diff --git a/cloudbot.py b/cloudbot.py
index b0a930b..5d627c3 100644
--- a/cloudbot.py
+++ b/cloudbot.py
@@ -1,12 +1,9 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python
 # we import bot as _bot for now, for legacy reasons
 from core import bot as _bot
-from core import loader, main
 
 import os
-import Queue
 import sys
-import time
 
 # set up enviroment
 os.chdir(sys.path[0] or '.')  # do stuff relative to the install directory
@@ -19,13 +16,4 @@ bot.logger.debug("Bot initalized.")
 
 bot.logger.debug("Starting main loop.")
 while True:
-    loader.reload(bot)  # these functions only do things
-
-    for connection in bot.connections.itervalues():
-        try:
-            out = connection.out.get_nowait()
-            main.main(bot, connection, out)
-        except Queue.Empty:
-            pass
-    while all(connection.out.empty() for connection in bot.connections.itervalues()):
-        time.sleep(.1)
+    bot.loop()
diff --git a/core/bot.py b/core/bot.py
index 40f9a73..8f3bbef 100644
--- a/core/bot.py
+++ b/core/bot.py
@@ -2,8 +2,9 @@ import time
 import logging
 import re
 import os
+import Queue
 
-from core import config, irc, loader
+from core import config, irc, loader, main
 
 
 def clean_name(n):
@@ -26,8 +27,25 @@ class Bot(object):
         self.connect()
 
         # run plugin loader
-        self.logger.debug("Bootstrapping reloader.")
+        self.logger.debug("Starting plugin reloader.")
         loader.reload(self, init=True)
+        self.logger.debug("Plugin reloader started.")
+
+
+    def loop(self):
+        """reloads plugins, then recives input from the IRC engine and processes it"""
+        loader.reload(self)  # TODO: new plugin loader
+
+        for connection in self.connections.itervalues():
+            try:
+                incoming = connection.out.get_nowait()
+                main.main(self, connection, incoming)
+            except Queue.Empty:
+                pass
+
+        # if no messages are in the incoming queue, sleep
+        while all(connection.out.empty() for connection in self.connections.itervalues()):
+            time.sleep(.1)
 
 
     def connect(self):