diff --git a/irc/connection_limits/limiter.go b/irc/connection_limits/limiter.go
index d7572a94..8ce15a39 100644
--- a/irc/connection_limits/limiter.go
+++ b/irc/connection_limits/limiter.go
@@ -98,17 +98,6 @@ func (cl *Limiter) RemoveClient(addr net.IP) {
 	}
 }
 
-// NewLimiter returns a new connection limit handler.
-// The handler is functional, but disabled; it can be enabled via `ApplyConfig`.
-func NewLimiter() *Limiter {
-	var cl Limiter
-
-	// initialize empty population; all other state is configurable
-	cl.population = make(map[string]int)
-
-	return &cl
-}
-
 // ApplyConfig atomically applies a config update to a connection limit handler
 func (cl *Limiter) ApplyConfig(config LimiterConfig) error {
 	// assemble exempted nets
@@ -120,6 +109,10 @@ func (cl *Limiter) ApplyConfig(config LimiterConfig) error {
 	cl.Lock()
 	defer cl.Unlock()
 
+	if cl.population == nil {
+		cl.population = make(map[string]int)
+	}
+
 	cl.enabled = config.Enabled
 	cl.ipv4Mask = net.CIDRMask(config.CidrLenIPv4, 32)
 	cl.ipv6Mask = net.CIDRMask(config.CidrLenIPv6, 128)
diff --git a/irc/connection_limits/throttler.go b/irc/connection_limits/throttler.go
index 19f589c2..99a785ba 100644
--- a/irc/connection_limits/throttler.go
+++ b/irc/connection_limits/throttler.go
@@ -150,17 +150,6 @@ func (ct *Throttler) BanMessage() string {
 	return ct.banMessage
 }
 
-// NewThrottler returns a new client connection throttler.
-// The throttler is functional, but disabled; it can be enabled via `ApplyConfig`.
-func NewThrottler() *Throttler {
-	var ct Throttler
-
-	// initialize empty population; all other state is configurable
-	ct.population = make(map[string]ThrottleDetails)
-
-	return &ct
-}
-
 // ApplyConfig atomically applies a config update to a throttler
 func (ct *Throttler) ApplyConfig(config ThrottlerConfig) error {
 	// assemble exempted nets
@@ -172,6 +161,10 @@ func (ct *Throttler) ApplyConfig(config ThrottlerConfig) error {
 	ct.Lock()
 	defer ct.Unlock()
 
+	if ct.population == nil {
+		ct.population = make(map[string]ThrottleDetails)
+	}
+
 	ct.enabled = config.Enabled
 	ct.ipv4Mask = net.CIDRMask(config.CidrLenIPv4, 32)
 	ct.ipv6Mask = net.CIDRMask(config.CidrLenIPv6, 128)
diff --git a/irc/connection_limits/throttler_test.go b/irc/connection_limits/throttler_test.go
index c31c4276..08a79f89 100644
--- a/irc/connection_limits/throttler_test.go
+++ b/irc/connection_limits/throttler_test.go
@@ -72,9 +72,9 @@ func makeTestThrottler(v4len, v6len int) *Throttler {
 		ConnectionsPerCidr: maxConnections,
 		Duration:           minute,
 	}
-	throttler := NewThrottler()
+	var throttler Throttler
 	throttler.ApplyConfig(config)
-	return throttler
+	return &throttler
 }
 
 func TestConnectionThrottle(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/irc/monitor.go b/irc/monitor.go
index bf92b969..801d2202 100644
--- a/irc/monitor.go
+++ b/irc/monitor.go
@@ -19,13 +19,9 @@ type MonitorManager struct {
 	// (all nicks must be normalized externally by casefolding)
 }
 
-// NewMonitorManager returns a new MonitorManager.
-func NewMonitorManager() *MonitorManager {
-	mm := MonitorManager{
-		watching:  make(map[*Client]map[string]bool),
-		watchedby: make(map[string]map[*Client]bool),
-	}
-	return &mm
+func (mm *MonitorManager) Initialize() {
+	mm.watching = make(map[*Client]map[string]bool)
+	mm.watchedby = make(map[string]map[*Client]bool)
 }
 
 // AlertAbout alerts everyone monitoring `client`'s nick that `client` is now {on,off}line.
diff --git a/irc/server.go b/irc/server.go
index 6944973a..b8830a50 100644
--- a/irc/server.go
+++ b/irc/server.go
@@ -67,15 +67,15 @@ type Server struct {
 	clients             ClientManager
 	config              unsafe.Pointer
 	configFilename      string
-	connectionLimiter   *connection_limits.Limiter
-	connectionThrottler *connection_limits.Throttler
+	connectionLimiter   connection_limits.Limiter
+	connectionThrottler connection_limits.Throttler
 	ctime               time.Time
 	dlines              *DLineManager
 	helpIndexManager    HelpIndexManager
 	klines              *KLineManager
 	listeners           map[string]*ListenerWrapper
 	logger              *logger.Manager
-	monitorManager      *MonitorManager
+	monitorManager      MonitorManager
 	name                string
 	nameCasefolded      string
 	rehashMutex         sync.Mutex // tier 4
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ type Server struct {
 	pprofServer         *http.Server
 	resumeManager       ResumeManager
 	signals             chan os.Signal
-	snomasks            *SnoManager
+	snomasks            SnoManager
 	store               *buntdb.DB
 	torLimiter          connection_limits.TorLimiter
 	whoWas              WhoWasList
@@ -110,21 +110,19 @@ type clientConn struct {
 func NewServer(config *Config, logger *logger.Manager) (*Server, error) {
 	// initialize data structures
 	server := &Server{
-		ctime:               time.Now().UTC(),
-		connectionLimiter:   connection_limits.NewLimiter(),
-		connectionThrottler: connection_limits.NewThrottler(),
-		listeners:           make(map[string]*ListenerWrapper),
-		logger:              logger,
-		monitorManager:      NewMonitorManager(),
-		rehashSignal:        make(chan os.Signal, 1),
-		signals:             make(chan os.Signal, len(ServerExitSignals)),
-		snomasks:            NewSnoManager(),
+		ctime:        time.Now().UTC(),
+		listeners:    make(map[string]*ListenerWrapper),
+		logger:       logger,
+		rehashSignal: make(chan os.Signal, 1),
+		signals:      make(chan os.Signal, len(ServerExitSignals)),
 	}
 
 	server.clients.Initialize()
 	server.semaphores.Initialize()
 	server.resumeManager.Initialize(server)
 	server.whoWas.Initialize(config.Limits.WhowasEntries)
+	server.monitorManager.Initialize()
+	server.snomasks.Initialize()
 
 	if err := server.applyConfig(config, true); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
diff --git a/irc/snomanager.go b/irc/snomanager.go
index d6f3b657..b7e48107 100644
--- a/irc/snomanager.go
+++ b/irc/snomanager.go
@@ -14,11 +14,8 @@ type SnoManager struct {
 	sendLists     map[sno.Mask]map[*Client]bool
 }
 
-// NewSnoManager returns a new SnoManager
-func NewSnoManager() *SnoManager {
-	var m SnoManager
+func (m *SnoManager) Initialize() {
 	m.sendLists = make(map[sno.Mask]map[*Client]bool)
-	return &m
 }
 
 // AddMasks adds the given snomasks to the client.