diff --git a/msgstore_memory.go b/msgstore_memory.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7c79bab
--- /dev/null
+++ b/msgstore_memory.go
@@ -0,0 +1,144 @@
+package soju
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"strconv"
+	"time"
+
+	"gopkg.in/irc.v3"
+)
+
+const messageRingBufferCap = 4096
+
+func parseMemoryMsgID(s string) (netID int64, entity string, seq uint64, err error) {
+	netID, entity, extra, err := parseMsgID(s)
+	if err != nil {
+		return 0, "", 0, err
+	}
+	seq, err = strconv.ParseUint(extra, 10, 64)
+	if err != nil {
+		return 0, "", 0, fmt.Errorf("failed to parse message ID %q: %v", s, err)
+	}
+	return netID, entity, seq, nil
+}
+
+func formatMemoryMsgID(netID int64, entity string, seq uint64) string {
+	extra := strconv.FormatUint(seq, 10)
+	return formatMsgID(netID, entity, extra)
+}
+
+type ringBufferKey struct {
+	networkID int64
+	entity    string
+}
+
+type memoryMessageStore struct {
+	buffers map[ringBufferKey]*messageRingBuffer
+}
+
+func newMemoryMessageStore() *memoryMessageStore {
+	return &memoryMessageStore{
+		buffers: make(map[ringBufferKey]*messageRingBuffer),
+	}
+}
+
+func (ms *memoryMessageStore) Close() error {
+	ms.buffers = nil
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (ms *memoryMessageStore) get(network *network, entity string) *messageRingBuffer {
+	k := ringBufferKey{networkID: network.ID, entity: entity}
+	if rb, ok := ms.buffers[k]; ok {
+		return rb
+	}
+	rb := newMessageRingBuffer(messageRingBufferCap)
+	ms.buffers[k] = rb
+	return rb
+}
+
+func (ms *memoryMessageStore) LastMsgID(network *network, entity string, t time.Time) (string, error) {
+	var seq uint64
+	k := ringBufferKey{networkID: network.ID, entity: entity}
+	if rb, ok := ms.buffers[k]; ok {
+		seq = rb.cur
+	}
+	return formatMemoryMsgID(network.ID, entity, seq), nil
+}
+
+func (ms *memoryMessageStore) Append(network *network, entity string, msg *irc.Message) (string, error) {
+	k := ringBufferKey{networkID: network.ID, entity: entity}
+	rb, ok := ms.buffers[k]
+	if !ok {
+		rb = newMessageRingBuffer(messageRingBufferCap)
+		ms.buffers[k] = rb
+	}
+
+	seq := rb.Append(msg)
+	return formatMemoryMsgID(network.ID, entity, seq), nil
+}
+
+func (ms *memoryMessageStore) LoadLatestID(network *network, entity, id string, limit int) ([]*irc.Message, error) {
+	_, _, seq, err := parseMemoryMsgID(id)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	k := ringBufferKey{networkID: network.ID, entity: entity}
+	rb, ok := ms.buffers[k]
+	if !ok {
+		return nil, nil
+	}
+
+	return rb.LoadLatestSeq(seq, limit)
+}
+
+type messageRingBuffer struct {
+	buf []*irc.Message
+	cur    uint64
+}
+
+func newMessageRingBuffer(capacity int) *messageRingBuffer {
+	return &messageRingBuffer{
+		buf: make([]*irc.Message, capacity),
+		cur: 1,
+	}
+}
+
+func (rb *messageRingBuffer) cap() uint64 {
+	return uint64(len(rb.buf))
+}
+
+func (rb *messageRingBuffer) Append(msg *irc.Message) uint64 {
+	seq := rb.cur
+	i := int(seq % rb.cap())
+	rb.buf[i] = msg
+	rb.cur++
+	return seq
+}
+
+func (rb *messageRingBuffer) LoadLatestSeq(seq uint64, limit int) ([]*irc.Message, error) {
+	if seq > rb.cur {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("loading messages from sequence number (%v) greater than current (%v)", seq, rb.cur)
+	} else if seq == rb.cur {
+		return nil, nil
+	}
+
+	// The query excludes the message with the sequence number seq
+	diff := rb.cur - seq - 1
+	if diff > rb.cap() {
+		// We dropped diff - cap entries
+		diff = rb.cap()
+	}
+	if int(diff) > limit {
+		diff = uint64(limit)
+	}
+
+	l := make([]*irc.Message, int(diff))
+	for i := 0; i < int(diff); i++ {
+		j := int((rb.cur - diff + uint64(i)) % rb.cap())
+		l[i] = rb.buf[j]
+	}
+
+	return l, nil
+}
diff --git a/user.go b/user.go
index f71f21f..2864910 100644
--- a/user.go
+++ b/user.go
@@ -279,6 +279,8 @@ func newUser(srv *Server, record *User) *user {
 	var msgStore messageStore
 	if srv.LogPath != "" {
 		msgStore = newFSMessageStore(srv.LogPath, record.Username)
+	} else {
+		msgStore = newMemoryMessageStore()
 	}
 
 	return &user{