { n += 256; p.put(0x80); p.put(n); p.put(n>>8); }
+    else { p.put(0x81); p.put(n); p.put(n>>8); p.put(n>>16); p.put(n>>24); }
+}
+void putaint(ucharbuf &p, int n) { putaint_(p, n); }
+void putaint(packetbuf &p, int n) { putaint_(p, n); }
+void putaint(vector<uchar> &p, int n) { putaint_(p, n); }
+
+int getaint(ucharbuf &p)
+{
+    int c = ((char)p.get()) + 125;
+    if(c==-128) { int n = p.get(); n |= p.get()<<8; n -= 256; DEBUGVAR(n); return n; }
+    else if(c==-127) { int n = p.get(); n |= p.get()<<8; n |= p.get()<<16; n |= (p.get()<<24); DEBUGVAR(n); return n; }
+    else
+    {
+        DEBUGVAR(c);
+        return c;
+    }
+}
+
 // much smaller encoding for unsigned integers up to 28 bits, but can handle signed
 template<class T>
 static inline void putuint_(T &p, int n)
diff --git a/source/src/protos.h b/source/src/protos.h
index 098b94a1..df003804 100644
--- a/source/src/protos.h
+++ b/source/src/protos.h
@@ -1038,6 +1038,10 @@ extern void putint(ucharbuf &p, int n);
 extern void putint(packetbuf &p, int n);
 extern void putint(vector<uchar> &p, int n);
 extern int getint(ucharbuf &p);
+extern void putaint(ucharbuf &p, int n);
+extern void putaint(packetbuf &p, int n);
+extern void putaint(vector<uchar> &p, int n);
+extern int getaint(ucharbuf &p);
 extern void putuint(ucharbuf &p, int n);
 extern void putuint(packetbuf &p, int n);
 extern void putuint(vector<uchar> &p, int n);
diff --git a/source/src/server.cpp b/source/src/server.cpp
index 168d9995..5e905c9c 100644
--- a/source/src/server.cpp
+++ b/source/src/server.cpp
@@ -440,6 +440,12 @@ void sendf(int cn, int chan, const char *format, ...)
             loopi(n) putint(p, va_arg(args, int));
             break;
         }
+        case 'a':
+        {
+            int n = isdigit(*format) ? *format++-'0' : 1;
+            loopi(n) putaint(p, va_arg(args, int));
+            break;
+        }
         case 's': sendstring(va_arg(args, const char *), p); break;
         case 'm':
         {