diff --git a/bot/classes/base_task.py b/bot/classes/base_task.py
index 278a77d..fcffa00 100644
--- a/bot/classes/base_task.py
+++ b/bot/classes/base_task.py
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 class BaseTask(object):
     """A base class for bot tasks that edit Wikipedia."""
-    task_name = None
+    name = None
 
     def __init__(self):
         """Constructor for new tasks.
diff --git a/bot/commands/__init__.py b/bot/commands/__init__.py
index 7cb27be..aad4936 100644
--- a/bot/commands/__init__.py
+++ b/bot/commands/__init__.py
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ def load(connection):
         except AttributeError:
             pass  # The file is doesn't contain a command, so just move on
 
-    msg = "Found {0} command classes: {1}."
+    msg = "Found {0} commands: {1}."
     print msg.format(len(_commands), ", ".join(_commands.keys()))
 
 def get_all():
diff --git a/bot/commands/threads.py b/bot/commands/threads.py
index cf6b18f..263dd6d 100644
--- a/bot/commands/threads.py
+++ b/bot/commands/threads.py
@@ -126,8 +126,8 @@ class Command(BaseCommand):
             self.connection.reply(data, msg)
             return
 
-        # This task does not exist or hasn't been loaded:
-        if task_name not in tasks._tasks.keys():
+        if task_name not in tasks.get_all().keys():
+            # This task does not exist or hasn't been loaded:
             msg = "task could not be found; either bot/tasks/{0}.py doesn't exist, or it wasn't loaded correctly."
             self.connection.reply(data, msg.format(task_name))
             return
diff --git a/bot/tasks/__init__.py b/bot/tasks/__init__.py
index d19292c..64f4f01 100644
--- a/bot/tasks/__init__.py
+++ b/bot/tasks/__init__.py
@@ -7,39 +7,43 @@ This package provides the wiki bot "tasks" EarwigBot runs. Here in __init__,
 you can find some functions used to load and run these tasks.
 """
 
+import os
+import sys
+import threading
 import time
 import traceback
-import threading
-import os
 
+from classes import BaseTask
 import config
 
 __all__ = ["load", "schedule", "start", "get_all"]
 
+# Base directory when searching for tasks:
+base_dir = os.path.join(config.root_dir, "bot", "tasks")
+
 # Store loaded tasks as a dict where the key is the task name and the value is
 # an instance of the task class:
 _tasks = {}
 
-def _load_task(f):
-    """Look in a given file for the task class."""
+def _load_task(filename):
+    """Try to load a specific task from a module, identified by file name."""
     global _tasks
 
-    module = f[:-3]  # strip .py from end
+    # Strip .py from the end of the filename and join with our package name:
+    name = ".".join(("tasks", filename[:-3]))
     try:
-        exec "from wiki.tasks import %s as m" % module
-    except:  # importing the file failed for some reason...
-        print "Couldn't load task file %s:" % f
-        traceback.print_exc()
-        return
-    try:
-        task_class = m.Task
+         __import__(name)
     except:
-        print "Couldn't find or get task class in file %s:" % f
+        print "Couldn't load file {0}:".format(filename)
         traceback.print_exc()
         return
-    task_name = task_class.task_name
-    _tasks[task_name] = task_class()
-    print "Added task %s from bot/tasks/%s..." % (task_name, f)
+
+    task = sys.modules[name].Task()
+    if not isinstance(task, BaseTask):
+        return
+
+    _tasks[task.name] = task
+    print "Added task {0}...".format(task.name)
 
 def _wrapper(task, **kwargs):
     """Wrapper for task classes: run the task and catch any errors."""
@@ -47,28 +51,31 @@ def _wrapper(task, **kwargs):
         task.run(**kwargs)
     except:
         error = "Task '{0}' raised an exception and had to stop:"
-        print error.format(task.task_name)
+        print error.format(task.name)
         traceback.print_exc()
     else:
-        print "Task '{0}' finished without error.".format(task.task_name)
+        print "Task '{0}' finished without error.".format(task.name)
 
 def load():
-    """Load all valid task classes from bot/tasks/, and add them to the _tasks
-    variable."""
-    files = os.listdir(os.path.join("bot", "tasks"))
-    files.sort()  # alphabetically sort all files in wiki/tasks/
-    for f in files:
-        if not os.path.isfile(os.path.join("bot", "tasks", f)):
-            continue  # ignore non-files
-        if f.startswith("_") or not f.endswith(".py"):
-            continue  # ignore non-python files or files beginning with an _
-        load_class_from_file(f)
-    print "Found %s tasks: %s." % (len(_tasks), ', '.join(_tasks.keys()))
+    """Load all valid tasks from bot/tasks/, into the _tasks variable."""
+    files = os.listdir(base_dir)
+    files.sort()
+
+    for filename in files:
+        if filename.startswith("_") or not filename.endswith(".py"):
+            continue
+        try:
+            _load_task(filename)
+        except AttributeError:
+            pass  # The file is doesn't contain a task, so just move on
+
+    print "Found {0} tasks: {1}.".format(len(_tasks), ', '.join(_tasks.keys()))
 
 def schedule(now=time.gmtime()):
     """Start all tasks that are supposed to be run at a given time."""
+    # Get list of tasks to run this turn:
     tasks = config.schedule(now.tm_min, now.tm_hour, now.tm_mday, now.tm_mon,
-            now.tm_wday)  # get list of tasks to run this turn
+                            now.tm_wday) 
 
     for task in tasks:
         if isinstance(task, list):     # they've specified kwargs
diff --git a/bot/tasks/afc_catdelink.py b/bot/tasks/afc_catdelink.py
index 5ad71fd..a3b11f4 100644
--- a/bot/tasks/afc_catdelink.py
+++ b/bot/tasks/afc_catdelink.py
@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
 # -*- coding: utf-8  -*-
 
-from wiki.base_task import BaseTask
+from classes import BaseTask
 
 class Task(BaseTask):
     """A task to delink mainspace categories in declined [[WP:AFC]]
     submissions."""
-    task_name = "afc_catdelink"
+    name = "afc_catdelink"
 
     def __init__(self):
         pass
diff --git a/bot/tasks/afc_copyvios.py b/bot/tasks/afc_copyvios.py
index 93153df..4443cf1 100644
--- a/bot/tasks/afc_copyvios.py
+++ b/bot/tasks/afc_copyvios.py
@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
 # -*- coding: utf-8  -*-
 
-from wiki.base_task import BaseTask
+from classes import BaseTask
 
 class Task(BaseTask):
     """A task to check newly-edited [[WP:AFC]] submissions for copyright
     violations."""
-    task_name = "afc_copyvios"
+    name = "afc_copyvios"
 
     def __init__(self):
         pass
diff --git a/bot/tasks/afc_dailycats.py b/bot/tasks/afc_dailycats.py
index 2a7c2d9..a00fc4a 100644
--- a/bot/tasks/afc_dailycats.py
+++ b/bot/tasks/afc_dailycats.py
@@ -1,10 +1,10 @@
 # -*- coding: utf-8  -*-
 
-from wiki.base_task import BaseTask
+from classes import BaseTask
 
 class Task(BaseTask):
     """ A task to create daily categories for [[WP:AFC]]."""
-    task_name = "afc_dailycats"
+    name = "afc_dailycats"
 
     def __init__(self):
         pass
diff --git a/bot/tasks/afc_statistics.py b/bot/tasks/afc_statistics.py
index 830afc0..2a6ae44 100644
--- a/bot/tasks/afc_statistics.py
+++ b/bot/tasks/afc_statistics.py
@@ -1,14 +1,17 @@
 # -*- coding: utf-8  -*-
 
-from wiki.base_task import BaseTask
+import time
+
+from classes import BaseTask
 
 class Task(BaseTask):
     """A task to generate statistics for [[WP:AFC]] and save them to
     [[Template:AFC_statistics]]."""
-    task_name = "afc_statistics"
+    name = "afc_statistics"
 
     def __init__(self):
         pass
 
     def run(self, **kwargs):
+        time.sleep(5)
         print kwargs
diff --git a/bot/tasks/afc_undated.py b/bot/tasks/afc_undated.py
index ad6124a..dbad88c 100644
--- a/bot/tasks/afc_undated.py
+++ b/bot/tasks/afc_undated.py
@@ -1,10 +1,10 @@
 # -*- coding: utf-8  -*-
 
-from wiki.base_task import BaseTask
+from classes import BaseTask
 
 class Task(BaseTask):
     """A task to clear [[Category:Undated AfC submissions]]."""
-    task_name = "afc_undated"
+    name = "afc_undated"
 
     def __init__(self):
         pass
diff --git a/bot/tasks/blptag.py b/bot/tasks/blptag.py
index 916c79b..fed72a8 100644
--- a/bot/tasks/blptag.py
+++ b/bot/tasks/blptag.py
@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
 # -*- coding: utf-8  -*-
 
-from wiki.base_task import BaseTask
+from classes import BaseTask
 
 class Task(BaseTask):
     """A task to add |blp=yes to {{WPB}} or {{WPBS}} when it is used along with
     {{WP Biography}}."""
-    task_name = "blptag"
+    name = "blptag"
 
     def __init__(self):
         pass
diff --git a/bot/tasks/feed_dailycats.py b/bot/tasks/feed_dailycats.py
index 6d3cb40..24be9ee 100644
--- a/bot/tasks/feed_dailycats.py
+++ b/bot/tasks/feed_dailycats.py
@@ -1,10 +1,10 @@
 # -*- coding: utf-8  -*-
 
-from wiki.base_task import BaseTask
+from classes import BaseTask
 
 class Task(BaseTask):
     """A task to create daily categories for [[WP:FEED]]."""
-    task_name = "feed_dailycats"
+    name = "feed_dailycats"
 
     def __init__(self):
         pass
diff --git a/bot/tasks/wrongmime.py b/bot/tasks/wrongmime.py
index aa56228..69ac042 100644
--- a/bot/tasks/wrongmime.py
+++ b/bot/tasks/wrongmime.py
@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
 # -*- coding: utf-8  -*-
 
-from wiki.base_task import BaseTask
+from classes import BaseTask
 
 class Task(BaseTask):
     """A task to tag files whose extensions do not agree with their MIME
     type."""
-    task_name = "wrongmime"
+    name = "wrongmime"
 
     def __init__(self):
         pass
diff --git a/bot/watcher.py b/bot/watcher.py
index 9153d9a..551e7df 100644
--- a/bot/watcher.py
+++ b/bot/watcher.py
@@ -48,9 +48,9 @@ def main(connection, f_conn=None):
         read_buffer = lines.pop()
 
         for line in lines:
-            _process_message(line)
+            _process_message(connection, line)
 
-def _process_message(line):
+def _process_message(connection, line):
     """Process a single message from IRC."""
     line = line.strip().split()