diff --git a/client/connection.go b/client/connection.go
index 8c032e7..eb7ff29 100644
--- a/client/connection.go
+++ b/client/connection.go
@@ -23,8 +23,10 @@ type Conn struct {
 	Me      *Nick
 	Network string
 
-	// Event handler mapping
+	// Event handler registry and dispatcher
 	Registry event.EventRegistry
+	Dispatcher event.EventDispatcher
+
 	// Map of channels we're on
 	chans map[string]*Channel
 	// Map of nicks we know about
@@ -72,8 +74,10 @@ type Conn struct {
 // 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 {
+	reg := event.NewRegistry()
 	conn := &Conn{
-		Registry: event.NewRegistry(),
+		Registry: reg,
+		Dispatcher: reg,
 		in: make(chan *Line, 32),
 		out: make(chan string, 32),
 		Err: make(chan os.Error, 4),
@@ -89,7 +93,7 @@ func New(nick, user, name string) *Conn {
 		TSFormat: "15:04:05",
 	}
 	conn.initialise()
-	conn.setupEvents()
+	conn.SetupHandlers()
 	conn.Me = conn.NewNick(nick, user, name, "")
 	return conn
 }
@@ -209,7 +213,7 @@ func (conn *Conn) runLoop() {
 	for {
 		select {
 		case line := <-conn.in:
-			conn.dispatchEvent(line)
+			conn.Dispatcher.Dispatch(line.Cmd, conn, line)
 		case <-conn.cLoop:
 			// strobe on control channel, bail out
 			return
@@ -262,7 +266,7 @@ func (conn *Conn) shutdown() {
 		conn.sock.Close()
 		conn.cSend <- true
 		conn.cLoop <- true
-		conn.dispatchEvent(&Line{Cmd: "DISCONNECTED"})
+		conn.Dispatcher.Dispatch("disconnected")
 		// reinit datastructures ready for next connection
 		// do this here rather than after runLoop()'s for due to race
 		conn.initialise()
diff --git a/client/handlers.go b/client/handlers.go
index 19af1fd..4e4ef02 100644
--- a/client/handlers.go
+++ b/client/handlers.go
@@ -28,11 +28,6 @@ func (conn *Conn) AddHandler(name string, f func(*Conn, *Line)) {
 	}))
 }
 
-// loops through all event handlers for line.Cmd, running each in a goroutine
-func (conn *Conn) dispatchEvent(line *Line) {
-	conn.Registry.Dispatch(line.Cmd, conn, line)
-}
-
 // Basic ping/pong handler
 func (conn *Conn) h_PING(line *Line) {
 	conn.Raw("PONG :" + line.Args[0])
@@ -41,7 +36,7 @@ func (conn *Conn) h_PING(line *Line) {
 // Handler to trigger a "CONNECTED" event on receipt of numeric 001
 func (conn *Conn) h_001(line *Line) {
 	// we're connected!
-	conn.dispatchEvent(&Line{Cmd: "CONNECTED"})
+	conn.Dispatcher.Dispatch("connected")
 	// and we're being given our hostname (from the server's perspective)
 	t := line.Args[len(line.Args)-1]
 	if idx := strings.LastIndex(t, " "); idx != -1 {
@@ -288,7 +283,7 @@ func (conn *Conn) h_671(line *Line) {
 }
 
 // sets up the internal event handlers to do useful things with lines
-func (conn *Conn) setupEvents() {
+func (conn *Conn) SetupHandlers() {
 	conn.AddHandler("CTCP", (*Conn).h_CTCP)
 	conn.AddHandler("JOIN", (*Conn).h_JOIN)
 	conn.AddHandler("KICK", (*Conn).h_KICK)
diff --git a/event/registry.go b/event/registry.go
index c5e4d58..ed6c228 100644
--- a/event/registry.go
+++ b/event/registry.go
@@ -36,6 +36,10 @@ func NewHandler(h func(...interface{})) Handler {
 	return &basicHandler{h, NewHandlerID()}
 }
 
+type EventDispatcher interface {
+	Dispatch(name string, ev...interface{})
+}
+
 type EventRegistry interface {
 	AddHandler(name string, h Handler)
 	DelHandler(h Handler)