diff --git a/client/client.go b/client/client.go
index 00455b2..3e2dfea 100644
--- a/client/client.go
+++ b/client/client.go
@@ -77,6 +77,7 @@ func (c Client) Register(nick string, password string, channel string) {
 	c.SendCommand("NICK", nick)
 	c.SendCommand("USER", nick, "0", "*", nick)
 	// TODO: CAP REQ :whatever capability the client recognizes and supports
+	c.SendCommand("CAP", "REQ", ":message-tags")
 	c.SendCommand("CAP", "END")
 	c.SendCommand("JOIN", channel)
 }
diff --git a/parser/parser.go b/parser/parser.go
index 19d88f1..eeb5120 100644
--- a/parser/parser.go
+++ b/parser/parser.go
@@ -21,21 +21,33 @@ import (
 )
 
 type IRCMessage struct {
-	Tags       []Tag    // starts with @ | Optional
+	Tags       Tags     // starts with @ | Optional
 	Source     string   // starts with : | Optional
 	Command    string   // can either be a string or a numeric value | Required
 	Parameters []string // Optional (Dependant on command)
 }
 
-type Tag struct {
-	key   string
-	value string
-}
+type Tags map[string]string
 
-func parseTags(rawTags string) []Tag {
-	// TODO:
-	// TOOD: some tags don't have an "=" and they're basically considered "true"
-	return nil
+func parseTags(rawTags string) Tags {
+	tags := make(Tags, 0)
+	rawTagsSlice := strings.Split(rawTags, ";")
+
+	for _, tag := range rawTagsSlice {
+		str := strings.Split(tag, "=")
+
+		key := str[0]
+		value := ""
+
+		// we need to make sure a "value" exists before accessing str[1]
+		if len(str) > 1 {
+			value = str[1]
+		}
+
+		tags[key] = value
+	}
+
+	return tags
 }
 
 func ParseIRCMessage(line string) IRCMessage {
diff --git a/ui/mainscreen/mainscreen.go b/ui/mainscreen/mainscreen.go
index 90e1668..ffd97c6 100644
--- a/ui/mainscreen/mainscreen.go
+++ b/ui/mainscreen/mainscreen.go
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ func (s State) Update(msg tea.Msg) (State, tea.Cmd) {
 		return s, s.readFromServer
 	case ReceivedIRCCommandMsg:
 		message := parser.ParseIRCMessage(msg.Msg)
-		fullMsg := fmt.Sprintf("%s %s %s", message.Source, message.Command, strings.Join(message.Parameters, " "))
+		fullMsg := fmt.Sprintf("%s %s %s %s", message.Tags, message.Source, message.Command, strings.Join(message.Parameters, " "))
 		s.content += fullMsg
 
 		// TODO: handle different commands