diff --git a/channel.h b/channel.h
index 05d067021..b340e4597 100644
--- a/channel.h
+++ b/channel.h
@@ -33,6 +33,12 @@ public:
         return ffzChannelEmotes;
     }
 
+    bool
+    isEmpty() const
+    {
+        return name.isEmpty();
+    }
+
     const QMutex &
     getMessageMutex() const
     {
diff --git a/channels.cpp b/channels.cpp
index e802f2da8..3b77a3e58 100644
--- a/channels.cpp
+++ b/channels.cpp
@@ -3,54 +3,75 @@
 
 namespace chatterino {
 
-Channel Channels::whispers(QString("/whispers"));
-Channel Channels::mentions(QString("/mentions"));
-Channel Channels::empty(QString(""));
+std::shared_ptr<Channel> Channels::whispers(new Channel(QString("/whispers")));
+std::shared_ptr<Channel> Channels::mentions(new Channel(QString("/mentions")));
+std::shared_ptr<Channel> Channels::empty(new Channel(QString("")));
 
-QMap<QString, std::tuple<Channel *, int>> Channels::channels;
+QMap<QString, std::tuple<std::shared_ptr<Channel>, int>> Channels::channels;
+QMutex Channels::channelsMutex;
 
-Channel *
-Channels::addChannel(const QString &channel)
+const std::vector<std::shared_ptr<Channel>>
+Channels::getItems()
 {
-    QString c = channel.toLower();
+    QMutexLocker locker(&Channels::channelsMutex);
 
-    auto a = Channels::channels.find(c);
+    int size = Channels::channels.size();
 
-    if (a == Channels::channels.end()) {
-        auto _c = new Channel(c);
-        Channels::channels.insert(c, std::tuple<Channel *, int>(_c, 1));
+    std::vector<std::shared_ptr<Channel>> items(size);
 
-        IrcManager::joinChannel(c);
-
-        return _c;
-    } else {
-        std::get<1>(a.value())++;
+    for (auto &item : Channels::channels.values()) {
+        items.push_back(std::get<0>(item));
     }
 
-    return std::get<0>(a.value());
+    return items;
 }
 
-Channel *
+std::shared_ptr<Channel>
+Channels::addChannel(const QString &channel)
+{
+    QMutexLocker locker(&Channels::channelsMutex);
+
+    QString channelName = channel.toLower();
+
+    auto it = Channels::channels.find(channelName);
+
+    if (it == Channels::channels.end()) {
+        auto channel = std::shared_ptr<Channel>(new Channel(channelName));
+        Channels::channels.insert(channelName, std::make_tuple(channel, 1));
+
+        IrcManager::sendJoin(channelName);
+
+        return channel;
+    }
+
+    std::get<1>(it.value())++;
+
+    return std::get<0>(it.value());
+}
+
+std::shared_ptr<Channel>
 Channels::getChannel(const QString &channel)
 {
+    QMutexLocker locker(&Channels::channelsMutex);
+
     QString c = channel.toLower();
 
     if (channel.length() > 1 && channel.at(0) == '/') {
         if (c == "/whispers") {
-            return &Channels::whispers;
+            return Channels::whispers;
         }
 
         if (c == "/mentions") {
-            return &Channels::mentions;
+            return Channels::mentions;
         }
 
-        return &Channels::empty;
+        return Channels::empty;
     }
 
     auto a = Channels::channels.find(c);
 
     if (a == Channels::channels.end()) {
-        return NULL;
+        return Channels::empty;
     }
 
     return std::get<0>(a.value());
@@ -59,6 +80,8 @@ Channels::getChannel(const QString &channel)
 void
 Channels::removeChannel(const QString &channel)
 {
+    QMutexLocker locker(&Channels::channelsMutex);
+
     if (channel.length() > 1 && channel.at(0) == '/') {
         return;
     }
@@ -76,7 +99,6 @@ Channels::removeChannel(const QString &channel)
     if (std::get<1>(a.value()) == 0) {
         IrcManager::partChannel(c);
         Channels::channels.remove(c);
-        delete std::get<0>(a.value());
     }
 }
 }
diff --git a/channels.h b/channels.h
index 67dc128fc..0d5fbe499 100644
--- a/channels.h
+++ b/channels.h
@@ -8,20 +8,28 @@ namespace chatterino {
 class Channels
 {
 public:
-    static Channel *
+    static std::shared_ptr<Channel>
     getWhispers()
     {
-        return &whispers;
+        return whispers;
     }
 
-    static Channel *
+    static std::shared_ptr<Channel>
     getMentions()
     {
-        return &mentions;
+        return mentions;
     }
 
-    static Channel *addChannel(const QString &channel);
-    static Channel *getChannel(const QString &channel);
+    static std::shared_ptr<Channel>
+    getEmpty()
+    {
+        return empty;
+    }
+
+    const static std::vector<std::shared_ptr<Channel>> getItems();
+
+    static std::shared_ptr<Channel> addChannel(const QString &channel);
+    static std::shared_ptr<Channel> getChannel(const QString &channel);
     static void removeChannel(const QString &channel);
 
 private:
@@ -29,11 +37,12 @@ private:
     {
     }
 
-    static Channel whispers;
-    static Channel mentions;
-    static Channel empty;
+    static std::shared_ptr<Channel> whispers;
+    static std::shared_ptr<Channel> mentions;
+    static std::shared_ptr<Channel> empty;
 
-    static QMap<QString, std::tuple<Channel *, int>> channels;
+    static QMap<QString, std::tuple<std::shared_ptr<Channel>, int>> channels;
+    static QMutex channelsMutex;
 };
 }
 #endif  // CHANNELS_H
diff --git a/ircmanager.cpp b/ircmanager.cpp
index e8fdce5b0..9efa65ee8 100644
--- a/ircmanager.cpp
+++ b/ircmanager.cpp
@@ -60,8 +60,9 @@ IrcManager::beginConnecting()
                                username + "/blocks?limit=" + 100 +
                                "&client_id=" + oauthClient;
 
+            QNetworkAccessManager *manager = new QNetworkAccessManager();
             QNetworkRequest req(QUrl(nextLink + "&oauth_token=" + oauthToken));
-            QNetworkReply *reply = IrcManager::accessManager.get(req);
+            QNetworkReply *reply = manager->get(req);
 
             QObject::connect(reply, &QNetworkReply::finished, [=] {
                 IrcManager::twitchBlockedUsersMutex.lock();
@@ -86,6 +87,8 @@ IrcManager::beginConnecting()
                         user.value("name").toString().toLower(), true);
                 }
                 IrcManager::twitchBlockedUsersMutex.unlock();
+
+                manager->deleteLater();
             });
         }
 
@@ -136,6 +139,12 @@ IrcManager::beginConnecting()
         delete IrcManager::connection;
         c->moveToThread(QCoreApplication::instance()->thread());
         IrcManager::connection = c;
+
+        auto channels = Channels::getItems();
+
+        for (auto &channel : channels) {
+            IrcManager::sendJoin(channel.get()->getName());
+        }
     } else {
         delete c;
     }
@@ -164,7 +173,7 @@ IrcManager::send(QString raw)
 }
 
 void
-IrcManager::joinChannel(const QString &channel)
+IrcManager::sendJoin(const QString &channel)
 {
     IrcManager::connectionMutex.lock();
     if (IrcManager::connection != NULL) {
diff --git a/ircmanager.h b/ircmanager.h
index 713eb6897..3bc9c1143 100644
--- a/ircmanager.h
+++ b/ircmanager.h
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ public:
         return accessManager;
     }
 
-    static void joinChannel(const QString &channel);
+    static void sendJoin(const QString &channel);
 
     static void partChannel(const QString &channel);
 
diff --git a/widgets/chatwidget.cpp b/widgets/chatwidget.cpp
index 681d9894b..020a7a867 100644
--- a/widgets/chatwidget.cpp
+++ b/widgets/chatwidget.cpp
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ namespace widgets {
 
 ChatWidget::ChatWidget(QWidget *parent)
     : QWidget(parent)
-    , channel(NULL)
+    , channel(Channels::getEmpty())
     , channelName(QString())
     , vbox(this)
     , header(this)
diff --git a/widgets/chatwidget.h b/widgets/chatwidget.h
index 5b1782d3c..a8f456ca2 100644
--- a/widgets/chatwidget.h
+++ b/widgets/chatwidget.h
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ public:
         return view;
     }
 
-    Channel *
+    std::shared_ptr<Channel>
     getChannel() const
     {
         return channel;
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ protected:
     void paintEvent(QPaintEvent *) Q_DECL_OVERRIDE;
 
 private:
-    Channel *channel;
+    std::shared_ptr<Channel> channel;
     QString channelName;
 
     QFont font;
diff --git a/widgets/chatwidgetinput.cpp b/widgets/chatwidgetinput.cpp
index 1141a2f64..eee866ece 100644
--- a/widgets/chatwidgetinput.cpp
+++ b/widgets/chatwidgetinput.cpp
@@ -52,7 +52,9 @@ ChatWidgetInput::ChatWidgetInput(ChatWidget *widget)
 
     this->edit.keyPressed.connect([this](QKeyEvent *event) {
         if (event->key() == Qt::Key_Enter || event->key() == Qt::Key_Return) {
-            Channel *c = this->chatWidget->getChannel();
+            auto ptr = this->chatWidget->getChannel();
+            Channel *c = ptr.get();
+
             if (c != nullptr) {
                 IrcManager::send("PRIVMSG #" + c->getName() + ": " +
                                  this->edit.toPlainText());
diff --git a/widgets/mainwindow.cpp b/widgets/mainwindow.cpp
index eb0fe5525..a910938a3 100644
--- a/widgets/mainwindow.cpp
+++ b/widgets/mainwindow.cpp
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ MainWindow::layoutVisibleChatWidgets(Channel *channel)
     for (auto it = widgets.begin(); it != widgets.end(); ++it) {
         ChatWidget *widget = *it;
 
-        if (channel == NULL || channel == widget->getChannel()) {
+        if (channel == NULL || channel == widget->getChannel().get()) {
             if (widget->getView().layoutMessages()) {
                 widget->update();
             }
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ MainWindow::repaintVisibleChatWidgets(Channel *channel)
     for (auto it = widgets.begin(); it != widgets.end(); ++it) {
         ChatWidget *widget = *it;
 
-        if (channel == NULL || channel == widget->getChannel()) {
+        if (channel == NULL || channel == widget->getChannel().get()) {
             widget->getView().layoutMessages();
             widget->update();
         }