diff --git a/rowbot b/rowbot
index 47d356f..0bed97d 100755
--- a/rowbot
+++ b/rowbot
@@ -379,18 +379,43 @@ on_sys_exit_998_net() {
 }
 
 ###
-# irc magic (everything required to make the bot part of rowbot functional)
+# annoyatron900 - keep alive process
 ###
 
-magic_annoyatron900() {
+annoyatron900() {
   irc_ping "row your bot gently down the stream"
 }
 
-on_sys_init_999_magic() {
-  get_option chan ""
+on_sys_before_999_annoyatron900() {
+  if [[ -v alarm_pid ]]; then
+    export ALARM_PID=$alarm_pid
+  fi
 }
 
-on_sys_first_003_magic() {
+on_sys_after_999_annoyatron900() {
+  trap annoyatron900 USR1
+
+  if [[ -v ALARM_PID ]]; then
+    alarm_pid=$ALARM_PID
+  fi
+}
+
+on_sys_register_999_annoyatron900() {
+  while true; do
+    read -rt 10 </dev/zero
+    KILL -USR1 "$$"
+  done &
+
+  alarm_pid=$!
+  trap annoyatron900 USR1
+  log_debug "process %d is being annoying" "$alarm_pid"
+}
+
+###
+# register with the server
+###
+
+on_sys_first_003_welcome() {
   get_option nick rowbot-dev
   get_option ident rowbot
   get_option realname rowbot
@@ -399,52 +424,30 @@ on_sys_first_003_magic() {
   irc_user "${config[ident]}" "${config[realname]}"
 }
 
-on_sys_before_999_magic() {
-  if [[ -v alarm_pid ]]; then
-    export ALARM_PID=$alarm_pid
-  fi
+on_sys_init_999_welcome() {
+  get_option chan ""
 }
 
-on_sys_after_999_magic() {
-  trap magic_annoyatron900 USR1
-
-  if [[ -v ALARM_PID ]]; then
-    alarm_pid=$ALARM_PID
-  fi
-}
-
-on_sys_register_999_magic() {
+on_sys_register_999_welcome() {
   if [[ ${config[chan]} ]]; then
     irc_join "${config[chan]}"
   fi
 
-  while true; do
-    read -rt 10 </dev/zero
-    KILL -USR1 "$$"
-  done &
-
-  alarm_pid=$!
-  trap magic_annoyatron900 USR1
-  log_debug "process %d is being annoying" "$alarm_pid"
   config[nick]=${msg_args[0]}
   irc_who "${config[nick]}" %%uht,42
 }
 
-on_msg_354_magic() {
+###
+# magic required to make privmsg work
+###
+
+on_msg_354_privmagic() {
   if (( msg_args[1] == 42 )); then
     log_debug "received the identifying who"
     config[ident]=${msg_args[2]} config[host]=${msg_args[3]}
   fi
 }
 
-on_sys_exit_997_magic() {
-  log_debug "shutting down annoyatron900"
-
-  if [[ -v alarm_pid ]] && is_running "$alarm_pid"; then
-    kill -STOP "$alarm_pid"
-  fi
-}
-
 ###
 # irc receive handlers
 ###