diff --git a/__init__.py b/__init__.py
index 2d8fa2b..d015b42 100755
--- a/__init__.py
+++ b/__init__.py
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@ http://inamidst.com/phenny/
 """
 
 import sys, os, time, threading, signal
-import bot
 
 class Watcher(object): 
    # Cf. http://aspn.activestate.com/ASPN/Cookbook/Python/Recipe/496735
@@ -38,6 +37,7 @@ def run_phenny(config):
    else: delay = 20
 
    def connect(config): 
+      import bot
       p = bot.Phenny(config)
       p.run(config.host, config.port, config.ssl, config.ipv6)
 
diff --git a/tests/test_irc.py b/tests/test_irc.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3f3e569
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_irc.py
@@ -0,0 +1,89 @@
+"""
+Tests for phenny's irc.py
+"""
+
+# add current working directory to path
+import sys
+sys.path.append('.')
+
+import irc
+import unittest
+from mock import call, patch, Mock
+
+
+class OriginTest(unittest.TestCase):
+    def setUp(self):
+        self.bot = Mock()
+
+    def test_server(self):
+        source = "foobar.example.com"
+        origin = irc.Origin(self.bot, source, [])
+        self.assertEqual(origin.host, '')
+
+    def test_privmsg(self):
+        source = "Foobar!foo@bar.example.com"
+        args = ['PRIVMSG', '#phenny']
+        origin = irc.Origin(self.bot, source, args)
+
+        self.assertEqual(origin.nick, 'Foobar')
+        self.assertEqual(origin.user, 'foo')
+        self.assertEqual(origin.host, 'bar.example.com')
+        self.assertEqual(origin.sender, '#phenny')
+
+
+class BotTest(unittest.TestCase):
+    @patch('threading.RLock')
+    @patch('asynchat.async_chat')
+    def setUp(self, mock_async, mock_thread):
+        self.nick = 'foo'
+        self.name = 'Phenny'
+        self.bot = irc.Bot(self.nick, self.name, '#phenny')
+
+    @patch('irc.Bot.write')
+    def test_login(self, mock_write):
+        self.bot.verbose = False
+        self.bot.handle_connect()
+
+        mock_write.assert_has_calls([
+            call(('NICK', self.nick)),
+            call(('USER', self.nick, '+iw', self.nick), self.name)
+            ])
+
+    @patch('irc.Bot.write')
+    def test_ping(self, mock_write):
+        self.bot.buffer = b"PING"
+        self.bot.found_terminator()
+
+        mock_write.assert_called_once_with(('PONG', ''))
+
+    @patch('irc.Bot.push')
+    def test_msg(self, mock_push):
+        self.bot.msg('#phenny', 'hi')
+
+        mock_push.assert_called_once_with(b'PRIVMSG #phenny :hi\r\n')
+
+    @patch('time.sleep') # patch sleep so test runs faster
+    @patch('irc.Bot.push')
+    def test_msgflood(self, mock_push, mock_sleep):
+        self.bot.msg('#phenny', 'flood')
+        self.bot.msg('#phenny', 'flood')
+        self.bot.msg('#phenny', 'flood')
+        self.bot.msg('#phenny', 'flood')
+        self.bot.msg('#phenny', 'flood')
+        self.bot.msg('#phenny', 'flood')
+
+        mock_push.assert_called_with(b'PRIVMSG #phenny :...\r\n')
+        self.assertEqual(mock_sleep.call_count, 5)
+
+    @patch('irc.Bot.msg')
+    def test_action(self, mock_msg):
+        self.bot.action('foo', 'is')
+
+        mock_msg.assert_called_once_with('foo', '\x01ACTION is\x01')
+
+    @patch('irc.Bot.write')
+    def test_notice(self, mock_write):
+        notice = "This is a notice!"
+        self.bot.notice('jqh', notice)
+
+        mock_write.assert_called_once_with((b'NOTICE', 'jqh'), notice)