diff --git a/uxnrepl.py b/uxnrepl.py
index 759e80d..67ae96b 100644
--- a/uxnrepl.py
+++ b/uxnrepl.py
@@ -1,11 +1,18 @@
 #!/usr/bin/python
 
 from os import system
+import re
+from socket import socket, AF_INET, SOCK_STREAM
 from subprocess import run, TimeoutExpired
-from sys import stdin, stdout
-from tempfile import mkstemp
+from sys import argv, stdin, stdout
+from tempfile import mkdtemp, mkstemp
+
+server = "irc.libera.chat"
+nick = b"uxnbot7"
+channel = b"#uxnbot"
 
 sandbox = None
+irc = None
 
 template = '''
 |0100
@@ -64,7 +71,7 @@ def execute(s, sandbox=None, timeout=2.0):
         return b'uxncli: timed out'
     return res.stdout
 
-def main():
+def repl():
     print('uxnrepl (ctrl-d to exit)')
     while True:
         stdout.write('> ')
@@ -76,5 +83,73 @@ def main():
         stdout.write(execute(s).decode('utf-8'))
         stdout.flush()
 
+def send(msg):
+    print('>>> %r' % msg)
+    irc.send(msg + b'\r\n')
+
+def recv():
+    msg = irc.recv(2040)
+    print('<<< %r' % msg)
+    return msg
+
+def evaluate(msg):
+    output = execute(msg.decode('utf-8'), sandbox=sandbox)
+    lines = [s.strip() for s in output.split(b'\n')]
+    interesting = [s for s in lines if s and s != 'wst' and s != 'rst']
+    result = b' | '.join(interesting)
+    print('*** executing %r gave %r -> %r -> %r' % (msg, output, interesting, result))
+    return result
+
+def ircbot():
+    global sandbox, irc
+    sandbox = mkdtemp(prefix='uxnrepl')
+    irc = socket(AF_INET, SOCK_STREAM)
+
+    irc.connect((server, 6667))
+    send(b"USER %s %s %s :bot for testing uxntal code" % (nick, nick, nick))
+    send(b"NICK %s" % nick)
+    #send("PRIVMSG nickserv :iNOOPE\r\n")
+    send(b"JOIN %s" % channel)
+
+    ping_re = re.compile(br'PING (.+)$')
+    chan_msg_re = re.compile(br':([^!]+)![^ ]+ PRIVMSG ([^ ]+) :' + nick + br': (.*)$')
+    priv_msg_re = re.compile(br':([^!]+)![^ ]+ PRIVMSG ' + nick + br' :(.*)$')
+
+    while True:
+        text = recv()
+
+        m = ping_re.match(text)
+        if m:
+            send(b'PONG %s' % m.group(1).strip())
+            continue
+
+        m = chan_msg_re.match(text)
+        if m and m.group(2) == channel:
+            user = m.group(1)
+            msg = m.group(3).strip()
+            result = evaluate(msg)
+            send(b'PRIVMSG %s :%s: %s' % (channel, user, result))
+            continue
+
+        m = priv_msg_re.match(text)
+        if m:
+            user = m.group(1)
+            msg = m.group(2).strip()
+            result = evaluate(msg)
+            send(b'PRIVMSG %s :%s' % (user, result))
+            continue
+
+def main():
+    if argv[1:] == [] or argv[1:] == ["repl"]:
+        repl()
+    elif argv[1] == "bot" and len(argv) == 5:
+        # TODO: plug in server, nick, channel
+        server, nick, channel = argv[2:]
+        ircbot()
+    else:
+        print("usage: %s [repl]" % argv[0])
+        print("       %s bot <server> <nick> <channel>" % argv[0])
+        exit(1)
+
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     main()