diff --git a/lambdabot-core.cabal b/lambdabot-core.cabal
--- a/lambdabot-core.cabal
+++ b/lambdabot-core.cabal
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 name:                   lambdabot-core
-version:                5.1.0.4
+version:                5.2
 
 license:                GPL
 license-file:           LICENSE
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
 
 build-type:             Simple
 cabal-version:          >= 1.8
-tested-with:            GHC == 7.10.3, GHC == 8.0.2, GHC == 8.2.2, GHC == 8.4.4, GHC == 8.6.1
+tested-with:            GHC == 7.10.3, GHC == 8.0.2, GHC == 8.2.2, GHC == 8.4.4, GHC == 8.6.5
 
 extra-source-files:     AUTHORS.md
                         COMMENTARY.md
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@
                         Lambdabot.Plugin.Core
                         Lambdabot.State
                         Lambdabot.Util
+                        Lambdabot.Util.Network
 
   other-modules:        Paths_lambdabot_core
                         Lambdabot.Config.Core
@@ -71,7 +72,7 @@
                         bytestring              >= 0.9,
                         containers              >= 0.4,
                         dependent-map           == 0.2.*,
-                        dependent-sum           >= 0.3 && < 0.5,
+                        dependent-sum           >= 0.3 && < 0.6,
                         dependent-sum-template  >= 0.0.0.1,
                         directory               >= 1.1,
                         edit-distance           >= 0.2,
@@ -82,8 +83,8 @@
                         lifted-base             >= 0.2,
                         monad-control           >= 1.0,
                         mtl                     >= 2,
-                        network                 >= 2.3.0.13,
-                        time                    >= 1.4,
+                        network                 >= 2.7 && < 3.2,
+                        network-bsd             >= 2.8 && < 2.9,
                         parsec                  >= 3,
                         prim-uniq               == 0.1.*,
                         random                  >= 1,
@@ -94,6 +95,7 @@
                         split                   >= 0.2,
                         syb                     >= 0.3,
                         template-haskell        >= 2.7,
+                        time                    >= 1.4,
                         transformers            >= 0.2,
                         transformers-base       >= 0.4,
                         utf8-string             >= 0.3,
diff --git a/src/Lambdabot/Main.hs b/src/Lambdabot/Main.hs
--- a/src/Lambdabot/Main.hs
+++ b/src/Lambdabot/Main.hs
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@
 import System.Log.Formatter
 import qualified System.Log.Logger as L
 import System.Log.Handler.Simple
-import Network (withSocketsDo)
+import Network.Socket (withSocketsDo)
 
 lambdabotVersion :: Version
 lambdabotVersion = version
diff --git a/src/Lambdabot/Util/Network.hs b/src/Lambdabot/Util/Network.hs
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Lambdabot/Util/Network.hs
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+{-# LANGUAGE CPP #-}
+
+module Lambdabot.Util.Network (
+    connectTo',
+) where
+
+import Network.Socket
+import Network.BSD
+import System.IO
+import Control.Exception
+
+-- |This is essentially a reimplementation of the former Network.connectTo
+--  function, except that we don't do the service name lookup.
+
+-- Code originally from the network package.
+connectTo' :: HostName -> PortNumber -> IO Handle
+connectTo' host port = do
+    proto <- getProtocolNumber "tcp"
+    let hints = defaultHints { addrFlags = [AI_ADDRCONFIG]
+                             , addrProtocol = proto
+                             , addrSocketType = Stream }
+    addrs <- getAddrInfo (Just hints) (Just host) (Just (show port))
+    firstSuccessful $ map tryToConnect addrs
+  where
+    tryToConnect addr =
+      bracketOnError
+          (socket (addrFamily addr) (addrSocketType addr) (addrProtocol addr))
+          (close)  -- only done if there's an error
+          (\sock -> do
+            connect sock (addrAddress addr)
+            socketToHandle sock ReadWriteMode
+          )
+    firstSuccessful = go []
+      where
+        go :: [IOException] -> [IO a] -> IO a
+        go []      [] = ioError . userError $ "host name `" ++ show host ++
+                        "` could not be resolved"
+        go l@(_:_) [] = ioError . userError $ "could not connect to host `" ++
+                        show host
+        go acc     (act:followingActs) = do
+            er <- try act
+            case er of
+                Left err -> go (err:acc) followingActs
+                Right r  -> return r