diff --git a/cobalt b/cobalt
index 4967985..57cee53 100755
--- a/cobalt
+++ b/cobalt
@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
 #! /bin/sh
 
-exec ./bot \
-    -n cobalt \
-    -u cobalt \
-    -a ./cobalt-handler \
-    socat STDIO OPENSSL:woozle.org:994,verify=0
+while true; do
+    ./bot \
+	-n cobalt \
+	-u cobalt \
+	-a ./cobalt-handler \
+	socat STDIO OPENSSL:woozle.org:6697,verify=0
+done
diff --git a/cobalt-handler b/cobalt-handler
index a7fe010..5ca66a0 100755
--- a/cobalt-handler
+++ b/cobalt-handler
@@ -5,7 +5,10 @@ forum=$1;   export forum;   shift
 prefix=$1;  export prefix;  shift
 command=$1; export command; shift
 # $* is now args
-text=$(cat)
+
+# Remeber, read discards leading whitespace.  If that's not okay, use
+# text=$(cat)
+read -r text
 
 join () {
     printf '\aJOIN %s\n' "$1"
diff --git a/firebot b/firebot
index 845ab66..b3d8512 100755
--- a/firebot
+++ b/firebot
@@ -1,24 +1,23 @@
 #! /bin/sh
 
-firebot () {
-    read cmd args
-    case $cmd in
-        calc)
-            printf "%s = " "$args"
-            echo "$args" | bc -l
-            ;;
-        units)
-            src=$(printf "%s" "$args" | sed 's/ ->.*//')
-            dst=$(printf "%s" "$args" | sed 's/.*-> //')
-            units -1 -v -- "$src" "$dst"
-            ;;
-        *)
-            exit 1
-            ;;
-    esac
-}
-
-echo "$1" | firebot
+cmd=${1%% *}
+args=${1#* }
+case $cmd in
+    calc)
+        printf "%s = " "$args"
+        printf "%s\n" "$args" | bc -l
+        ;;
+    units)
+	src=${args% ->*}
+	dst=${args#*-> }
+        units -1 -v -- "$src" "$dst"
+        ;;
+    *)
+        exit 1
+        ;;
+esac
+
+
 
 
 
diff --git a/infobot b/infobot
index 591480f..05c670d 100755
--- a/infobot
+++ b/infobot
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 
 db=$1; shift
 text="$1"
+cmd=${text%% *}
+args=${text#* }
 
 lookup () {
     if ! cdb -q -m $db "$1"; then
@@ -16,7 +18,7 @@ lookup () {
     fi
 }
 
-case "$text" in
+case "$cmd" in
     !h*)
         cat <<EOF
 !stats                       Show statistics
@@ -30,23 +32,20 @@ EOF
         cdb -s $db | head -n 1
         ;;
     !l*)
-        args=$(echo "$text" | cut -d\  -f2-)
         printf "factoids for \"%s\": " "$args"
         cdb -q -m $db "$args" | awk '{printf("|%s", $0);}'
         echo
         ;;
     !a*)
-        args=$(echo "$text" | cut -d\  -f2-)
-        key=$(printf "%s" "$args" | sed 's/ +=.*//')
-        val=$(printf "%s" "$args" | sed 's/.*+= //')
+	key=${args% +=*}
+	val=${args#*+= }
         (printf "+%d,%d:%s->%s\n" ${#key} ${#val} "$key" "$val";
             cdb -d $db) | cdb -c $db
         echo "Okay, $sender, I added a factoid to $key"
         ;;
     !r*)
-        args=$(echo "$text" | cut -d\  -f2-)
-        key=$(printf "%s" "$args" | sed 's/ -=.*//')
-        val=$(printf "%s" "$args" | sed 's/.*-= //')
+	key=${args% -=*}
+	val=${args#*-= }
         re=":$key->.*$val"
         n=$(cdb -d $db | grep -c "$re")
         if [ $n -gt 0 ]; then
@@ -56,8 +55,7 @@ EOF
             echo "Nothing matched, $sender."
         fi
         ;;
-    !forget\ *)
-        args=$(echo "$text" | cut -d\  -f2-)
+    !forget)
         cdb -d $db | grep -a -F -v ":$args->" | cdb -c $db
         echo "I removed all factoids from $args"
         ;;
@@ -67,10 +65,10 @@ EOF
             "")
                 exit 1
                 ;;
-            \\*)
+            ''*)
                 echo "Someone's up to no good!"
                 ;;
-            \\*)
+            '\'*)
                 printf "%s" "${resp#\\}"
                 ;;
             :*)