diff --git a/Network/IRC/Client.hs b/Network/IRC/Client.hs
--- a/Network/IRC/Client.hs
+++ b/Network/IRC/Client.hs
@@ -35,7 +35,8 @@
 
   -- * Defaults
   , defaultIRCConf
-  , defaultDisconnectHandler
+  , defaultOnConnect
+  , defaultOnDisconnect
   , defaultEventHandlers
 
   -- * Types
@@ -94,7 +95,7 @@
   -> NominalDiffTime
   -- ^ The flood cooldown
   -> m (ConnectionConfig s)
-connect' = connectInternal ircClient defaultDisconnectHandler
+connect' = connectInternal ircClient defaultOnConnect defaultOnDisconnect
 
 -- | Connect to a server with TLS, with the provided logging function.
 connectWithTLS' :: MonadIO m
@@ -107,7 +108,7 @@
   -> NominalDiffTime
   -- ^ The flood cooldown
   -> m (ConnectionConfig s)
-connectWithTLS' = connectInternal ircTLSClient defaultDisconnectHandler
+connectWithTLS' = connectInternal ircTLSClient defaultOnConnect defaultOnDisconnect
 
 -- * Starting
 
@@ -134,7 +135,7 @@
   , _username      = n
   , _realname      = n
   , _channels      = []
-  , _ctcpVer       = "irc-client-0.2.5.0"
+  , _ctcpVer       = "irc-client-0.3.0.0"
   , _eventHandlers = defaultEventHandlers
   , _ignore        = []
   }
diff --git a/Network/IRC/Client/Handlers.hs b/Network/IRC/Client/Handlers.hs
--- a/Network/IRC/Client/Handlers.hs
+++ b/Network/IRC/Client/Handlers.hs
@@ -13,8 +13,9 @@
   , welcomeNick
   , nickMangler
 
-  -- * Disconnect handlers
-  , defaultDisconnectHandler
+  -- * Special handlers
+  , defaultOnConnect
+  , defaultOnDisconnect
   ) where
 
 import Control.Applicative    ((<$>))
@@ -188,12 +189,20 @@
                               | otherwise   -> return ()
     _ -> return ()
 
--- *Misc
+-- *Special
 
+-- | The default connect handler: set the nick and join default
+-- channels.
+defaultOnConnect :: StatefulIRC s ()
+defaultOnConnect = do
+  iconf <- instanceConfig
+  send . Nick $ _nick iconf
+  mapM_ (send . Join) $ _channels iconf
+
 -- | The default disconnect handler: do nothing. You might want to
 -- override this with one which reconnects.
-defaultDisconnectHandler :: StatefulIRC s ()
-defaultDisconnectHandler = return ()
+defaultOnDisconnect :: StatefulIRC s ()
+defaultOnDisconnect = return ()
 
 -- *Utils
 
diff --git a/Network/IRC/Client/Internal.hs b/Network/IRC/Client/Internal.hs
--- a/Network/IRC/Client/Internal.hs
+++ b/Network/IRC/Client/Internal.hs
@@ -33,23 +33,32 @@
 -- | Connect to a server using the supplied connection function.
 connectInternal :: MonadIO m
   => (Int -> ByteString -> IO () -> Consumer (Either ByteString IrcEvent) IO () -> Producer IO IrcMessage -> IO ())
+  -- ^ Function to start the network conduits.
   -> StatefulIRC s ()
+  -- ^ Connect handler
+  -> StatefulIRC s ()
+  -- ^ Disconnect handler
   -> (Origin -> ByteString -> IO ())
+  -- ^ Logging function
   -> ByteString
+  -- ^ Server hostname
   -> Int
+  -- ^ Server post
   -> NominalDiffTime
+  -- ^ Flood timeout
   -> m (ConnectionConfig s)
-connectInternal f dcHandler logf host port flood = liftIO $ do
+connectInternal f onconnect ondisconnect logf host port flood = liftIO $ do
   queueS <- newTBMChanIO 16
 
   return ConnectionConfig
-    { _func       = f
-    , _sendqueue  = queueS
-    , _server     = host
-    , _port       = port
-    , _flood      = flood
-    , _disconnect = dcHandler
-    , _logfunc    = logf
+    { _func         = f
+    , _sendqueue    = queueS
+    , _server       = host
+    , _port         = port
+    , _flood        = flood
+    , _onconnect    = onconnect
+    , _ondisconnect = ondisconnect
+    , _logfunc      = logf
     }
 
 -- * Event loop
@@ -59,16 +68,14 @@
 runner = do
   state <- ircState
 
-  -- Set the nick and username
-  theNick <- _nick     <$> instanceConfig
+  -- Set the real- and user-name
   theUser <- _username <$> instanceConfig
   theReal <- _realname <$> instanceConfig
 
   -- Initialise the IRC session
   let initialise = flip runReaderT state $ do
         sendBS $ rawMessage "USER" [encodeUtf8 theUser, "-", "-", encodeUtf8 theReal]
-        send $ Nick theNick
-        instanceConfig >>= mapM_ (send . Join) . _channels
+        _onconnect =<< connectionConfig
 
   -- Run the event loop, and call the disconnect handler if the remote
   -- end closes the socket.
@@ -81,7 +88,7 @@
 
   antiflood <- liftIO $ floodProtector flood
 
-  dchandler <- _disconnect <$> connectionConfig
+  dchandler <- _ondisconnect <$> connectionConfig
 
   let source = toProducer $ sourceTBMChan queue $= antiflood $= logConduit (logf FromClient . toByteString)
   let sink   = forgetful =$= logConduit (logf FromServer . _raw) =$ eventSink state
diff --git a/Network/IRC/Client/Types.hs b/Network/IRC/Client/Types.hs
--- a/Network/IRC/Client/Types.hs
+++ b/Network/IRC/Client/Types.hs
@@ -122,7 +122,10 @@
   -- ^ The server port.
   , _flood      :: NominalDiffTime
   -- ^ The minimum time between two adjacent messages.
-  , _disconnect :: StatefulIRC s ()
+  , _onconnect :: StatefulIRC s ()
+  -- ^ Action to run after successfully connecting to the server and
+  -- setting the nick.
+  , _ondisconnect :: StatefulIRC s ()
   -- ^ Action to run if the remote server closes the connection.
   , _logfunc    :: Origin -> ByteString -> IO ()
   -- ^ Function to log messages sent to and received from the server.
diff --git a/irc-client.cabal b/irc-client.cabal
--- a/irc-client.cabal
+++ b/irc-client.cabal
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
 -- PVP summary:      +-+------- breaking API changes
 --                   | | +----- non-breaking API additions
 --                   | | | +--- code changes with no API change
-version:             0.2.6.0
+version:             0.3.0.0
 
 -- A short (one-line) description of the package.
 synopsis:            An IRC client library.
@@ -108,4 +108,4 @@
 source-repository this
   type:     git
   location: https://github.com/barrucadu/irc-client.git
-  tag:      0.2.6.0
+  tag:      0.3.0.0