diff --git a/degesch.c b/degesch.c
index 34ee64c..acec999 100644
--- a/degesch.c
+++ b/degesch.c
@@ -416,10 +416,6 @@ struct app_context
 	struct str_map irc_channels;        ///< IRC channel data
 	struct str_map irc_buffer_map;      ///< Maps IRC identifiers to buffers
 
-	// TODO: initialize and update these two values
-	// TODO: probably issue a USERHOST message for ourselves after connecting
-	//   to enable proper word-wrapping; then store it here also, separately,
-	//   without the nickname at the beginning; also could just use WHOIS
 	char *irc_nickname;                 ///< Current nickname
 	char *irc_user_mode;                ///< Current user mode
 
@@ -1547,13 +1543,6 @@ make_unseen_prefix (struct app_context *ctx)
 static void
 make_prompt (struct app_context *ctx, struct str *output)
 {
-	if (!ctx->irc_ready)
-	{
-		// XXX: does this make any sense?
-		str_append (output, "(disconnected)");
-		return;
-	}
-
 	struct buffer *buffer = ctx->current_buffer;
 	if (!soft_assert (buffer))
 		return;
@@ -1573,9 +1562,14 @@ make_prompt (struct app_context *ctx, struct str *output)
 	if (buffer != ctx->global_buffer)
 	{
 		str_append_c (output, ' ');
-		str_append (output, ctx->irc_nickname);
-		if (*ctx->irc_user_mode)
-			str_append_printf (output, "(%s)", ctx->irc_user_mode);
+		if (!ctx->irc_fd == -1)
+			str_append (output, "(disconnected)");
+		else
+		{
+			str_append (output, ctx->irc_nickname);
+			if (*ctx->irc_user_mode)
+				str_append_printf (output, "(%s)", ctx->irc_user_mode);
+		}
 	}
 
 	str_append_c (output, ']');
@@ -1958,6 +1952,7 @@ irc_process_message (const struct irc_message *msg,
 			app_readline_restore (&state, ctx->readline_prompt);
 	}
 
+	// XXX: or is the 001 numeric enough?  For what?
 	if (!ctx->irc_ready && (!strcasecmp (msg->command, "MODE")
 		|| !strcasecmp (msg->command, "376")    // RPL_ENDOFMOTD
 		|| !strcasecmp (msg->command, "422")))  // ERR_NOMOTD
@@ -1967,6 +1962,11 @@ irc_process_message (const struct irc_message *msg,
 		ctx->irc_ready = true;
 		refresh_prompt (ctx);
 
+		// TODO: parse any response and store the result for us in app_context;
+		//   this enables proper message splitting on output;
+		//   we can also use WHOIS if it's not supported (optional by RFC 2812)
+		irc_send (ctx, "USERHOST %s", ctx->irc_nickname);
+
 		const char *autojoin = str_map_find (&ctx->config, "autojoin");
 		if (autojoin)
 			irc_send (ctx, "JOIN :%s", autojoin);
@@ -2503,6 +2503,10 @@ on_irc_disconnected (struct app_context *ctx)
 	xclose (ctx->irc_fd);
 	ctx->irc_fd = -1;
 	ctx->irc_ready = false;
+	free (ctx->irc_nickname);
+	ctx->irc_nickname = NULL;
+	free (ctx->irc_user_mode);
+	ctx->irc_user_mode = NULL;
 
 	ctx->irc_event.closed = true;
 	poller_fd_reset (&ctx->irc_event);
@@ -2664,6 +2668,10 @@ irc_connect (struct app_context *ctx, struct error **e)
 
 	irc_send (ctx, "NICK %s", nickname);
 	irc_send (ctx, "USER %s 8 * :%s", username, realname);
+
+	// XXX: maybe we should wait for the first message from the server
+	ctx->irc_nickname = xstrdup (nickname);
+	ctx->irc_user_mode = xstrdup ("");
 	return true;
 }
 
@@ -3043,10 +3051,6 @@ main (int argc, char *argv[])
 		exit (EXIT_FAILURE);
 	}
 
-	// TODO
-	ctx.irc_nickname = xstrdup ("TODO");
-	ctx.irc_user_mode = xstrdup ("");
-
 	rl_startup_hook = init_readline;
 	rl_catch_sigwinch = false;
 	rl_callback_handler_install (ctx.readline_prompt, on_readline_input);