diff --git a/src/main/java/net/raphimc/viaproxy/protocoltranslator/viaproxy/ViaProxyConfig.java b/src/main/java/net/raphimc/viaproxy/protocoltranslator/viaproxy/ViaProxyConfig.java
index bd2effd..0a77d16 100644
--- a/src/main/java/net/raphimc/viaproxy/protocoltranslator/viaproxy/ViaProxyConfig.java
+++ b/src/main/java/net/raphimc/viaproxy/protocoltranslator/viaproxy/ViaProxyConfig.java
@@ -64,6 +64,7 @@ public class ViaProxyConfig extends Config implements com.viaversion.viaversion.
     private final OptionSpec<Boolean> optionAllowBetaPinging;
     private final OptionSpec<Boolean> optionIgnoreProtocolTranslationErrors;
     private final OptionSpec<Boolean> optionAllowLegacyClientPassthrough;
+    private final OptionSpec<String> optionCustomMotd;
     private final OptionSpec<String> optionResourcePackUrl;
     private final OptionSpec<WildcardDomainHandling> optionWildcardDomainHandling;
 
@@ -82,6 +83,7 @@ public class ViaProxyConfig extends Config implements com.viaversion.viaversion.
     private boolean allowBetaPinging = false;
     private boolean ignoreProtocolTranslationErrors = false;
     private boolean allowLegacyClientPassthrough = false;
+    private String customMotd = "";
     private String resourcePackUrl = "";
     private WildcardDomainHandling wildcardDomainHandling = WildcardDomainHandling.NONE;
 
@@ -105,6 +107,7 @@ public class ViaProxyConfig extends Config implements com.viaversion.viaversion.
         this.optionAllowBetaPinging = this.optionParser.accepts("allow-beta-pinging").withRequiredArg().ofType(Boolean.class).defaultsTo(this.allowBetaPinging);
         this.optionIgnoreProtocolTranslationErrors = this.optionParser.accepts("ignore-protocol-translation-errors").withRequiredArg().ofType(Boolean.class).defaultsTo(this.ignoreProtocolTranslationErrors);
         this.optionAllowLegacyClientPassthrough = this.optionParser.accepts("allow-legacy-client-passthrough").withRequiredArg().ofType(Boolean.class).defaultsTo(this.allowLegacyClientPassthrough);
+        this.optionCustomMotd = this.optionParser.accepts("custom-motd").withRequiredArg().ofType(String.class).defaultsTo(this.customMotd);
         this.optionResourcePackUrl = this.optionParser.accepts("resource-pack-url").withRequiredArg().ofType(String.class).defaultsTo(this.resourcePackUrl);
         this.optionWildcardDomainHandling = this.optionParser.accepts("wildcard-domain-handling").withRequiredArg().ofType(WildcardDomainHandling.class).defaultsTo(this.wildcardDomainHandling);
     }
@@ -135,6 +138,7 @@ public class ViaProxyConfig extends Config implements com.viaversion.viaversion.
         this.allowBetaPinging = this.getBoolean("allow-beta-pinging", this.allowBetaPinging);
         this.ignoreProtocolTranslationErrors = this.getBoolean("ignore-protocol-translation-errors", this.ignoreProtocolTranslationErrors);
         this.allowLegacyClientPassthrough = this.getBoolean("allow-legacy-client-passthrough", this.allowLegacyClientPassthrough);
+        this.customMotd = this.getString("custom-motd", this.customMotd);
         this.resourcePackUrl = this.getString("resource-pack-url", this.resourcePackUrl);
         this.wildcardDomainHandling = WildcardDomainHandling.byName(this.getString("wildcard-domain-handling", this.wildcardDomainHandling.name()));
     }
@@ -169,6 +173,7 @@ public class ViaProxyConfig extends Config implements com.viaversion.viaversion.
             this.allowBetaPinging = options.valueOf(this.optionAllowBetaPinging);
             this.ignoreProtocolTranslationErrors = options.valueOf(this.optionIgnoreProtocolTranslationErrors);
             this.allowLegacyClientPassthrough = options.valueOf(this.optionAllowLegacyClientPassthrough);
+            this.customMotd = options.valueOf(this.optionCustomMotd);
             this.resourcePackUrl = options.valueOf(this.optionResourcePackUrl);
             this.wildcardDomainHandling = options.valueOf(this.optionWildcardDomainHandling);
             ViaProxy.EVENT_MANAGER.call(new PostOptionsParseEvent(options));
@@ -342,6 +347,15 @@ public class ViaProxyConfig extends Config implements com.viaversion.viaversion.
         this.set("allow-legacy-client-passthrough", allowLegacyClientPassthrough);
     }
 
+    public String getCustomMotd() {
+        return this.customMotd;
+    }
+
+    public void setCustomMotd(final String customMotd) {
+        this.customMotd = customMotd;
+        this.set("custom-motd", customMotd);
+    }
+
     public String getResourcePackUrl() {
         return this.resourcePackUrl;
     }
diff --git a/src/main/java/net/raphimc/viaproxy/proxy/client2proxy/Client2ProxyHandler.java b/src/main/java/net/raphimc/viaproxy/proxy/client2proxy/Client2ProxyHandler.java
index 2ffbfd5..55329eb 100644
--- a/src/main/java/net/raphimc/viaproxy/proxy/client2proxy/Client2ProxyHandler.java
+++ b/src/main/java/net/raphimc/viaproxy/proxy/client2proxy/Client2ProxyHandler.java
@@ -163,6 +163,9 @@ public class Client2ProxyHandler extends SimpleChannelInboundHandler<IPacket> {
         }
 
         if (packet.intendedState.getConnectionState() == ConnectionState.STATUS && !ViaProxy.getConfig().shouldAllowBetaPinging() && serverVersion.olderThanOrEqualTo(LegacyProtocolVersion.b1_7tob1_7_3)) {
+            if (!ViaProxy.getConfig().getCustomMotd().isBlank()) {
+                this.proxyConnection.kickClient(ViaProxy.getConfig().getCustomMotd());
+            }
             this.proxyConnection.kickClient("§7ViaProxy is working!\n§7Connect to join the configured server");
         }
 
diff --git a/src/main/java/net/raphimc/viaproxy/proxy/packethandler/StatusPacketHandler.java b/src/main/java/net/raphimc/viaproxy/proxy/packethandler/StatusPacketHandler.java
index a688518..a9d86b9 100644
--- a/src/main/java/net/raphimc/viaproxy/proxy/packethandler/StatusPacketHandler.java
+++ b/src/main/java/net/raphimc/viaproxy/proxy/packethandler/StatusPacketHandler.java
@@ -17,9 +17,13 @@
  */
 package net.raphimc.viaproxy.proxy.packethandler;
 
+import com.google.gson.JsonObject;
+import com.google.gson.JsonParser;
 import io.netty.channel.ChannelFutureListener;
 import net.raphimc.netminecraft.packet.IPacket;
 import net.raphimc.netminecraft.packet.impl.status.S2CStatusPongPacket;
+import net.raphimc.netminecraft.packet.impl.status.S2CStatusResponsePacket;
+import net.raphimc.viaproxy.ViaProxy;
 import net.raphimc.viaproxy.proxy.session.ProxyConnection;
 
 import java.util.List;
@@ -34,6 +38,13 @@ public class StatusPacketHandler extends PacketHandler {
     public boolean handleP2S(IPacket packet, List<ChannelFutureListener> listeners) {
         if (packet instanceof S2CStatusPongPacket) {
             listeners.add(ChannelFutureListener.CLOSE);
+        } else if (packet instanceof S2CStatusResponsePacket statusResponsePacket && !ViaProxy.getConfig().getCustomMotd().isBlank()) {
+            try {
+                final JsonObject obj = JsonParser.parseString(statusResponsePacket.statusJson).getAsJsonObject();
+                obj.addProperty("description", ViaProxy.getConfig().getCustomMotd());
+                statusResponsePacket.statusJson = obj.toString();
+            } catch (Throwable ignored) {
+            }
         }
 
         return true;
diff --git a/src/main/resources/assets/viaproxy/viaproxy.yml b/src/main/resources/assets/viaproxy/viaproxy.yml
index b7a083f..7a419d5 100644
--- a/src/main/resources/assets/viaproxy/viaproxy.yml
+++ b/src/main/resources/assets/viaproxy/viaproxy.yml
@@ -55,6 +55,9 @@ ignore-protocol-translation-errors: false
 # Allow <= 1.6.4 clients to connect through ViaProxy to the target server. (No protocol translation or packet handling)
 allow-legacy-client-passthrough: false
 #
+# Custom MOTD to send when clients ping the proxy. Leave empty to use the target server's MOTD.
+custom-motd: ""
+#
 # URL of a resource pack which clients can optionally download when connecting to the server. Leave empty to disable.
 # Example: http://example.com/resourcepack.zip
 resource-pack-url: ""