diff --git a/PBot/PBot.pm b/PBot/PBot.pm
index c5dd0a70..8c50d25c 100644
--- a/PBot/PBot.pm
+++ b/PBot/PBot.pm
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ sub initialize {
             my ($item, $value) = split /=/, $arg, 2;
 
             if (not defined $item or not defined $value) {
-                print STDERR "Fatal error: unknown argument `$arg`; arguments must be in the form of `section.key=value` (e.g.: irc.botnick=newnick)\n";
+                print STDERR "Fatal error: unknown argument `$arg`; arguments must be in the form of `section.key=value` or `path_dir=value` (e.g.: irc.botnick=newnick or data_dir=path)\n";
                 exit;
             }
 
@@ -174,8 +174,11 @@ sub initialize {
         exit;
     }
 
+    # prepare the IRC engine
+    $self->{irc} = PBot::IRC->new;
+
     # prepare remaining core PBot modules -- do not change this order
-    $self->{timer} = PBot::Timer->new(pbot => $self, timeout => 10, name => 'PBot Timer', %conf);
+    $self->{timer}            = PBot::Timer->new(pbot => $self, timeout => 10, name => 'PBot Timer', %conf);
     $self->{event_dispatcher} = PBot::EventDispatcher->new(pbot => $self, %conf);
     $self->{users}            = PBot::Users->new(pbot => $self, filename => "$conf{data_dir}/users", %conf);
     $self->{antiflood}        = PBot::AntiFlood->new(pbot => $self, %conf);
@@ -188,7 +191,6 @@ sub initialize {
     $self->{functions}        = PBot::Functions->new(pbot => $self, %conf);
     $self->{refresher}        = PBot::Refresher->new(pbot => $self);
     $self->{ignorelist}       = PBot::IgnoreList->new(pbot => $self, filename => "$conf{data_dir}/ignorelist", %conf);
-    $self->{irc}              = PBot::IRC->new();
     $self->{irchandlers}      = PBot::IRCHandlers->new(pbot => $self, %conf);
     $self->{interpreter}      = PBot::Interpreter->new(pbot => $self, %conf);
     $self->{lagchecker}       = PBot::LagChecker->new(pbot => $self, %conf);
@@ -332,16 +334,17 @@ sub exit {
 
 # main loop
 sub do_one_loop {
-    my $self = shift;
-    $self->{irc}->do_one_loop() if $self->{connected};
-    $self->{select_handler}->do_select;
+    my ($self) = @_;
+    $self->{irc}->do_one_loop();
 }
 
 # main entry point
 sub start {
     my $self = shift;
+
+    $self->connect;
+
     while (1) {
-        $self->connect if not $self->{connected};
         $self->do_one_loop;
     }
 }
diff --git a/PBot/SelectHandler.pm b/PBot/SelectHandler.pm
index 59bd5867..6f6f29a0 100644
--- a/PBot/SelectHandler.pm
+++ b/PBot/SelectHandler.pm
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 # File: SelectHandler.pm
 #
-# Purpose: Invokes select() system call and handles its events.
+# Purpose: Adds/removes file handles to/from PBot::IRC's select loop
+# and contains handlers for select events.
 
 # This Source Code Form is subject to the terms of the Mozilla Public
 # License, v. 2.0. If a copy of the MPL was not distributed with this
@@ -11,87 +12,75 @@ use parent 'PBot::Class';
 
 use PBot::Imports;
 
-use IO::Select;
-
 sub initialize {
-    my ($self, %conf) = @_;
-    $self->{select}  = IO::Select->new();
-    $self->{readers} = {};
-    $self->{buffers} = {};
+    # nothing to initialize
 }
 
 sub add_reader {
     my ($self, $handle, $subref) = @_;
-    $self->{select}->add($handle);
-    $self->{readers}->{$handle} = $subref;
+
+    # add file handle to PBot::IRC's select loop
+    $self->{pbot}->{irc}->addfh($handle, sub { $self->on_select_read($handle, $subref) }, 'r');
+
+    # create read buffer for this handle
     $self->{buffers}->{$handle} = '';
 }
 
 sub remove_reader {
     my ($self, $handle) = @_;
-    $self->{select}->remove($handle);
-    delete $self->{readers}->{$handle};
+
+    # remove file handle from PBot::IRC's select loop
+    $self->{pbot}->{irc}->removefh($handle);
+
+    # delete this handle's read buffer
     delete $self->{buffers}->{$handle};
 }
 
-sub do_select {
-    my ($self) = @_;
+sub on_select_read {
+    my ($self, $handle, $subref) = @_;
 
     # maximum read length
     my $length = 8192;
 
-    # check if any readers can read
-    my @ready  = $self->{select}->can_read(.1);
+    # read from handle
+    my $ret = sysread($handle, my $buf, $length);
 
-    foreach my $fh (@ready) {
-        # read from handle
-        my $ret = sysread($fh, my $buf, $length);
+    # error reading
+    if (not defined $ret) {
+        $self->{pbot}->{logger}->log("SelectHandler: Error reading $handle: $!\n");
+        $self->remove_reader($handle);
+        return;
+    }
 
-        # error reading
-        if (not defined $ret) {
-            $self->{pbot}->{logger}->log("SelectHandler: Error reading $fh: $!\n");
-            $self->remove_reader($fh);
-            next;
+    # reader closed
+    if ($ret == 0) {
+        # is there anything in reader's buffer?
+        if (length $self->{buffers}->{$handle}) {
+            # send buffer to reader subref
+            $self->{readers}->{$handle}->($self->{buffers}->{$handle});
         }
 
-        # reader closed
-        if ($ret == 0) {
-            # is there anything in reader's buffer?
-            if (length $self->{buffers}->{$fh}) {
-                # send buffer to reader subref
-                $self->{readers}->{$fh}->($self->{buffers}->{$fh});
-            }
+        # remove reader
+        $self->remove_reader($handle);
+        return;
+    }
 
-            # remove reader
-            $self->remove_reader($fh);
+    # accumulate input into reader's buffer
+    $self->{buffers}->{$handle} .= $buf;
 
-            # skip to next reader
-            next;
-        }
+    # if we read less than max length bytes then this is probably
+    # a complete message so send it to reader now, otherwise we'll
+    # continue to accumulate input into reader's buffer and then send
+    # the buffer when reader closes.
+    #
+    # FIXME: this should be line-based or some protocol.
 
-        # sanity check for missing reader
-        if (not exists $self->{readers}->{$fh}) {
-            $self->{pbot}->{logger}->log("Error: no reader for $fh\n");
+    if ($ret < $length) {
+        # send reader's buffer to reader's consumer subref
+        $subref->($self->{buffers}->{$handle});
 
-            # skip to next reader
-            next;
-        }
-
-        # accumulate input into reader's buffer
-        $self->{buffers}->{$fh} .= $buf;
-
-        # if we read less than max length bytes then this is probably
-        # a complete message so send it to reader now, otherwise we'll
-        # continue to accumulate input into reader's buffer and then send
-        # the buffer when reader closes.
-
-        if ($ret < $length) {
-            # send reader's buffer to reader subref
-            $self->{readers}->{$fh}->($self->{buffers}->{$fh});
-
-            # clear out reader's buffer
-            $self->{buffers}->{$fh} = '';
-        }
+        # clear out reader's buffer
+        $self->{buffers}->{$handle} = '';
     }
 }