diff --git a/src/common/Channel.hpp b/src/common/Channel.hpp
index 596560bd8..32ca3e6e5 100644
--- a/src/common/Channel.hpp
+++ b/src/common/Channel.hpp
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ public:
         TwitchWatching,
         TwitchMentions,
         TwitchEnd,
+        Irc,
         Misc
     };
 
diff --git a/src/providers/irc/AbstractIrcServer.cpp b/src/providers/irc/AbstractIrcServer.cpp
index 3e9c0b6b3..8aab88df8 100644
--- a/src/providers/irc/AbstractIrcServer.cpp
+++ b/src/providers/irc/AbstractIrcServer.cpp
@@ -18,13 +18,17 @@ const int MAX_FALLOFF_COUNTER = 60;
 AbstractIrcServer::AbstractIrcServer()
 {
     // Initialize the connections
+    // XXX: don't create write connection if there is not separate write connection.
     this->writeConnection_.reset(new IrcConnection);
     this->writeConnection_->moveToThread(
         QCoreApplication::instance()->thread());
 
     QObject::connect(
         this->writeConnection_.get(), &Communi::IrcConnection::messageReceived,
-        [this](auto msg) { this->writeConnectionMessageReceived(msg); });
+        this, [this](auto msg) { this->writeConnectionMessageReceived(msg); });
+    QObject::connect(
+        this->writeConnection_.get(), &Communi::IrcConnection::connected, this,
+        [this] { this->onWriteConnected(this->writeConnection_.get()); });
 
     // Listen to read connection message signals
     this->readConnection_.reset(new IrcConnection);
@@ -32,21 +36,18 @@ AbstractIrcServer::AbstractIrcServer()
 
     QObject::connect(
         this->readConnection_.get(), &Communi::IrcConnection::messageReceived,
-        [this](auto msg) { this->readConnectionMessageReceived(msg); });
+        this, [this](auto msg) { this->readConnectionMessageReceived(msg); });
     QObject::connect(this->readConnection_.get(),
-                     &Communi::IrcConnection::privateMessageReceived,
+                     &Communi::IrcConnection::privateMessageReceived, this,
                      [this](auto msg) { this->privateMessageReceived(msg); });
     QObject::connect(
-        this->readConnection_.get(), &Communi::IrcConnection::connected,
+        this->readConnection_.get(), &Communi::IrcConnection::connected, this,
         [this] { this->onReadConnected(this->readConnection_.get()); });
-    QObject::connect(
-        this->writeConnection_.get(), &Communi::IrcConnection::connected,
-        [this] { this->onWriteConnected(this->writeConnection_.get()); });
     QObject::connect(this->readConnection_.get(),
-                     &Communi::IrcConnection::disconnected,
+                     &Communi::IrcConnection::disconnected, this,
                      [this] { this->onDisconnected(); });
     QObject::connect(this->readConnection_.get(),
-                     &Communi::IrcConnection::socketError,
+                     &Communi::IrcConnection::socketError, this,
                      [this] { this->onSocketError(); });
 
     // listen to reconnect request
@@ -75,9 +76,7 @@ void AbstractIrcServer::connect()
 {
     this->disconnect();
 
-    bool separateWriteConnection = this->hasSeparateWriteConnection();
-
-    if (separateWriteConnection)
+    if (this->hasSeparateWriteConnection())
     {
         this->initializeConnection(this->writeConnection_.get(), false, true);
         this->initializeConnection(this->readConnection_.get(), true, false);
@@ -94,18 +93,18 @@ void AbstractIrcServer::connect()
 
         for (std::weak_ptr<Channel> &weak : this->channels.values())
         {
-            if (auto channel = std::shared_ptr<Channel>(weak.lock()))
+            if (auto channel = weak.lock())
             {
                 this->readConnection_->sendRaw("JOIN #" + channel->getName());
             }
         }
 
-        this->writeConnection_->open();
+        if (this->hasSeparateWriteConnection())
+        {
+            this->writeConnection_->open();
+        }
         this->readConnection_->open();
     }
-
-    //    this->onConnected();
-    // possbile event: started to connect
 }
 
 void AbstractIrcServer::disconnect()
@@ -113,7 +112,10 @@ void AbstractIrcServer::disconnect()
     std::lock_guard<std::mutex> locker(this->connectionMutex_);
 
     this->readConnection_->close();
-    this->writeConnection_->close();
+    if (this->hasSeparateWriteConnection())
+    {
+        this->writeConnection_->close();
+    }
 }
 
 void AbstractIrcServer::sendMessage(const QString &channelName,
@@ -139,10 +141,10 @@ void AbstractIrcServer::sendRawMessage(const QString &rawMessage)
 void AbstractIrcServer::writeConnectionMessageReceived(
     Communi::IrcMessage *message)
 {
+    (void)message;
 }
 
-std::shared_ptr<Channel> AbstractIrcServer::getOrAddChannel(
-    const QString &dirtyChannelName)
+ChannelPtr AbstractIrcServer::getOrAddChannel(const QString &dirtyChannelName)
 {
     auto channelName = this->cleanChannelName(dirtyChannelName);
 
@@ -177,7 +179,7 @@ std::shared_ptr<Channel> AbstractIrcServer::getOrAddChannel(
             this->readConnection_->sendRaw("PART #" + clojuresInCppAreShit);
         }
 
-        if (this->writeConnection_)
+        if (this->writeConnection_ && this->hasSeparateWriteConnection())
         {
             this->writeConnection_->sendRaw("PART #" + clojuresInCppAreShit);
         }
@@ -192,7 +194,7 @@ std::shared_ptr<Channel> AbstractIrcServer::getOrAddChannel(
             this->readConnection_->sendRaw("JOIN #" + channelName);
         }
 
-        if (this->writeConnection_)
+        if (this->writeConnection_ && this->hasSeparateWriteConnection())
         {
             this->writeConnection_->sendRaw("JOIN #" + channelName);
         }
@@ -201,8 +203,7 @@ std::shared_ptr<Channel> AbstractIrcServer::getOrAddChannel(
     return chan;
 }
 
-std::shared_ptr<Channel> AbstractIrcServer::getChannelOrEmpty(
-    const QString &dirtyChannelName)
+ChannelPtr AbstractIrcServer::getChannelOrEmpty(const QString &dirtyChannelName)
 {
     auto channelName = this->cleanChannelName(dirtyChannelName);
 
@@ -230,9 +231,24 @@ std::shared_ptr<Channel> AbstractIrcServer::getChannelOrEmpty(
     return Channel::getEmpty();
 }
 
+std::vector<std::weak_ptr<Channel>> AbstractIrcServer::getChannels()
+{
+    std::lock_guard lock(this->channelMutex);
+    std::vector<std::weak_ptr<Channel>> channels;
+
+    for (auto &&weak : this->channels.values())
+    {
+        channels.push_back(weak);
+    }
+
+    return channels;
+}
+
 void AbstractIrcServer::onReadConnected(IrcConnection *connection)
 {
-    std::lock_guard<std::mutex> lock(this->channelMutex);
+    (void)connection;
+
+    std::lock_guard lock(this->channelMutex);
 
     auto connectedMsg = makeSystemMessage("connected");
     connectedMsg->flags.set(MessageFlag::ConnectedMessage);
@@ -267,6 +283,7 @@ void AbstractIrcServer::onReadConnected(IrcConnection *connection)
 
 void AbstractIrcServer::onWriteConnected(IrcConnection *connection)
 {
+    (void)connection;
 }
 
 void AbstractIrcServer::onDisconnected()
@@ -297,6 +314,7 @@ void AbstractIrcServer::onSocketError()
 std::shared_ptr<Channel> AbstractIrcServer::getCustomChannel(
     const QString &channelName)
 {
+    (void)channelName;
     return nullptr;
 }
 
@@ -324,11 +342,13 @@ void AbstractIrcServer::addFakeMessage(const QString &data)
 void AbstractIrcServer::privateMessageReceived(
     Communi::IrcPrivateMessage *message)
 {
+    (void)message;
 }
 
 void AbstractIrcServer::readConnectionMessageReceived(
     Communi::IrcMessage *message)
 {
+    (void)message;
 }
 
 void AbstractIrcServer::forEachChannel(std::function<void(ChannelPtr)> func)
@@ -337,7 +357,7 @@ void AbstractIrcServer::forEachChannel(std::function<void(ChannelPtr)> func)
 
     for (std::weak_ptr<Channel> &weak : this->channels.values())
     {
-        std::shared_ptr<Channel> chan = weak.lock();
+        ChannelPtr chan = weak.lock();
         if (!chan)
         {
             continue;
diff --git a/src/providers/irc/AbstractIrcServer.hpp b/src/providers/irc/AbstractIrcServer.hpp
index 98abc970c..5127b8a68 100644
--- a/src/providers/irc/AbstractIrcServer.hpp
+++ b/src/providers/irc/AbstractIrcServer.hpp
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ namespace chatterino {
 class Channel;
 using ChannelPtr = std::shared_ptr<Channel>;
 
-class AbstractIrcServer
+class AbstractIrcServer : public QObject
 {
 public:
     virtual ~AbstractIrcServer() = default;
@@ -26,14 +26,12 @@ public:
     void sendRawMessage(const QString &rawMessage);
 
     // channels
-    std::shared_ptr<Channel> getOrAddChannel(const QString &dirtyChannelName);
-    std::shared_ptr<Channel> getChannelOrEmpty(const QString &dirtyChannelName);
+    ChannelPtr getOrAddChannel(const QString &dirtyChannelName);
+    ChannelPtr getChannelOrEmpty(const QString &dirtyChannelName);
 
     // signals
     pajlada::Signals::NoArgSignal connected;
     pajlada::Signals::NoArgSignal disconnected;
-    //    pajlada::Signals::Signal<Communi::IrcPrivateMessage *>
-    //    onPrivateMessage;
 
     void addFakeMessage(const QString &data);
 
@@ -69,8 +67,15 @@ protected:
 private:
     void initConnection();
 
-    std::unique_ptr<IrcConnection> writeConnection_ = nullptr;
-    std::unique_ptr<IrcConnection> readConnection_ = nullptr;
+    struct Deleter {
+        void operator()(IrcConnection *conn)
+        {
+            conn->deleteLater();
+        }
+    };
+
+    std::unique_ptr<IrcConnection, Deleter> writeConnection_ = nullptr;
+    std::unique_ptr<IrcConnection, Deleter> readConnection_ = nullptr;
 
     QTimer reconnectTimer_;
     int falloffCounter_ = 1;