diff --git a/plugins/Internet/plugin.py b/plugins/Internet/plugin.py
index 9cc249614..37e70488e 100644
--- a/plugins/Internet/plugin.py
+++ b/plugins/Internet/plugin.py
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ import time
 import socket
 import telnetlib
 
+import supybot.conf as conf
 import supybot.utils as utils
 from supybot.commands import *
 from supybot.utils.iter import any
@@ -88,7 +89,10 @@ class Internet(callbacks.Plugin):
             irc.errorInvalid(_('domain'))
             return
         try:
-            sock = utils.net.getSocket('%s.whois-servers.net' % usertld)
+            sock = utils.net.getSocket('%s.whois-servers.net' % usertld,
+                    vhost=conf.supybot.protocols.irc.vhost(),
+                    vhostv6=conf.supybot.protocols.irc.vhostv6(),
+                    )
             sock.connect(('%s.whois-servers.net' % usertld, 43))
         except socket.error as e:
             irc.error(str(e))
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 63052c2a7..dca07ecf7 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -74,7 +74,9 @@ try:
 except OSError: # Does not exist
     pass
 fd = open(os.path.join('src', 'version.py'), 'a')
+fd.write('import supybot.utils.python\n')
 fd.write("version = '0.83.4.1+limnoria %s'\n" % version)
+fd.write('supybot.utils.python._debug_software_version = version\n')
 fd.close()
 
 if sys.version_info < (2, 6, 0):
diff --git a/src/__init__.py b/src/__init__.py
index 7916bc231..96693d13a 100644
--- a/src/__init__.py
+++ b/src/__init__.py
@@ -30,7 +30,12 @@
 
 from . import dynamicScope
 
+from . import i18n
+
+builtins = (__builtins__ if isinstance(__builtins__, dict) else __builtins__.__dict__)
+builtins['supybotInternationalization'] = i18n.PluginInternationalization()
 from . import utils
+del builtins['supybotInternationalization']
 
 (__builtins__ if isinstance(__builtins__, dict) else __builtins__.__dict__)['format'] = utils.str.format
 
diff --git a/src/conf.py b/src/conf.py
index 07c48e155..8712ab040 100644
--- a/src/conf.py
+++ b/src/conf.py
@@ -370,6 +370,12 @@ registerGroup(supybot, 'reply')
 registerGroup(supybot.reply, 'format')
 registerChannelValue(supybot.reply.format, 'url',
     registry.String('<%s>', _("""Determines how urls should be formatted.""")))
+def url(s):
+    if s:
+        return supybot.reply.format.url() % s
+    else:
+        return ''
+utils.str.url = url
 registerChannelValue(supybot.reply.format, 'time',
     registry.String('%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%S%z', _("""Determines how timestamps
     printed for human reading should be formatted. Refer to the Python
diff --git a/src/drivers/Socket.py b/src/drivers/Socket.py
index d1b10dc99..760e97b26 100644
--- a/src/drivers/Socket.py
+++ b/src/drivers/Socket.py
@@ -263,7 +263,10 @@ class SocketDriver(drivers.IrcDriver, drivers.ServersMixin):
         drivers.log.connect(self.currentServer)
         try:
             self.conn = utils.net.getSocket(address, port=port,
-                    socks_proxy=socks_proxy)
+                    socks_proxy=socks_proxy,
+                    vhost=conf.supybot.protocols.irc.vhost(),
+                    vhostv6=conf.supybot.protocols.irc.vhostv6(),
+                    )
         except socket.error as e:
             drivers.log.connectError(self.currentServer, e)
             self.scheduleReconnect()
diff --git a/src/utils/__init__.py b/src/utils/__init__.py
index 39e5304c3..bf6e86290 100644
--- a/src/utils/__init__.py
+++ b/src/utils/__init__.py
@@ -48,13 +48,17 @@ def split(s):
 csv.join = join
 csv.split = split
 
+builtins = (__builtins__ if isinstance(__builtins__, dict) else __builtins__.__dict__)
+
 # We use this often enough that we're going to stick it in builtins.
 def force(x):
     if callable(x):
         return x()
     else:
         return x
-(__builtins__ if isinstance(__builtins__, dict) else __builtins__.__dict__)['force'] = force
+builtins['force'] = force
+
+internationalization = builtins.get('supybotInternationalization', None)
 
 # These imports need to happen below the block above, so things get put into
 # __builtins__ appropriately.
diff --git a/src/utils/gen.py b/src/utils/gen.py
index cd1a50690..56f70ada7 100644
--- a/src/utils/gen.py
+++ b/src/utils/gen.py
@@ -47,9 +47,7 @@ from .str import format
 from .file import mktemp
 from .iter import imap
 from . import minisix
-
-from supybot.i18n import PluginInternationalization
-_ = PluginInternationalization()
+from . import internationalization as _
 
 def warn_non_constant_time(f):
     @functools.wraps(f)
diff --git a/src/utils/minisix.py b/src/utils/minisix.py
index ed6080094..0d68b64f1 100644
--- a/src/utils/minisix.py
+++ b/src/utils/minisix.py
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@
 from __future__ import division
 
 import sys
+import warnings
 
 if sys.version_info[0] >= 3:
     PY2 = False
@@ -85,10 +86,9 @@ else:
     L = lambda x:long(x)
 
     def make_datetime_utc(dt):
-        from .. import log
-        log.warning('Timezones are not available on this version of '
-                    'Python and may lead to incorrect results. You should '
-                    'consider upgrading to Python 3.')
+        warnings.warn('Timezones are not available on this version of '
+                     'Python and may lead to incorrect results. You should '
+                     'consider upgrading to Python 3.')
         return dt.replace(tzinfo=None)
     if sys.version_info >= (2, 7):
         def timedelta__totalseconds(td):
@@ -98,9 +98,8 @@ else:
             return (td.microseconds + (td.seconds + td.days * 24 * 3600) * 10**6) / 10**6
 
     def datetime__timestamp(dt):
-        from .. import log
         import datetime
-        log.warning('Timezones are not available on this version of '
-                    'Python and may lead to incorrect results. You should '
-                    'consider upgrading to Python 3.')
+        warnings.warn('Timezones are not available on this version of '
+                     'Python and may lead to incorrect results. You should '
+                     'consider upgrading to Python 3.')
         return timedelta__totalseconds(dt - datetime.datetime(1970, 1, 1))
diff --git a/src/utils/net.py b/src/utils/net.py
index 7381230db..66096f140 100644
--- a/src/utils/net.py
+++ b/src/utils/net.py
@@ -62,18 +62,13 @@ def getSocket(host, port=None, socks_proxy=None, vhost=None, vhostv6=None):
         s.setproxy(socks.PROXY_TYPE_SOCKS5, hostname, int(port),
                 rdns=True)
         return s
-    import supybot.conf as conf
     if isIPV4(host):
         s = socket.socket(socket.AF_INET, socket.SOCK_STREAM)
-        if not vhost:
-            vhost = conf.supybot.protocols.irc.vhost()
         if vhost:
             s.bind((vhost, 0))
         return s
     elif isIPV6(host):
         s = socket.socket(socket.AF_INET6, socket.SOCK_STREAM)
-        if not vhostv6:
-            vhostv6 = conf.supybot.protocols.irc.vhostv6()
         if vhostv6:
             s.bind((vhostv6, 0))
         return s
diff --git a/src/utils/python.py b/src/utils/python.py
index 4db8c3f81..59ae3a920 100644
--- a/src/utils/python.py
+++ b/src/utils/python.py
@@ -116,6 +116,8 @@ def glob2re(g):
     return fnmatch.translate(g)[:-7]
 
 
+_debug_software_name = 'Limnoria'
+_debug_software_version = None
 # From http://code.activestate.com/recipes/52215-get-more-information-from-tracebacks/
 def collect_extra_debug_data():
     """
@@ -133,11 +135,11 @@ def collect_extra_debug_data():
     finally:
         del tb
 
-    try:
-        from supybot.version import version
-        data += 'Supybot version: %s\n\n' % version
-    except:
-        data += '(Cannot get Supybot version.)\n\n'
+    if _debug_software_version:
+        data += '%s version: %s\n\n' % \
+                (_debug_software_name, _debug_software_version)
+    else:
+        data += '(Cannot get %s version.)\n\n' % _debug_software_name
 
     data += 'Locals by frame, innermost last:\n'
     for frame in stack:
diff --git a/src/utils/str.py b/src/utils/str.py
index a961b8ff4..cf6f5b039 100644
--- a/src/utils/str.py
+++ b/src/utils/str.py
@@ -43,8 +43,7 @@ from . import minisix
 from .iter import all, any
 from .structures import TwoWayDictionary
 
-from supybot.i18n import PluginInternationalization
-_ = PluginInternationalization()
+from . import internationalization as _
 internationalizeFunction = _.internationalizeFunction
 
 try:
@@ -480,6 +479,8 @@ def timestamp(t):
     if t is None:
         t = time.time()
     return time.ctime(t)
+def url(url):
+    return url
 
 _formatRe = re.compile('%((?:\d+)?\.\d+f|[bfhiLnpqrsStTuv%])')
 def format(s, *args, **kwargs):
@@ -578,12 +579,7 @@ def format(s, *args, **kwargs):
             from .gen import timeElapsed
             return timeElapsed(args.pop())
         elif char == 'u':
-            import supybot.conf as conf
-            url = args.pop()
-            if url:
-                return conf.supybot.reply.format.url() % url
-            else:
-                return ''
+            return url(args.pop())
         elif char == 'v':
             args.pop()
             return ''