diff --git a/bridge/bridge.go b/bridge/bridge.go
index a849ba67..2a9ea7c7 100644
--- a/bridge/bridge.go
+++ b/bridge/bridge.go
@@ -41,6 +41,9 @@ func NewBridge(cfg *config.Config) error {
 	if len(b.Bridges) < 2 {
 		log.Fatalf("only %d sections enabled. Need at least 2 sections enabled (eg [IRC] and [mattermost]", len(b.Bridges))
 	}
+	for _, br := range b.Bridges {
+		br.Connect()
+	}
 	b.mapChannels()
 	b.mapIgnores()
 	b.handleReceive(c)
diff --git a/bridge/irc/irc.go b/bridge/irc/irc.go
index d37149a0..9ed5202b 100644
--- a/bridge/irc/irc.go
+++ b/bridge/irc/irc.go
@@ -20,38 +20,27 @@ type Birc struct {
 	names          map[string][]string
 	ircIgnoreNicks []string
 	*config.Config
-	kind   string
 	Remote chan config.Message
 }
 
 type FancyLog struct {
-	irc  *log.Entry
-	mm   *log.Entry
-	xmpp *log.Entry
+	irc *log.Entry
 }
 
 var flog FancyLog
 
-const Legacy = "legacy"
-
 func init() {
 	flog.irc = log.WithFields(log.Fields{"module": "irc"})
-	flog.mm = log.WithFields(log.Fields{"module": "mattermost"})
-	flog.xmpp = log.WithFields(log.Fields{"module": "xmpp"})
 }
 
 func New(config *config.Config, c chan config.Message) *Birc {
 	b := &Birc{}
 	b.Config = config
-	b.kind = "legacy"
 	b.Remote = c
 	b.ircNick = b.Config.IRC.Nick
 	b.ircMap = make(map[string]string)
 	b.names = make(map[string][]string)
 	b.ircIgnoreNicks = strings.Fields(b.Config.IRC.IgnoreNicks)
-	flog.irc.Info("Trying IRC connection")
-	b.i = b.connect()
-	flog.irc.Info("Connection succeeded")
 	return b
 }
 
@@ -63,6 +52,27 @@ func (b *Birc) Command(msg *config.Message) string {
 	return ""
 }
 
+func (b *Birc) Connect() error {
+	flog.irc.Info("Trying IRC connection")
+	i := irc.IRC(b.Config.IRC.Nick, b.Config.IRC.Nick)
+	i.UseTLS = b.Config.IRC.UseTLS
+	i.UseSASL = b.Config.IRC.UseSASL
+	i.SASLLogin = b.Config.IRC.NickServNick
+	i.SASLPassword = b.Config.IRC.NickServPassword
+	i.TLSConfig = &tls.Config{InsecureSkipVerify: b.Config.IRC.SkipTLSVerify}
+	if b.Config.IRC.Password != "" {
+		i.Password = b.Config.IRC.Password
+	}
+	i.AddCallback(ircm.RPL_WELCOME, b.handleNewConnection)
+	err := i.Connect(b.Config.IRC.Server)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	flog.irc.Info("Connection succeeded")
+	b.i = i
+	return nil
+}
+
 func (b *Birc) Name() string {
 	return "irc"
 }
@@ -80,24 +90,6 @@ func (b *Birc) Send(msg config.Message) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-func (b *Birc) connect() *irc.Connection {
-	i := irc.IRC(b.Config.IRC.Nick, b.Config.IRC.Nick)
-	i.UseTLS = b.Config.IRC.UseTLS
-	i.UseSASL = b.Config.IRC.UseSASL
-	i.SASLLogin = b.Config.IRC.NickServNick
-	i.SASLPassword = b.Config.IRC.NickServPassword
-	i.TLSConfig = &tls.Config{InsecureSkipVerify: b.Config.IRC.SkipTLSVerify}
-	if b.Config.IRC.Password != "" {
-		i.Password = b.Config.IRC.Password
-	}
-	i.AddCallback(ircm.RPL_WELCOME, b.handleNewConnection)
-	err := i.Connect(b.Config.IRC.Server)
-	if err != nil {
-		flog.irc.Fatal(err)
-	}
-	return i
-}
-
 func (b *Birc) endNames(event *irc.Event) {
 	channel := event.Arguments[1]
 	sort.Strings(b.names[channel])
diff --git a/bridge/mattermost/mattermost.go b/bridge/mattermost/mattermost.go
index 63f38dc5..9dc0cebb 100644
--- a/bridge/mattermost/mattermost.go
+++ b/bridge/mattermost/mattermost.go
@@ -55,6 +55,14 @@ func New(cfg *config.Config, c chan config.Message) *Bmattermost {
 	b.Remote = c
 	b.Plus = cfg.General.Plus
 	b.mmMap = make(map[string]string)
+	return b
+}
+
+func (b *Bmattermost) Command(cmd string) string {
+	return ""
+}
+
+func (b *Bmattermost) Connect() error {
 	if !b.Plus {
 		b.mh = matterhook.New(b.Config.Mattermost.URL,
 			matterhook.Config{InsecureSkipVerify: b.Config.Mattermost.SkipTLSVerify,
@@ -67,7 +75,7 @@ func New(cfg *config.Config, c chan config.Message) *Bmattermost {
 		flog.mm.Infof("Trying login %s (team: %s) on %s", b.Config.Mattermost.Login, b.Config.Mattermost.Team, b.Config.Mattermost.Server)
 		err := b.mc.Login()
 		if err != nil {
-			flog.mm.Fatal("Can not connect", err)
+			return err
 		}
 		flog.mm.Info("Login ok")
 		b.mc.JoinChannel(b.Config.Mattermost.Channel)
@@ -77,11 +85,7 @@ func New(cfg *config.Config, c chan config.Message) *Bmattermost {
 		go b.mc.WsReceiver()
 	}
 	go b.handleMatter()
-	return b
-}
-
-func (b *Bmattermost) Command(cmd string) string {
-	return ""
+	return nil
 }
 
 func (b *Bmattermost) Name() string {
diff --git a/bridge/xmpp/xmpp.go b/bridge/xmpp/xmpp.go
index 32cf999b..5d10f9bd 100644
--- a/bridge/xmpp/xmpp.go
+++ b/bridge/xmpp/xmpp.go
@@ -17,8 +17,6 @@ type Bxmpp struct {
 }
 
 type FancyLog struct {
-	irc  *log.Entry
-	mm   *log.Entry
 	xmpp *log.Entry
 }
 
@@ -31,27 +29,29 @@ type Message struct {
 var flog FancyLog
 
 func init() {
-	flog.irc = log.WithFields(log.Fields{"module": "irc"})
-	flog.mm = log.WithFields(log.Fields{"module": "mattermost"})
 	flog.xmpp = log.WithFields(log.Fields{"module": "xmpp"})
 }
 
 func New(config *config.Config, c chan config.Message) *Bxmpp {
 	b := &Bxmpp{}
 	b.xmppMap = make(map[string]string)
-	var err error
 	b.Config = config
 	b.Remote = c
+	return b
+}
+
+func (b *Bxmpp) Connect() error {
+	var err error
 	flog.xmpp.Info("Trying XMPP connection")
 	b.xc, err = b.createXMPP()
 	if err != nil {
 		flog.xmpp.Debugf("%#v", err)
-		panic("xmpp failure")
+		return err
 	}
 	flog.xmpp.Info("Connection succeeded")
 	b.setupChannels()
 	go b.handleXmpp()
-	return b
+	return nil
 }
 
 func (b *Bxmpp) Name() string {