diff --git a/client/Makefile b/client/Makefile
index 35dfe19..48c3976 100644
--- a/client/Makefile
+++ b/client/Makefile
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ GOFILES=\
 	connection.go\
 	commands.go\
 	handlers.go\
+	line.go\
 	nickchan.go
 
 include $(GOROOT)/src/Make.pkg
diff --git a/client/connection.go b/client/connection.go
index 81af227..32ff9d3 100644
--- a/client/connection.go
+++ b/client/connection.go
@@ -64,18 +64,6 @@ type Conn struct {
 	TSFormat string
 }
 
-// We parse an incoming line into this struct. Line.Cmd is used as the trigger
-// name for incoming event handlers, see *Conn.recv() for details.
-//   Raw =~ ":nick!user@host cmd args[] :text"
-//   Src == "nick!user@host"
-//   Cmd == e.g. PRIVMSG, 332
-type Line struct {
-	Nick, Ident, Host, Src string
-	Cmd, Raw               string
-	Args                   []string
-	Time                   *time.Time
-}
-
 // Creates a new IRC connection object, but doesn't connect to anything so
 // that you can add event handlers to it. See AddHandler() for details.
 func New(nick, user, name string) *Conn {
@@ -191,51 +179,19 @@ func (conn *Conn) send() {
 func (conn *Conn) recv() {
 	for {
 		s, err := conn.io.ReadString('\n')
-		t := conn.Timestamp()
 		if err != nil {
 			conn.error("irc.recv(): %s", err.String())
 			conn.shutdown()
 			break
 		}
 		s = strings.Trim(s, "\r\n")
+		t := conn.Timestamp()
 		if conn.Debug {
 			fmt.Println(t.Format(conn.TSFormat) + " <- " + s)
 		}
 
-		line := &Line{Raw: s, Time: t}
-		if s[0] == ':' {
-			// remove a source and parse it
-			if idx := strings.Index(s, " "); idx != -1 {
-				line.Src, s = s[1:idx], s[idx+1:len(s)]
-			} else {
-				// pretty sure we shouldn't get here ...
-				line.Src = s[1:len(s)]
-				conn.in <- line
-				continue
-			}
-
-			// src can be the hostname of the irc server or a nick!user@host
-			line.Host = line.Src
-			nidx, uidx := strings.Index(line.Src, "!"), strings.Index(line.Src, "@")
-			if uidx != -1 && nidx != -1 {
-				line.Nick = line.Src[0:nidx]
-				line.Ident = line.Src[nidx+1 : uidx]
-				line.Host = line.Src[uidx+1 : len(line.Src)]
-			}
-		}
-
-		// now we're here, we've parsed a :nick!user@host or :server off
-		// s should contain "cmd args[] :text"
-		args := strings.Split(s, " :", 2)
-		if len(args) > 1 {
-			args = append(strings.Fields(args[0]), args[1])
-		} else {
-			args = strings.Fields(args[0])
-		}
-		line.Cmd = strings.ToUpper(args[0])
-		if len(args) > 1 {
-			line.Args = args[1:len(args)]
-		}
+		line := parseLine(s)
+		line.Time = t
 		conn.in <- line
 	}
 }
diff --git a/client/line.go b/client/line.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d644add
--- /dev/null
+++ b/client/line.go
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+package client
+
+import (
+	"strings"
+	"time"
+)
+
+// We parse an incoming line into this struct. Line.Cmd is used as the trigger
+// name for incoming event handlers, see *Conn.recv() for details.
+//   Raw =~ ":nick!user@host cmd args[] :text"
+//   Src == "nick!user@host"
+//   Cmd == e.g. PRIVMSG, 332
+type Line struct {
+	Nick, Ident, Host, Src string
+	Cmd, Raw               string
+	Args                   []string
+	Time                   *time.Time
+}
+
+func parseLine(s string) *Line {
+	line := &Line{Raw: s}
+	if s[0] == ':' {
+		// remove a source and parse it
+		if idx := strings.Index(s, " "); idx != -1 {
+			line.Src, s = s[1:idx], s[idx+1:len(s)]
+		} else {
+			// pretty sure we shouldn't get here ...
+			line.Src = s[1:len(s)]
+			return line
+		}
+
+		// src can be the hostname of the irc server or a nick!user@host
+		line.Host = line.Src
+		nidx, uidx := strings.Index(line.Src, "!"), strings.Index(line.Src, "@")
+		if uidx != -1 && nidx != -1 {
+			line.Nick = line.Src[0:nidx]
+			line.Ident = line.Src[nidx+1 : uidx]
+			line.Host = line.Src[uidx+1 : len(line.Src)]
+		}
+	}
+
+	// now we're here, we've parsed a :nick!user@host or :server off
+	// s should contain "cmd args[] :text"
+	args := strings.Split(s, " :", 2)
+	if len(args) > 1 {
+		args = append(strings.Fields(args[0]), args[1])
+	} else {
+		args = strings.Fields(args[0])
+	}
+	line.Cmd = strings.ToUpper(args[0])
+	if len(args) > 1 {
+		line.Args = args[1:len(args)]
+	}
+	return line
+}
+