diff --git a/Clckwrks/IrcBot/Page/Settings.hs b/Clckwrks/IrcBot/Page/Settings.hs
--- a/Clckwrks/IrcBot/Page/Settings.hs
+++ b/Clckwrks/IrcBot/Page/Settings.hs
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 import Clckwrks.IrcBot.Monad    (IrcBotM(..), IrcBotConfig(..), IrcBotForm, IrcFormError(..))
 import Clckwrks.IrcBot.Types    (IrcConfig(..))
 import Clckwrks.IrcBot.URL      (IrcBotURL)
+import qualified Data.ByteString.Char8 as C
 import Data.Char                (isSpace)
 import Data.List                (intercalate)
 import           Data.Map       (Map)
@@ -52,10 +53,10 @@
       port     = li $ label "irc port"   ++> inputText (show ircPort) `transformEither` toWord16
       nick     = li $ label "nickname"   ++> inputText (ircNick)
       cp       = li $ label "cmd prefix" ++> inputText (ircCommandPrefix)
-      usrnm    = li $ label "username"   ++> inputText (username ircUser)
+      usrnm    = li $ label "username"   ++> (C.pack <$> inputText (C.unpack $ username ircUser))
       hstnm    = li $ label "hostname"   ++> inputText (hostname ircUser)
       srvrnm   = li $ label "servername" ++> inputText (servername ircUser)
-      rlnm     = li $ label "realname"   ++> inputText (realname ircUser)
+      rlnm     = li $ label "realname"   ++> (C.pack <$> inputText (C.unpack $ realname ircUser))
       user     = User <$> usrnm <*> hstnm <*> srvrnm <*> rlnm
       channels = li $ label "channels (comma separated)"   ++> inputText (fromSet ircChannels) `transformEither` toSet
       enabled  = li $ label "enable bot" ++> inputCheckbox ircEnabled
diff --git a/Clckwrks/IrcBot/Plugin.hs b/Clckwrks/IrcBot/Plugin.hs
--- a/Clckwrks/IrcBot/Plugin.hs
+++ b/Clckwrks/IrcBot/Plugin.hs
@@ -13,6 +13,8 @@
 import Control.Monad.State           (get)
 import Data.Acid                     as Acid
 import Data.Acid.Local               (createCheckpointAndClose, openLocalStateFrom)
+import Data.ByteString               (ByteString)
+import Data.ByteString.Char8         as C
 import Data.Text                     (Text)
 import qualified Data.Text.Lazy      as TL
 import Data.Maybe                    (fromMaybe)
@@ -83,10 +85,10 @@
           then do let botConf = nullBotConf { channelLogger = Just $ posixLogger (Just ircBotLogDir) "#happs"
                                             , IRC.host      = ircHost
                                             , IRC.port      = PortNumber $ fromIntegral ircPort
-                                            , nick          = ircNick
+                                            , nick          = C.pack $ ircNick
                                             , commandPrefix = ircCommandPrefix
                                             , user          = ircUser
-                                            , channels      = ircChannels
+                                            , channels      = Set.map C.pack ircChannels
                                             , limits        = Just (5, 2000000)
                                             }
                   ircParts <- initParts (channels botConf)
@@ -96,7 +98,7 @@
           else return (return ())
 
 initParts :: (BotMonad m) =>
-             Set String  -- ^ set of channels to join
+             Set ByteString  -- ^ set of channels to join
           -> IO [m ()]
 initParts chans =
     do (_, channelsPart) <- initChannelsPart chans
diff --git a/Clckwrks/IrcBot/PreProcess.hs b/Clckwrks/IrcBot/PreProcess.hs
--- a/Clckwrks/IrcBot/PreProcess.hs
+++ b/Clckwrks/IrcBot/PreProcess.hs
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
 parseAttr :: Text -> Parser ()
 parseAttr name =
     do skipMany space
-       stringCI name
+       asciiCI name
        skipMany space
        char '='
        skipMany space
diff --git a/Clckwrks/IrcBot/Types.hs b/Clckwrks/IrcBot/Types.hs
--- a/Clckwrks/IrcBot/Types.hs
+++ b/Clckwrks/IrcBot/Types.hs
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-{-# LANGUAGE DeriveDataTypeable, GeneralizedNewtypeDeriving, TemplateHaskell, TypeFamilies #-}
+{-# LANGUAGE DeriveDataTypeable, GeneralizedNewtypeDeriving, TemplateHaskell, TypeFamilies, OverloadedStrings #-}
 module Clckwrks.IrcBot.Types
     ( IrcConfig(..)
     , User(..)
diff --git a/clckwrks-plugin-ircbot.cabal b/clckwrks-plugin-ircbot.cabal
--- a/clckwrks-plugin-ircbot.cabal
+++ b/clckwrks-plugin-ircbot.cabal
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 Name:                clckwrks-plugin-ircbot
-Version:             0.6.7
+Version:             0.6.8
 Synopsis:            ircbot plugin for clckwrks
 Homepage:            http://clckwrks.com/
 License:             BSD3
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@
     acid-state             >= 0.12 && < 0.13,
     attoparsec             >= 0.10 && < 0.12,
     blaze-html             >= 0.5 && < 0.8,
+    bytestring             >= 0.10 && < 0.11,
     clckwrks               >= 0.21 && < 0.23,
     containers             >= 0.4 && < 0.6,
     directory              >= 1.1 && < 1.3,
@@ -50,7 +51,7 @@
     happstack-server       >= 7.0 && < 7.4,
     happstack-hsp          >= 7.2 && < 7.4,
     hsp                    >= 0.9 && < 0.11,
-    ircbot                 >= 0.5.2 && < 0.6,
+    ircbot                 >= 0.6 && < 0.7,
     ixset                  == 1.0.*,
 --    magic                  == 1.0.*,
     mtl                    >= 2.0 && < 2.3,