diff -up netkit-ntalk-0.17/talkd/announce.c.person netkit-ntalk-0.17/talkd/announce.c
--- netkit-ntalk-0.17/talkd/announce.c.person	2011-05-16 12:20:35.141591710 +0200
+++ netkit-ntalk-0.17/talkd/announce.c	2011-05-17 10:00:50.699013450 +0200
@@ -120,8 +120,12 @@ print_mesg(int fd, CTL_MSG *request, con
 	sizes[i] = strlen(line_buf[i]);
 	max_size = max(max_size, sizes[i]);
 	i++;
-	snprintf(line_buf[i], N_CHARS, "talk: respond with:  talk %s@%s",
-		 request->l_name, remote_machine);
+	if (strpbrk(request->l_name, ":!.") != NULL)
+		snprintf(line_buf[i], N_CHARS, "talk: respond with:  talk %s@%s -x",
+			request->l_name, remote_machine);
+	else	
+		snprintf(line_buf[i], N_CHARS, "talk: respond with:  talk %s@%s",
+			request->l_name, remote_machine);
 	sizes[i] = strlen(line_buf[i]);
 	max_size = max(max_size, sizes[i]);
 	i++;
diff -up netkit-ntalk-0.17/talk/get_names.c.person netkit-ntalk-0.17/talk/get_names.c
--- netkit-ntalk-0.17/talk/get_names.c.person	1999-11-25 06:05:05.000000000 +0100
+++ netkit-ntalk-0.17/talk/get_names.c	2011-05-16 12:19:28.143944777 +0200
@@ -58,9 +58,11 @@ get_names(int argc, char *argv[])
 	const char *his_tty;
 	register char *cp;
 	char *names;
+	char sep[5];
+	int opt_flg = 0;
 
 	if (argc < 2) {
-		printf("Usage: talk user [ttyname]\n");
+		printf("Usage: talk user [-x] [ttyname]\n");
 		exit(1);
 	}
 	if (!isatty(0)) {
@@ -78,9 +80,18 @@ get_names(int argc, char *argv[])
 	}
 	gethostname(hostname, sizeof (hostname));
 	my_machine_name = hostname;
+	
+	/* check for optional flag, which will enable only user@machine form */
+	sprintf(sep, "@:!.");
+	if (argc > 2)
+		if (strcmp(argv[2], "-x") == 0) {
+			sprintf(sep, "@");
+			opt_flg = 1;
+		}
+
 	/* check for, and strip out, the machine name of the target */
 	names = strdup(argv[1]);
-	for (cp = names; *cp && !index("@:!.", *cp); cp++)
+	for (cp = names; *cp && !index(sep, *cp); cp++)
 		;
 	if (*cp == '\0') {
 		/* this is a local to local talk */
@@ -98,8 +109,10 @@ get_names(int argc, char *argv[])
 		}
 		*--cp = '\0';
 	}
-	if (argc > 2)
-		his_tty = argv[2];	/* tty name is arg 2 */
+	if (argc > 2 && !opt_flg)
+		his_tty = argv[2];	/* tty name is arg 3 */
+	else if (argc > 3 && opt_flg)
+		his_tty = argv[3];	/* tty name is arg 4 */
 	else
 		his_tty = "";
 	get_addrs(his_machine_name);
diff -up netkit-ntalk-0.17/talk/talk.1.person netkit-ntalk-0.17/talk/talk.1
--- netkit-ntalk-0.17/talk/talk.1.person	2000-07-31 01:57:02.000000000 +0200
+++ netkit-ntalk-0.17/talk/talk.1	2011-05-16 12:19:28.143944777 +0200
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@
 .Sh SYNOPSIS
 .Nm talk
 .Ar person
+.Op Ar -x
 .Op Ar ttyname
 .Sh DESCRIPTION
 .Nm Talk
@@ -56,7 +57,22 @@ is just the person's login name.  If you
 another host, then
 .Ar person
 is of the form
-.Ql user@host .
+.Ql user@host
+( or 
+.Ql user.host
+or
+.Ql user!host
+or
+.Ql user:host
+).
+.It Ar -x
+If you wish to talk to a user who has dot character in username, the
+.Ar -x
+argument will force
+.Ql user@host
+form of the
+.Ar person
+and talk will take dots as part of user name.
 .It Ar ttyname
 If you wish to talk to a user who is logged in more than once, the
 .Ar ttyname