diff --git a/Network/IRC/Client.hs b/Network/IRC/Client.hs
--- a/Network/IRC/Client.hs
+++ b/Network/IRC/Client.hs
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@
   , _realname      = n
   , _password      = Nothing
   , _channels      = []
-  , _ctcpVer       = "irc-client-0.4.1.0"
+  , _ctcpVer       = "irc-client-0.4.1.1"
   , _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
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
   , ctcpVersionHandler
   , ctcpTimeHandler
   , welcomeNick
+  , joinOnWelcome
   , nickMangler
 
   -- * Special handlers
@@ -68,6 +69,7 @@
   , EventHandler "Respond to CTCP VERSION requests" ECTCP    ctcpVersionHandler
   , EventHandler "Respond to CTCP TIME requests"    ECTCP    ctcpTimeHandler
   , EventHandler "Update the nick upon welcome"     ENumeric welcomeNick
+  , EventHandler "Join channels upon welcome"       ENumeric joinOnWelcome
   , EventHandler "Mangle the nick on collision"     ENumeric nickMangler
   , EventHandler "Update the channel list on JOIN"  ENumeric joinHandler
   , EventHandler "Update the channel lift on KICK"  EKick    kickHandler
@@ -109,6 +111,14 @@
       writeTVar tvarI iconf { _nick = srvNick }
   go _ = return ()
 
+-- | Join default channels upon welcome (numeric reply 001). If sent earlier,
+-- the server might reject the JOIN attempts.
+joinOnWelcome :: UnicodeEvent -> StatefulIRC s ()
+joinOnWelcome = numHandler [(001, go)] where
+  go _ = do
+    iconf <- instanceConfig
+    mapM_ (send . Join) $ _channels iconf
+
 -- | Mangle the nick if there's a collision (numeric replies 432, 433,
 -- and 436) when we set it
 nickMangler :: UnicodeEvent -> StatefulIRC s ()
@@ -191,13 +201,11 @@
 
 -- *Special
 
--- | The default connect handler: set the nick and join default
--- channels.
+-- | The default connect handler: set the nick.
 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.
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:             0.4.1.0
+version:             0.4.1.1
 
 -- 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:      0.4.1.0
+  tag:      0.4.1.1