diff --git a/src/providers/irc/AbstractIrcServer.cpp b/src/providers/irc/AbstractIrcServer.cpp
index 0a3019e5c..2618465a5 100644
--- a/src/providers/irc/AbstractIrcServer.cpp
+++ b/src/providers/irc/AbstractIrcServer.cpp
@@ -71,8 +71,30 @@ AbstractIrcServer::AbstractIrcServer()
     });
 }
 
+void AbstractIrcServer::initializeIrc()
+{
+    assert(!this->initialized_);
+
+    if (this->hasSeparateWriteConnection())
+    {
+        this->initializeConnectionSignals(this->writeConnection_.get(),
+                                          ConnectionType::Write);
+        this->initializeConnectionSignals(this->readConnection_.get(),
+                                          ConnectionType::Read);
+    }
+    else
+    {
+        this->initializeConnectionSignals(this->readConnection_.get(),
+                                          ConnectionType::Both);
+    }
+
+    this->initialized_ = true;
+}
+
 void AbstractIrcServer::connect()
 {
+    assert(this->initialized_);
+
     this->disconnect();
 
     if (this->hasSeparateWriteConnection())
diff --git a/src/providers/irc/AbstractIrcServer.hpp b/src/providers/irc/AbstractIrcServer.hpp
index 20d782490..1c865ef52 100644
--- a/src/providers/irc/AbstractIrcServer.hpp
+++ b/src/providers/irc/AbstractIrcServer.hpp
@@ -21,6 +21,10 @@ public:
 
     virtual ~AbstractIrcServer() = default;
 
+    // initializeIrc must be called from the derived class
+    // this allows us to initialize the abstract irc server based on the derived class's parameters
+    void initializeIrc();
+
     // connection
     void connect();
     void disconnect();
@@ -45,8 +49,15 @@ public:
 protected:
     AbstractIrcServer();
 
+    // initializeConnectionSignals is called on a connection once in its lifetime.
+    // it can be used to connect signals to your class
+    virtual void initializeConnectionSignals(IrcConnection *connection,
+                                             ConnectionType type){};
+
+    // initializeConnection is called every time before we try to connect to the irc server
     virtual void initializeConnection(IrcConnection *connection,
                                       ConnectionType type) = 0;
+
     virtual std::shared_ptr<Channel> createChannel(
         const QString &channelName) = 0;
 
@@ -83,6 +94,8 @@ private:
 
     //    bool autoReconnect_ = false;
     pajlada::Signals::SignalHolder connections_;
+
+    bool initialized_{false};
 };
 
 }  // namespace chatterino
diff --git a/src/providers/irc/IrcServer.cpp b/src/providers/irc/IrcServer.cpp
index dd7505ff9..1b3aea5fe 100644
--- a/src/providers/irc/IrcServer.cpp
+++ b/src/providers/irc/IrcServer.cpp
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@ namespace chatterino {
 IrcServer::IrcServer(const IrcServerData &data)
     : data_(new IrcServerData(data))
 {
+    this->initializeIrc();
+
     this->connect();
 }
 
@@ -51,6 +53,57 @@ const QString &IrcServer::nick()
     return this->data_->nick.isEmpty() ? this->data_->user : this->data_->nick;
 }
 
+void IrcServer::initializeConnectionSignals(IrcConnection *connection,
+                                            ConnectionType type)
+{
+    assert(type == Both);
+
+    QObject::connect(
+        connection, &Communi::IrcConnection::socketError, this,
+        [this](QAbstractSocket::SocketError error) {
+            static int index =
+                QAbstractSocket::staticMetaObject.indexOfEnumerator(
+                    "SocketError");
+
+            std::lock_guard lock(this->channelMutex);
+
+            for (auto &&weak : this->channels)
+            {
+                if (auto shared = weak.lock())
+                {
+                    shared->addMessage(makeSystemMessage(
+                        QStringLiteral("Socket error: ") +
+                        QAbstractSocket::staticMetaObject.enumerator(index)
+                            .valueToKey(error)));
+                }
+            }
+        });
+
+    QObject::connect(connection, &Communi::IrcConnection::nickNameRequired,
+                     this, [](const QString &reserved, QString *result) {
+                         *result = reserved + (std::rand() % 100);
+                     });
+
+    QObject::connect(connection, &Communi::IrcConnection::noticeMessageReceived,
+                     this, [this](Communi::IrcNoticeMessage *message) {
+                         MessageBuilder builder;
+
+                         builder.emplace<TimestampElement>();
+                         builder.emplace<TextElement>(
+                             message->nick(), MessageElementFlag::Username);
+                         builder.emplace<TextElement>(
+                             "-> you:", MessageElementFlag::Username);
+                         builder.emplace<TextElement>(message->content(),
+                                                      MessageElementFlag::Text);
+
+                         auto msg = builder.release();
+
+                         for (auto &&weak : this->channels)
+                             if (auto shared = weak.lock())
+                                 shared->addMessage(msg);
+                     });
+}
+
 void IrcServer::initializeConnection(IrcConnection *connection,
                                      ConnectionType type)
 {
@@ -90,47 +143,6 @@ void IrcServer::initializeConnection(IrcConnection *connection,
                 this->open(Both);
         }
     }
-
-    QObject::connect(
-        connection, &Communi::IrcConnection::socketError, this,
-        [this](QAbstractSocket::SocketError error) {
-            static int index =
-                QAbstractSocket::staticMetaObject.indexOfEnumerator(
-                    "SocketError");
-
-            std::lock_guard lock(this->channelMutex);
-
-            for (auto &&weak : this->channels)
-                if (auto shared = weak.lock())
-                    shared->addMessage(makeSystemMessage(
-                        QStringLiteral("Socket error: ") +
-                        QAbstractSocket::staticMetaObject.enumerator(index)
-                            .valueToKey(error)));
-        });
-
-    QObject::connect(connection, &Communi::IrcConnection::nickNameRequired,
-                     this, [](const QString &reserved, QString *result) {
-                         *result = reserved + (std::rand() % 100);
-                     });
-
-    QObject::connect(connection, &Communi::IrcConnection::noticeMessageReceived,
-                     this, [this](Communi::IrcNoticeMessage *message) {
-                         MessageBuilder builder;
-
-                         builder.emplace<TimestampElement>();
-                         builder.emplace<TextElement>(
-                             message->nick(), MessageElementFlag::Username);
-                         builder.emplace<TextElement>(
-                             "-> you:", MessageElementFlag::Username);
-                         builder.emplace<TextElement>(message->content(),
-                                                      MessageElementFlag::Text);
-
-                         auto msg = builder.release();
-
-                         for (auto &&weak : this->channels)
-                             if (auto shared = weak.lock())
-                                 shared->addMessage(msg);
-                     });
 }
 
 std::shared_ptr<Channel> IrcServer::createChannel(const QString &channelName)
diff --git a/src/providers/irc/IrcServer.hpp b/src/providers/irc/IrcServer.hpp
index 0b5a0aad5..6c1251fa8 100644
--- a/src/providers/irc/IrcServer.hpp
+++ b/src/providers/irc/IrcServer.hpp
@@ -21,6 +21,8 @@ public:
 
     // AbstractIrcServer interface
 protected:
+    void initializeConnectionSignals(IrcConnection *connection,
+                                     ConnectionType type) override;
     void initializeConnection(IrcConnection *connection,
                               ConnectionType type) override;
     std::shared_ptr<Channel> createChannel(const QString &channelName) override;
diff --git a/src/providers/twitch/TwitchIrcServer.cpp b/src/providers/twitch/TwitchIrcServer.cpp
index 7ed568c8f..0f1d4884d 100644
--- a/src/providers/twitch/TwitchIrcServer.cpp
+++ b/src/providers/twitch/TwitchIrcServer.cpp
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@ TwitchIrcServer::TwitchIrcServer()
     , mentionsChannel(new Channel("/mentions", Channel::Type::TwitchMentions))
     , watchingChannel(Channel::getEmpty(), Channel::Type::TwitchWatching)
 {
+    this->initializeIrc();
+
     this->pubsub = new PubSub;
 
     // getSettings()->twitchSeperateWriteConnection.connect([this](auto, auto) {