diff --git a/cloudbot.py b/cloudbot.py
index f64b81c..0e94379 100644
--- a/cloudbot.py
+++ b/cloudbot.py
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ from core import bot
 
 import os
 import sys
+import time
 import signal
 
 # check python version 
@@ -30,9 +31,15 @@ signal.signal(signal.SIGINT, exit_gracefully)
 cloudbot = bot.Bot()
 
 cloudbot.run()
+
+# wait for the bot loop to stop
+
 if cloudbot.do_restart:
     # this kills the bot
     # TODO: make it not just kill the bot
+    time.sleep(2)
     sys.exit()
 else:
+    print "wtf"
+    time.sleep(2)
     sys.exit()
diff --git a/core/bot.py b/core/bot.py
index 4f46c72..90d4d3b 100644
--- a/core/bot.py
+++ b/core/bot.py
@@ -8,7 +8,9 @@ import collections
 from sqlalchemy.orm import scoped_session, sessionmaker
 from sqlalchemy import create_engine
 
-from core import config, irc, main, loader
+from core import config, irc, main
+from core.permissions import PermissionManager
+from core.loader import PluginLoader
 
 
 def clean_name(n):
@@ -49,29 +51,36 @@ class Bot(object):
         self.start_time = time.time()
         self.running = True
         self.do_restart = False
+        self.connections = []
 
         # set up config and logging
         self.setup()
         self.logger.debug("Bot setup completed.")
 
         # start IRC connections
-        self.connections = {}
         self.connect()
+        print self.connections
+
+        for conn in self.connections:
+            conn.permissions = PermissionManager(self, conn)
+            print conn
 
         # run plugin loader
         self.plugins = collections.defaultdict(list)
         self.threads = {}
-        self.loader = loader.PluginLoader(self)
+
+        self.loader = PluginLoader(self)
 
 
     def run(self):
         """recieves input from the IRC engine and processes it"""
         self.logger.info("Starting main thread.")
         while self.running:
-            for conn in self.connections.itervalues():
+            for conn in self.connections:
                 try:
                     incoming = conn.parsed_queue.get_nowait()
                     if incoming == StopIteration:
+                        print "StopIteration"
                         # IRC engine has signalled timeout, so reconnect (ugly)
                         conn.connection.reconnect()
                     main.main(self, conn, incoming)
@@ -79,7 +88,7 @@ class Bot(object):
                     pass
 
             # if no messages are in the incoming queue, sleep
-            while all(connection.parsed_queue.empty() for connection in self.connections.itervalues()):
+            while self.running and all(c.parsed_queue.empty() for c in self.connections):
                 time.sleep(.1)
 
 
@@ -97,7 +106,7 @@ class Bot(object):
             self.logger.debug("Created data folder.")
 
         # config
-        self.config = config.Config(self.logger)
+        self.config = config.Config(self)
         self.logger.debug("Config object created.")
 
         # db
@@ -118,13 +127,13 @@ class Bot(object):
             self.logger.debug("({}) Creating connection to {}.".format(name, server))
 
             if conf['connection'].get('ssl'):
-                self.connections[name] = irc.SSLIRC(name, server, nick, conf = conf,
+                self.connections.append(irc.SSLIRC(name, server, nick, config = conf,
                                      port = port, channels = conf['channels'],
-                                     ignore_certificate_errors=conf['connection'].get('ignore_cert', True))
+                                     ignore_certificate_errors=conf['connection'].get('ignore_cert', True)))
                 self.logger.debug("({}) Created SSL connection.".format(name))   
             else:
-                self.connections[name] = irc.IRC(name, server, nick, conf = conf,
-                                                 port = port, channels = conf['channels'])
+                self.connections.append(irc.IRC(name, server, nick, config = conf,
+                                                 port = port, channels = conf['channels']))
                 self.logger.debug("({}) Created connection.".format(name)) 
 
 
@@ -153,9 +162,6 @@ class Bot(object):
 
         self.running = False
 
-        # wait for the bot loop to stop
-        time.sleep(1)
-
 
     def restart(self, reason=None):
         """shuts the bot down and restarts it"""
diff --git a/core/config.py b/core/config.py
index 21494d2..7596d41 100755
--- a/core/config.py
+++ b/core/config.py
@@ -8,10 +8,11 @@ from watchdog.tricks import Trick
 
 
 class Config(dict):
-    def __init__(self, logger, *args, **kwargs):
+    def __init__(self, bot, *args, **kwargs):
         self.filename = "config.json"
         self.path = os.path.abspath(self.filename)
-        self.logger = logger
+        self.bot = bot
+        self.logger = bot.logger
         self.update(*args, **kwargs)
 
         # populate self with config data
@@ -35,6 +36,12 @@ class Config(dict):
             self.update(json.load(f))
             self.logger.info("Config loaded from file.")
 
+        # reload permissions
+        if self.bot.connections:
+            for conn in self.bot.connections:
+                conn.permissions.reload()
+
+
     def save_config(self):
         """saves the contents of the config dict to the config file"""
         json.dump(self, open(self.path, 'w'), sort_keys=True, indent=2)
diff --git a/core/irc.py b/core/irc.py
index a136d3a..39958bb 100755
--- a/core/irc.py
+++ b/core/irc.py
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@ import time
 import threading
 import Queue
 
+from core import permissions
+
 from ssl import wrap_socket, CERT_NONE, CERT_REQUIRED, SSLError
 
 irc_prefix_rem = re.compile(r'(.*?) (.*?) (.*)').match
@@ -203,10 +205,10 @@ class SSLIRCConnection(IRCConnection):
 class IRC(object):
     """handles the IRC protocol"""
 
-    def __init__(self, name, server, nick, port=6667, channels=[], conf={}):
+    def __init__(self, name, server, nick, port=6667, channels=[], config={}):
         self.name = name
         self.channels = channels
-        self.conf = conf
+        self.config = config
         self.server = server
         self.port = port
         self.nick = nick
@@ -224,10 +226,10 @@ class IRC(object):
         self.connection = self.create_connection()
         self.connection.connect()
 
-        self.set_pass(self.conf.get('server_password'))
+        self.set_pass(self.config.get('server_password'))
         self.set_nick(self.nick)
         self.cmd("USER",
-                 [self.conf.get('user', 'cloudbot'), "3", "*", self.conf.get('realname',
+                 [self.config.get('user', 'cloudbot'), "3", "*", self.config.get('realname',
                                                                    'CloudBot - http://git.io/cloudbot')])
 
         self.parse_thread = ParseThread(self.input_queue, self.output_queue,
@@ -235,6 +237,7 @@ class IRC(object):
         self.parse_thread.daemon = True
         self.parse_thread.start()
 
+
     def create_connection(self):
         return IRCConnection(self.name, self.server, self.port,
                           self.input_queue, self.output_queue)
@@ -282,10 +285,10 @@ class IRC(object):
 
 
 class SSLIRC(IRC):
-    def __init__(self, name, server, nick, port=6667, channels=[], conf={},
+    def __init__(self, name, server, nick, port=6667, channels=[], config={},
                  ignore_certificate_errors=True):
         self.ignore_cert_errors = ignore_certificate_errors
-        IRC.__init__(self, name, server, nick, port, channels, conf)
+        IRC.__init__(self, name, server, nick, port, channels, config)
 
     def create_connection(self):
         return SSLIRCConnection(self.name, self.server, self.port, self.input_queue,
diff --git a/core/loader.py b/core/loader.py
index 65269f0..365a3ec 100644
--- a/core/loader.py
+++ b/core/loader.py
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ class PluginLoader(object):
             namespace = {}
             eval(code, namespace)
         except Exception:
-            self.bot.logger.error("Error compiling {}.".format(filename))
+            self.bot.logger.error("Error compiling {}:".format(filename))
             self.bot.logger.error(traceback.format_exc())
             return
 
diff --git a/core/main.py b/core/main.py
index 654933a..1cad6a3 100755
--- a/core/main.py
+++ b/core/main.py
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ def dispatch(bot, input, kind, func, args, autohelp=False):
             return
 
     if not (not autohelp or not args.get('autohelp', True) or input.inp or not (func.__doc__ is not None)):
-        input.notice(input.conn.conf["command_prefix"] + func.__doc__)
+        input.notice(input.conn.config["command_prefix"] + func.__doc__)
         return
 
     if func._thread:
@@ -156,7 +156,7 @@ def match_command(bot, command):
 
 def main(bot, conn, out):
     inp = Input(bot, conn, *out)
-    command_prefix = conn.conf.get('command_prefix', '.')
+    command_prefix = conn.config.get('command_prefix', '.')
 
     # EVENTS
     for func, args in bot.events[inp.command] + bot.events['*']:
diff --git a/core/permissions.py b/core/permissions.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9bf499a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/permissions.py
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+class PermissionManager(object):
+    def __init__(self, bot, conn):
+        self.logger = bot.logger
+
+        self.logger.info("Creating permission manager for {}.".format(conn.name))
+
+        # stuff
+        self.bot = bot
+        self.conn = conn
+        self.config = conn.config
+
+        self.group_perms = {}
+
+        self.reload()
+
+    def reload(self):
+        self.logger.error("reload perms stub")
+        pass
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/plugins/core_misc.py b/plugins/core_misc.py
index 6255132..2f9da43 100755
--- a/plugins/core_misc.py
+++ b/plugins/core_misc.py
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ nick_re = re.compile(":(.+?)!")
 # Auto-join on Invite (Configurable, defaults to True)
 @hook.event('INVITE')
 def invite(paraml, conn=None):
-    invite_join = conn.conf.get('invite_join', True)
+    invite_join = conn.config.get('invite_join', True)
     if invite_join:
         conn.join(paraml[-1])
 
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ def invite(paraml, conn=None):
 @hook.event('004')
 def onjoin(paraml, conn=None, bot=None):
     bot.logger.info("ONJOIN hook triggered.")
-    nickserv = conn.conf.get('nickserv')
+    nickserv = conn.config.get('nickserv')
     if nickserv:
         nickserv_password = nickserv.get('nickserv_password', '')
         nickserv_name = nickserv.get('nickserv_name', 'nickserv')
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ def onjoin(paraml, conn=None, bot=None):
             time.sleep(1)
 
     # Set bot modes
-    mode = conn.conf.get('mode')
+    mode = conn.config.get('mode')
     if mode:
         bot.logger.info('Setting bot mode: "{}"'.format(mode))
         conn.cmd('MODE', [conn.nick, mode])
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ def onkick(paraml, conn=None, chan=None):
     # if the bot has been kicked, remove from the channel list
     if paraml[1] == conn.nick:
         conn.channels.remove(chan)
-        auto_rejoin = conn.conf.get('auto_rejoin', False)
+        auto_rejoin = conn.config.get('auto_rejoin', False)
         if auto_rejoin:
             conn.join(paraml[0])
 
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ def onnick(paraml, bot=None, conn=None, raw=None):
 @hook.singlethread
 @hook.event('004')
 def keep_alive(paraml, conn=None):
-    keepalive = conn.conf.get('keep_alive', False)
+    keepalive = conn.config.get('keep_alive', False)
     if keepalive:
         while True:
             conn.cmd('PING', [conn.nick])
diff --git a/plugins/core_sieve.py b/plugins/core_sieve.py
index aeb04ab..aeb03f4 100755
--- a/plugins/core_sieve.py
+++ b/plugins/core_sieve.py
@@ -12,16 +12,16 @@ def sieve_suite(bot, input, func, kind, args):
         return None
 
     if kind == "command":
-        disabled_commands = conn.conf.get('disabled_plugins', [])
+        disabled_commands = conn.config.get('disabled_plugins', [])
         if input.trigger in disabled_commands:
             return None
 
     fn = re.match(r'^plugins.(.+).py$', func._filename)
-    disabled = conn.conf.get('disabled_plugins', [])
+    disabled = conn.config.get('disabled_plugins', [])
     if fn and fn.group(1).lower() in disabled:
         return None
 
-    acl = conn.conf.get('acls', {}).get(func.__name__)
+    acl = conn.config.get('acls', {}).get(func.__name__)
     if acl:
         if 'deny-except' in acl:
             allowed_channels = map(unicode.lower, acl['deny-except'])
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ def sieve_suite(bot, input, func, kind, args):
         args["permissions"] = ["adminonly"]
 
     if args.get('permissions', False):
-        groups = conn.conf.get("permissions", [])
+        groups = conn.config.get("permissions", [])
 
         allowed_permissions = args.get('permissions', [])
         allowed_groups = []
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ def sieve_suite(bot, input, func, kind, args):
         mask = input.mask.lower()
 
         for group in allowed_groups:
-            group_users = conn.conf.get("permissions", {}).get(group, [])["users"]
+            group_users = conn.conig.get("permissions", {}).get(group, [])["users"]
             group_users = [_mask.lower() for _mask in group_users]
             for pattern in group_users:
                 if fnmatch(mask, pattern):