diff --git a/auth.go b/auth.go
index 84ad719..89caaa0 100644
--- a/auth.go
+++ b/auth.go
@@ -8,8 +8,8 @@ import (
 	"github.com/kless/goconfig/config"
 )
 
-var auth *config.Config
 const authFile = "auth.conf"
+var auth *config.Config
 
 func readAuth() {
 	var err os.Error;
@@ -38,8 +38,7 @@ func addAccess(conn *irc.Conn, channel, nick, flags string) (string, string) {
 	}
 
 	auth.AddOption(section, n.Host, nflags)
-	err := auth.WriteFile(authFile, 0644, "")
-	if err != nil {
+	if err := auth.WriteFile(authFile, 0644, ""); err != nil {
 		say(conn, channel, "Error while writing to %s", authFile)
 	}
 	// config.WriteFile destroys the config, so
diff --git a/handler.go b/handler.go
index b4afc5f..d0bc1ee 100644
--- a/handler.go
+++ b/handler.go
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ var commands = map [string]func(*irc.Conn, string, string, string) {
 	"flags": flags,
 	"add": add,
 	"topic": topic,
+	"appendtopic": appendtopic,
 }
 
 const googleAPIKey = "ABQIAAAA6-N_jl4ETgtMf2M52JJ_WRQjQjNunkAJHIhTdFoxe8Di7fkkYhRRcys7ZxNbH3MIy_MKKcEO4-9_Ag"
@@ -77,7 +78,11 @@ func command(conn *irc.Conn, nick, text, target string) {
 
 func say(conn *irc.Conn, target, message string, a ...interface{}) {
 	text := strings.Replace(fmt.Sprintf(message, a...), "\n", " ", -1)
-	conn.Privmsg(target, text)
+	if isChannel(target) {
+		conn.Privmsg(target, text)
+	} else {
+		conn.Notice(target, text)
+	}
 }
 
 func youtube(conn *irc.Conn, nick, video, channel string) {
@@ -237,13 +242,34 @@ func flags(conn *irc.Conn, nick, args, channel string) {
 }
 
 func topic(conn *irc.Conn, nick, args, channel string) {
-	if !isChannel(channel) {
+	if !isChannel(channel) || !hasAccess(conn, channel, nick, "t") {
 		return
 	}
-	if hasAccess(conn, channel, nick, "t") {
-		if args != "" {
-			conn.Topic(channel, args)
-		}
-		// TODO: appendtopic, query for topic with blank args
+	section := conn.Network + " " + channel
+	if args != "" {
+		updateConf(section, "basetopic", args)
+		conn.Topic(channel, args)
+	} else {
+		basetopic, _ := conf.String(section, "basetopic")
+		say(conn, nick, "Basetopic: %s", basetopic)
 	}
 }
+func appendtopic(conn *irc.Conn, nick, args, channel string) {
+	if !isChannel(channel) || !hasAccess(conn, channel, nick, "t") {
+		return
+	}
+	c := conn.GetChannel(channel)
+	if c == nil {
+		say(conn, channel, "Error while getting channel information for %s", channel)
+		return
+	}
+
+	section := conn.Network + " " + channel
+	basetopic, _ := conf.String(section, "basetopic")
+	if !strings.HasPrefix(c.Topic, basetopic) {
+		basetopic = c.Topic
+		say(conn, nick, "New basetopic: %s", basetopic)
+		updateConf(section, "basetopic", basetopic)
+	}
+	conn.Topic(channel, basetopic + args)
+}
diff --git a/rbot.go b/rbot.go
index de5a643..3b3b230 100644
--- a/rbot.go
+++ b/rbot.go
@@ -8,18 +8,13 @@ import (
 	"github.com/kless/goconfig/config"
 )
 
+const confFile = "rbot.conf"
 var trigger string
 var sections []string
 var conf *config.Config
 
 func main() {
-	var err os.Error;
-	conf, err = config.ReadDefault("rbot.conf")
-	if (err != nil) {
-		fmt.Printf("Config error: %s\n", err)
-		os.Exit(1)
-	}
-
+	readConf()
 	trigger = readConfString("DEFAULT", "trigger")
 	readAuth()
 
@@ -84,6 +79,14 @@ func autojoin(conn *irc.Conn) {
 	}
 }
 
+func readConf() {
+	var err os.Error;
+	conf, err = config.ReadDefault("rbot.conf")
+	if (err != nil) {
+		fmt.Printf("Config error: %s\n", err)
+		os.Exit(1)
+	}
+}
 func readConfString(section, option string) string {
 	value, err := conf.String(section, option)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -98,3 +101,11 @@ func readConfBool(section, option string) bool {
 	}
 	return value
 }
+func updateConf(section, option, value string) {
+	conf.AddOption(section, option, value)
+	if err := conf.WriteFile(confFile, 0644, ""); err != nil {
+		panic("Error while writing to " + confFile)
+	}
+	// config.WriteFile destroys the config, so
+	readConf()
+}