diff --git a/src/irclib.py b/src/irclib.py
index 6f20a737a..084f04b6c 100644
--- a/src/irclib.py
+++ b/src/irclib.py
@@ -323,34 +323,40 @@ class ChannelState(object):
 class IrcState(IrcCommandDispatcher):
     """Maintains state of the Irc connection.  Should also become smarter.
     """
-    __slots__ = ('history', 'nicksToHostmasks', 'channels')
     __metaclass__ = log.MetaFirewall
     __firewalled__ = {'addMsg': None}
-    def __init__(self):
-        self.supported = utils.InsensitivePreservingDict()
-        self.history=RingBuffer(conf.supybot.protocols.irc.maxHistoryLength())
-        self.reset()
+    def __init__(self, history=None, supported=None,
+                 nicksToHostmasks=None, channels=None):
+        if history is None:
+            history = RingBuffer(conf.supybot.protocols.irc.maxHistoryLength())
+        if supported is None:
+            supported = utils.InsensitivePreservingDict()
+        if nicksToHostmasks is None:
+            nicksToHostmasks = ircutils.IrcDict()
+        if channels is None:
+            channels = ircutils.IrcDict()
+        self.supported = supported
+        self.history = history
+        self.channels = channels
+        self.nicksToHostmasks = nicksToHostmasks
 
     def reset(self):
         """Resets the state to normal, unconnected state."""
         self.history.reset()
+        self.channels.clear()
         self.supported.clear()
+        self.nicksToHostmasks.clear()
         self.history.resize(conf.supybot.protocols.irc.maxHistoryLength())
-        self.channels = ircutils.IrcDict()
-        self.nicksToHostmasks = ircutils.IrcDict()
-
-    def __getstate__(self):
-        return map(utils.curry(getattr, self), self.__slots__)
-
-    def __setstate__(self, t):
-        for (name, value) in zip(self.__slots__, t):
-            setattr(self, name, value)
 
+    def __reduce__(self):
+        return (self.__class__, (self.history, self.supported,
+                                 self.nicksToHostmasks, self.channels))
+    
     def __eq__(self, other):
-        ret = True
-        for name in self.__slots__:
-            ret = ret and getattr(self, name) == getattr(other, name)
-        return ret
+        return self.history == other.history and \
+               self.channels == other.channels and \
+               self.supported == other.supported and \
+               self.nicksToHostmasks == other.nicksToHostmasks
 
     def __ne__(self, other):
         return not self == other
diff --git a/test/test_irclib.py b/test/test_irclib.py
index 98c357242..558ed9e71 100644
--- a/test/test_irclib.py
+++ b/test/test_irclib.py
@@ -254,7 +254,17 @@ class IrcStateTestCase(SupyTestCase):
                 pass
         self.assertEqual(state, state.copy())
 
+    def testCopyCopiesChannels(self):
         state = irclib.IrcState()
+        stateCopy = copy.copy(state)
+        state.channels['#foo'] = None
+        self.failIf('#foo' in stateCopy.channels)
+
+    def testCopyCopiesChannels2(self):
+        state = irclib.IrcState()
+        stateCopy = state.copy()
+        state.channels['#foo'] = None
+        self.failIf('#foo' in stateCopy.channels)
 
     def testJoin(self):
         st = irclib.IrcState()