diff --git a/ergonomadic.go b/ergonomadic.go
index e4633b6e..e04f9e8a 100644
--- a/ergonomadic.go
+++ b/ergonomadic.go
@@ -33,10 +33,10 @@ func initDB(config *irc.Config) {
 	_, err = db.Exec(`
         CREATE TABLE channel (
           name TEXT NOT NULL UNIQUE,
-          flags TEXT,
-          key TEXT,
-          topic TEXT,
-          user_limit INTEGER)`)
+          flags TEXT NOT NULL,
+          key TEXT NOT NULL,
+          topic TEXT NOT NULL,
+          user_limit INTEGER DEFAULT 0)`)
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Fatal(err)
 	}
diff --git a/irc/channel.go b/irc/channel.go
index 69e39077..26f8909e 100644
--- a/irc/channel.go
+++ b/irc/channel.go
@@ -35,7 +35,6 @@ func NewChannel(s *Server, name string) *Channel {
 	}
 
 	s.channels[name] = channel
-	s.db.Exec(`INSERT INTO channel (name) VALUES (?)`, channel.name)
 
 	return channel
 }
@@ -203,15 +202,13 @@ func (channel *Channel) SetTopic(client *Client, topic string) {
 	}
 
 	channel.topic = topic
-	channel.server.db.Exec(`
-        UPDATE channel
-          SET topic = ?
-          WHERE name = ?`, channel.topic, channel.name)
 
 	reply := RplTopicMsg(client, channel)
 	for member := range channel.members {
 		member.Reply(reply)
 	}
+
+	channel.Persist()
 }
 
 func (channel *Channel) CanSpeak(client *Client) bool {
@@ -371,10 +368,19 @@ func (channel *Channel) Mode(client *Client, changes ChannelModeChanges) {
 			member.Reply(reply)
 		}
 
+		channel.Persist()
+	}
+}
+
+func (channel *Channel) Persist() {
+	if channel.flags[Persistent] {
 		channel.server.db.Exec(`
-            UPDATE channel
-              SET flags = ?
-              WHERE name = ?`, channel.flags.String(), channel.name)
+            INSERT OR REPLACE INTO channel
+              (name, flags, key, topic)
+              VALUES (?, ?, ?, ?)`,
+			channel.name, channel.flags.String(), channel.key, channel.topic)
+	} else {
+		channel.server.db.Exec(`DELETE FROM channel WHERE name = ?`, channel.name)
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/irc/server.go b/irc/server.go
index 00a8ff94..7ac9367d 100644
--- a/irc/server.go
+++ b/irc/server.go
@@ -59,7 +59,17 @@ func NewServer(config *Config) *Server {
 
 	signal.Notify(server.signals, os.Interrupt, os.Kill)
 
-	rows, err := db.Query(`
+	server.loadChannels()
+
+	for _, listenerConf := range config.Listeners {
+		go server.listen(listenerConf)
+	}
+
+	return server
+}
+
+func (server *Server) loadChannels() {
+	rows, err := server.db.Query(`
         SELECT name, flags, key, topic, user_limit
           FROM channel`)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -75,19 +85,13 @@ func NewServer(config *Config) *Server {
 		}
 
 		channel := NewChannel(server, name)
-		for flag := range flags {
+		for _, flag := range flags {
 			channel.flags[ChannelMode(flag)] = true
 		}
 		channel.key = key
 		channel.topic = topic
 		channel.userLimit = userLimit
 	}
-
-	for _, listenerConf := range config.Listeners {
-		go server.listen(listenerConf)
-	}
-
-	return server
 }
 
 func (server *Server) processCommand(cmd Command) {
diff --git a/irc/types.go b/irc/types.go
index 8e25f2f6..d8d9f9f8 100644
--- a/irc/types.go
+++ b/irc/types.go
@@ -107,6 +107,9 @@ func (clients ClientNameMap) Remove(client *Client) error {
 type ChannelModeSet map[ChannelMode]bool
 
 func (set ChannelModeSet) String() string {
+	if len(set) == 0 {
+		return ""
+	}
 	strs := make([]string, len(set))
 	index := 0
 	for mode := range set {