diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 0d20b64..3174e35 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1 +1,2 @@
 *.pyc
+secure_config.py
diff --git a/actions.py b/actions.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..acf4f12
--- /dev/null
+++ b/actions.py
@@ -0,0 +1,90 @@
+# -*- coding: utf-8  -*-
+
+import string, re, subprocess
+from config import *
+
+s, send, say, action, notice, join = None, None, None, None, None, None
+
+def check_triggers(cmds, act, nick, ident, host, chan, msg = None):
+    global s, send, say, action, notice, join # set commands as globals so we can use them in other functions
+    s, send, say, action, notice, join = cmds # unpack commands
+
+    if act == "join":
+        pass
+
+    if act == "msg_private":
+        pass
+
+    if act == "msg_public":
+        pass
+
+    if act == "msg":
+        if msg == "!test":
+            cmd_test(nick, chan)
+        if msg.startswith("!git"):
+            cmd_git(nick, host, chan, msg)
+
+def get_args(msg): # get command arguments
+    args = msg.strip().split(' ') # strip out extra whitespace and split the message into a list
+    while '' in args: # remove any empty arguments
+        args.remove('')
+    return args[1:] # remove the command itself
+
+def cmd_test(nick, chan): # bot test
+    say(chan, "'sup %s?" % nick)
+
+def cmd_git(nick, host, chan, msg): # commands to interface with the bot's git repository
+    if host not in ADMINS:
+        say(chan, "%s: you must be a bot admin to use this command." % nick)
+        return
+
+    args = get_args(msg)
+    if not args:
+        say(chan, "%s: no arguments provided." % nick)
+        return
+
+    if args[0] == "help": # display all commands
+        cmds = ["branch (show current branch)", "branches (show all branches)", "checkout (switch branches)", "pull (update current branch)"]
+        cmds = ', '.join(cmds)
+        say(chan, "%s: sub-commands are: %s" % (nick, cmds))
+
+    elif args[0] == "branch": # get our current branch
+        branch = subprocess.check_output(['git', 'name-rev', '--name-only', 'HEAD'], stderr=subprocess.STDOUT) # git name-rev --name-only HEAD
+        branch = branch[:-1] # strip newline
+        say(chan, "%s: currently on branch '%s'." % (nick, branch))
+
+    elif args[0] == "branches": # get list of branches
+        branches = subprocess.check_output(['git', 'branch'], stderr=subprocess.STDOUT) # git branch
+        branches = branches[:-1] # strip newline
+        branches = branches.replace('\n* ', ', ') # cleanup extraneous characters
+        branches = branches.replace('* ', ' ')
+        branches = branches.replace('\n  ', ', ')
+        branches = branches.strip()
+        say(chan, "%s: branches: %s." % (nick, branches))
+
+    elif args[0] == "checkout": # switch branches
+        try:
+            branch = args[1]
+        except IndexError: # no branch name provided
+            say(chan, "%s: switch to which branch?" % nick)
+            return
+        try:
+            result = subprocess.check_output(['git', 'checkout', branch], stderr=subprocess.STDOUT) # git checkout our_branch
+            result = result[:-1] # strip newline
+            result = string.lower(result[0] + result[1:]) # lowercase first word
+            say(chan, "%s: %s." % (nick, result))
+        except subprocess.CalledProcessError: # git couldn't switch branches
+            say(chan, "%s: branch '%s' does not exist!" % (nick, branch))
+
+    elif args[0] == "pull": # pull from remote repository
+        branch = subprocess.check_output(['git', 'name-rev', '--name-only', 'HEAD'], stderr=subprocess.STDOUT) # git name-rev --name-only HEAD
+        branch = branch[:-1] # strip newline
+        say(chan, "%s: pulling branch '%s' from remote..." % (nick, branch))
+        result = subprocess.check_output(['git', 'pull', 'origin', branch]) # pull from remote
+        if "Already up-to-date." in result:
+            say(chan, "%s: done; no new changes." % nick)
+        else:
+            say(chan, "%s: done; new changes merged." % nick)
+
+    else:
+        say(chan, "%s: unknown argument: '%s'." % (nick, arg[0]))
diff --git a/bot.py b/bot.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c8f3f19
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bot.py
@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+# -*- coding: utf-8  -*-
+
+## Imports
+import socket, string, re
+from actions import *
+from config import *
+from secure_config import *
+
+def send(msg): # send a message 'msg' to the server
+    s.send(msg + "\r\n")
+    print "   %s" % msg
+
+def say(target, msg): # send a private message 'msg' to 'target'
+    send("PRIVMSG %s :%s" % (target, msg))
+
+def action(target, msg): # send a message as an action
+    say(target,"%sACTION %s%s" % (chr(1), msg, chr(1)))
+
+def notice(target, msg): # send a notice 'msg' to 'target'
+    send("NOTICE %s :%s" % (target, msg))
+
+def join(chan): # join channel 'chan'
+    send("JOIN %s" % chan)
+
+cmds = (s, send, say, action, notice, join) # pack up commands
+
+def main():
+    readbuffer = str()
+    data = [s, send, say, notice, join]
+    while 1:
+        readbuffer = readbuffer + s.recv(1024)
+        temp = string.split(readbuffer, "\n")
+        readbuffer = temp.pop()
+        for line in temp:
+            line2 = string.split(string.rstrip(line))
+
+            if line2[1] == "JOIN":
+                nick, ident, host = re.findall(":(.*?)!(.*?)@(.*?)\Z", line2[0])[0]
+                chan = line2[2][1:]
+
+                check_triggers(cmds, "join", nick, ident, host, chan) # check if there's anything we can respond to, and if so, respond
+
+            if line2[1] == "PRIVMSG":
+                nick, ident, host = re.findall(":(.*?)!(.*?)@(.*?)\Z", line2[0])[0]
+                msg = ' '.join(line2[3:])[1:]
+                chan = line2[2]
+
+                if chan == NICK: # if line2[2] is us, this is a privmsg to us, so set 'chan' as the nick of the sender
+                    chan = nick
+                    check_triggers(cmds, "msg_private", nick, ident, host, chan, msg) # only respond if it's a private message
+                else:
+                    check_triggers(cmds, "msg_public", nick, ident, host, chan, msg) # only respond if it's a public (channel) message
+
+                check_triggers(cmds, "msg", nick, ident, host, chan, msg) # check for general messages
+
+                if msg == "!restart": # hardcode the !restart command (we can't return from within actions.py)
+                    if host in ADMINS:
+                        return True                        
+
+            if line2[0] == "PING": # If we are pinged, pong back to the server
+                send("PONG %s" % line2[1])
+
+            if line2[1] == "376":
+                if NS_AUTH:
+                    say("NickServ", "IDENTIFY %s %s" % (NS_USER, NS_PASS))
+                join(CHAN)
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    s = socket.socket()
+    s.connect((HOST, PORT))
+    send("NICK %s" % NICK)
+    send("USER %s %s bla :%s" % (IDENT, HOST, REALNAME))
+    main()
diff --git a/config.py b/config.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e06f4ce
--- /dev/null
+++ b/config.py
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+# -*- coding: utf-8  -*-
+
+# our server's hostname
+HOST = "irc.freenode.net"
+
+# our server's port
+PORT = 6667
+
+# our nick
+NICK = "EarwigBot|2"
+
+# our ident
+IDENT = "earwigbot"
+
+# our real name
+REALNAME = "[[w:en:User:EarwigBot]]"
+
+# channel to join on startup
+CHAN = "##earwigbot"
+
+# sleep this number of seconds in between API calls and messages sent to IRC
+THROTTLE = 1
+
+# hostnames of users who can update/restart the bot with !update
+ADMINS = ["wikipedia/The-Earwig"]
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/main.py b/main.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f9605c4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/main.py
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+# -*- coding: utf-8  -*-
+
+from subprocess import *
+
+while 1:
+    cmd = ['python', 'bot.py']
+    call(cmd)
\ No newline at end of file