diff --git a/channel.cpp b/channel.cpp
index 008d70c..eb2a058 100644
--- a/channel.cpp
+++ b/channel.cpp
@@ -979,7 +979,7 @@ struct t_channel_member *channel__add_member(struct t_account *account,
                                  user->profile.status ? user->profile.status : (user->profile.idle ? "idle" : "entered"),
                                  weechat_color("reset"),
                                  user->profile.idle ? "since " : "",
-                                 user->profile.idle ? user->profile.idle : "",
+                                 user->profile.idle ? user->profile.idle->data() : "",
                                  user->profile.status_text ? " [" : "",
                                  user->profile.status_text ? user->profile.status_text : "",
                                  user->profile.status_text ? "]" : "",
diff --git a/connection.cpp b/connection.cpp
index 7b99cd8..e8d6db8 100644
--- a/connection.cpp
+++ b/connection.cpp
@@ -209,7 +209,7 @@ int connection__presence_handler(xmpp_conn_t *conn, xmpp_stanza_t *stanza, void
             auto idle = binding.idle_since();
             user->profile.status_text = status ? strdup(status->data()) : NULL;
             user->profile.status = show ? strdup(show->data()) : NULL;
-            user->profile.idle = idle ? strdup("2000-01-01T00:00:00.000z") : NULL;
+            user->profile.idle = idle ? fmt::format("{}", *idle) : std::string();
             user->is_away = show ? *show == "away" : false;
             user->profile.role = role.size() ? strdup(role.data()) : NULL;
             user->profile.affiliation = affiliation.size() && affiliation == "none"
@@ -243,7 +243,7 @@ int connection__presence_handler(xmpp_conn_t *conn, xmpp_stanza_t *stanza, void
         auto idle = binding.idle_since();
         user->profile.status_text = status ? strdup(status->data()) : NULL;
         user->profile.status = show ? strdup(show->data()) : NULL;
-        user->profile.idle = idle ? strdup("2000-01-01T00:00:00.000z") : NULL;
+        user->profile.idle = idle ? fmt::format("{}", *idle) : std::string();
         user->is_away = show ? *show == "away" : false;
         user->profile.role = NULL;
         user->profile.affiliation = NULL;
diff --git a/user.cpp b/user.cpp
index 97b1cb5..eeb7737 100644
--- a/user.cpp
+++ b/user.cpp
@@ -166,10 +166,7 @@ struct t_user *user__new(struct t_account *account,
         return ptr_user;
     }
 
-    if ((new_user = (struct t_user*)malloc(sizeof(*new_user))) == NULL)
-    {
-        return NULL;
-    }
+    new_user = new struct t_user;
 
     new_user->prev_user = account->last_user;
     new_user->next_user = NULL;
@@ -185,7 +182,6 @@ struct t_user *user__new(struct t_account *account,
     new_user->profile.avatar_hash = NULL;
     new_user->profile.status_text = NULL;
     new_user->profile.status = NULL;
-    new_user->profile.idle = NULL;
     new_user->profile.display_name = display_name ?
         strdup(display_name) : strdup("");
     new_user->profile.affiliation = NULL;
@@ -234,8 +230,6 @@ void user__free(struct t_account *account,
         free(user->profile.status_text);
     if (user->profile.status)
         free(user->profile.status);
-    if (user->profile.idle)
-        free(user->profile.idle);
     if (user->profile.display_name)
         free(user->profile.display_name);
     if (user->profile.affiliation)
@@ -245,7 +239,7 @@ void user__free(struct t_account *account,
     if (user->profile.role)
         free(user->profile.role);
 
-    free(user);
+    delete user;
 
     account->users = new_users;
 }
diff --git a/user.hh b/user.hh
index 02afaee..c0b2d65 100644
--- a/user.hh
+++ b/user.hh
@@ -4,12 +4,15 @@
 
 #pragma once
 
+#include <optional>
+#include <string>
+
 struct t_user_profile
 {
     char *avatar_hash;
     char *status_text;
     char *status;
-    char *idle;
+    std::optional<std::string> idle;
     char *display_name;
     char *email;
     char *role;