diff --git a/modules/users/api.js b/modules/users/api.js
index 7ba86f4..e56c2d4 100644
--- a/modules/users/api.js
+++ b/modules/users/api.js
@@ -2,14 +2,31 @@ var _ = require('underscore')._;
 
 var api = function(dbot) {
     var api = {
-        'resolveUser': function(server, nick, useLowercase) {
+        'resolveUser': function(server, nick, useLowerCase) {
             var knownUsers = this.getServerUsers(server); 
             var user = nick;
-            if(!_.include(knownUsers.users, nick) && _.has(knownUsers.aliases, nick)) {
-                user = knownUsers.aliases[nick];
+
+            if(!useLowerCase) {
+                if(!_.include(knownUsers.users, nick) && _.has(knownUsers.aliases, nick)) {
+                    user = knownUsers.aliases[nick];
+                }
+            } else {
+                // this is retarded
+                user = user.toLowerCase();
+                var resolvedUser = _.find(knownUsers.users, function(nick) {
+                    var toMatch = new RegExp("/"+user+"/i").compile();
+                    return nick.match(toMatch); 
+                }, this);
+
+                if(!resolvedUser) {
+                    resolvedUser = _.find(knownUsers.aliases, function(nick, alias) {
+                        var toMatch = new RegExp("/"+user+"/i").compile();
+                        return alias.match(toMatch);
+                    }, this);
+                    user = knownUsers.aliases[resolvedUser];
+                }
             }
 
-            if(useLowercase) user = user.toLowerCase();
             return user;
         },
 
@@ -31,6 +48,22 @@ var api = function(dbot) {
                     return knownUsers.aliases[user] == nick;
                 }, this)
                 .value();
+        },
+
+        'isOnline': function(server, user, channel, useLowerCase) {
+            var user = this.api.resolveUser(server, user, useLowerCase);
+            var possiNicks = [user].concat(this.api.getAliases(server, user));
+            var onlineNicks = dbot.instance.connections[server].channels[channel].nicks;
+            if(useLowerCase) {
+                possiNicks = _.map(possiNicks, function(nick) {
+                    return nick.toLowerCase(); 
+                });   
+            }
+
+            return _.any(onlineNicks, function(nick) {
+                nick = nick.name;
+                return _.include(possiNicks, nick); 
+            }, this);
         }
     };