diff --git a/src/bot/commands.rs b/src/bot/commands.rs
index cd65995..2b26c1d 100644
--- a/src/bot/commands.rs
+++ b/src/bot/commands.rs
@@ -86,7 +86,15 @@ impl Bot {
             prefix: &self.config.command_prefix,
             network: &self.config.name,
         };
-        let actions = self.modules[idx].on_command(&cmd);
+        let actions = match std::panic::catch_unwind(std::panic::AssertUnwindSafe(|| {
+            self.modules[idx].on_command(&cmd)
+        })) {
+            Ok(actions) => actions,
+            Err(_) => {
+                crate::log(&format!("module panicked on '{command}'"));
+                return Ok(());
+            }
+        };
         for action in actions {
             match action {
                 Action::Reply(text) => self.conn.privmsg(reply_to, &text)?,
diff --git a/src/bot/modules/weather.rs b/src/bot/modules/weather.rs
index 4acbe8d..d8b5c06 100644
--- a/src/bot/modules/weather.rs
+++ b/src/bot/modules/weather.rs
@@ -1,16 +1,18 @@
-use std::collections::BTreeMap;
+use std::collections::{BTreeMap, HashMap};
 use std::fs;
 use std::io::{self, Read, Write};
 use std::iter::Peekable;
 use std::net::{TcpStream, ToSocketAddrs};
 use std::path::{Path, PathBuf};
 use std::str::Chars;
-use std::time::Duration;
+use std::time::{Duration, Instant};
 
 use native_tls::TlsConnector;
 
 use crate::bot::module::{Action, Command, CommandSpec, Module};
 
+const CACHE_TTL: Duration = Duration::from_secs(600);
+
 const COMMANDS: &[CommandSpec] = &[
     CommandSpec { name: "add", usage: "add <location>", about: "save your weather location" },
     CommandSpec { name: "w", usage: "w [location]", about: "weather for your saved location" },
@@ -19,6 +21,7 @@ const COMMANDS: &[CommandSpec] = &[
 pub struct Weather {
     store: Store,
     path: PathBuf,
+    cache: HashMap<String, (Instant, String)>,
 }
 
 impl Weather {
@@ -32,7 +35,7 @@ impl Weather {
     }
 
     pub fn with_path(path: PathBuf) -> Weather {
-        Weather { store: Store::load(&path), path }
+        Weather { store: Store::load(&path), path, cache: HashMap::new() }
     }
 
     pub fn location_of(&self, nick: &str) -> Option<&str> {
@@ -74,8 +77,17 @@ impl Module for Weather {
                         cmd.sender, cmd.prefix
                     ))];
                 };
+                let key = loc.to_lowercase();
+                if let Some((at, text)) = self.cache.get(&key) {
+                    if at.elapsed() < CACHE_TTL {
+                        return vec![Action::reply(text.clone())];
+                    }
+                }
                 match fetch_weather(&loc) {
-                    Ok(text) => vec![Action::reply(text)],
+                    Ok(text) => {
+                        self.cache.insert(key, (Instant::now(), text.clone()));
+                        vec![Action::reply(text)]
+                    }
                     Err(e) => vec![Action::reply(format!("weather unavailable: {e}"))],
                 }
             }
diff --git a/src/config.rs b/src/config.rs
index 1c7011c..af5289e 100644
--- a/src/config.rs
+++ b/src/config.rs
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ pub struct Config {
     pub realname: String,
     pub channels: Vec<String>,
     pub command_prefix: String,
+    pub verbose: bool,
     pub password: Option<String>,
     pub sasl_user: Option<String>,
     pub sasl_pass: Option<String>,
@@ -31,6 +32,7 @@ impl Default for Config {
             realname: "rubot".to_string(),
             channels: vec!["#devs".to_string()],
             command_prefix: "!".to_string(),
+            verbose: true,
             password: None,
             sasl_user: None,
             sasl_pass: None,
@@ -146,6 +148,7 @@ fn apply_kv(c: &mut Config, key: &str, value: &str, where_: &str) {
         "realname" => c.realname = value.to_string(),
         "channels" => c.channels = split_list(value),
         "prefix" | "command_prefix" => c.command_prefix = value.to_string(),
+        "verbose" => c.verbose = parse_bool(value),
         "password" => c.password = (!value.is_empty()).then(|| value.to_string()),
         "sasl_user" => c.sasl_user = (!value.is_empty()).then(|| value.to_string()),
         "sasl_pass" => c.sasl_pass = (!value.is_empty()).then(|| value.to_string()),
@@ -194,6 +197,9 @@ fn apply_env(c: &mut Config) {
     if let Ok(v) = std::env::var("IRC_PREFIX") {
         c.command_prefix = v;
     }
+    if let Ok(v) = std::env::var("IRC_VERBOSE") {
+        c.verbose = parse_bool(&v);
+    }
     if let Ok(v) = std::env::var("IRC_PASSWORD") {
         c.password = Some(v);
     }
diff --git a/src/irc/connection.rs b/src/irc/connection.rs
index 8c46ba6..ada8eda 100644
--- a/src/irc/connection.rs
+++ b/src/irc/connection.rs
@@ -1,20 +1,27 @@
 use std::io::{self, BufRead, BufReader, Read, Write};
 use std::net::TcpStream;
+use std::time::{Duration, Instant};
 
 use native_tls::TlsConnector;
 
 use super::Message;
 
+const MAX_LINE: usize = 500;
+const SEND_THROTTLE: Duration = Duration::from_millis(300);
+
 trait Stream: Read + Write {}
 impl<T: Read + Write> Stream for T {}
 
 pub struct Connection {
     inner: BufReader<Box<dyn Stream>>,
     log_prefix: String,
+    verbose: bool,
+    throttle: Duration,
+    last_send: Option<Instant>,
 }
 
 impl Connection {
-    pub fn connect(host: &str, port: u16, use_tls: bool) -> io::Result<Connection> {
+    pub fn connect(host: &str, port: u16, use_tls: bool, verbose: bool) -> io::Result<Connection> {
         let tcp = TcpStream::connect((host, port))?;
         let stream: Box<dyn Stream> = if use_tls {
             let connector =
@@ -26,7 +33,24 @@ impl Connection {
         } else {
             Box::new(tcp)
         };
-        Ok(Connection { inner: BufReader::new(stream), log_prefix: String::new() })
+        Ok(Connection {
+            inner: BufReader::new(stream),
+            log_prefix: String::new(),
+            verbose,
+            throttle: SEND_THROTTLE,
+            last_send: None,
+        })
+    }
+
+    pub fn from_stream<S: Read + Write + 'static>(stream: S) -> Connection {
+        let boxed: Box<dyn Stream> = Box::new(stream);
+        Connection {
+            inner: BufReader::new(boxed),
+            log_prefix: String::new(),
+            verbose: false,
+            throttle: Duration::ZERO,
+            last_send: None,
+        }
     }
 
     pub fn set_label(&mut self, label: &str) {
@@ -47,7 +71,9 @@ impl Connection {
             if trimmed.is_empty() {
                 continue;
             }
-            eprintln!("{}<< {trimmed}", self.log_prefix);
+            if self.verbose {
+                eprintln!("{}<< {trimmed}", self.log_prefix);
+            }
             if let Some(msg) = Message::parse(trimmed) {
                 return Ok(Some(msg));
             }
@@ -55,8 +81,20 @@ impl Connection {
     }
 
     pub fn send_raw(&mut self, line: &str) -> io::Result<()> {
+        if !self.throttle.is_zero() {
+            if let Some(last) = self.last_send {
+                let elapsed = last.elapsed();
+                if elapsed < self.throttle {
+                    std::thread::sleep(self.throttle - elapsed);
+                }
+            }
+            self.last_send = Some(Instant::now());
+        }
         let clean = line.replace(['\r', '\n'], " ");
-        eprintln!("{}>> {clean}", self.log_prefix);
+        let clean = truncate_to(&clean, MAX_LINE);
+        if self.verbose {
+            eprintln!("{}>> {clean}", self.log_prefix);
+        }
         let writer = self.inner.get_mut();
         write!(writer, "{clean}\r\n")?;
         writer.flush()
@@ -110,3 +148,14 @@ impl Connection {
         self.send_raw(&format!("AUTHENTICATE {payload}"))
     }
 }
+
+fn truncate_to(s: &str, max: usize) -> &str {
+    if s.len() <= max {
+        return s;
+    }
+    let mut end = max;
+    while end > 0 && !s.is_char_boundary(end) {
+        end -= 1;
+    }
+    &s[..end]
+}
diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index 70bc600..4926187 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+#![forbid(unsafe_code)]
+
 pub mod bot;
 pub mod config;
 pub mod irc;
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index 2782d81..f85853b 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ fn supervise(config: Config, labelled: bool) {
 }
 
 fn run_once(config: &Config, labelled: bool) -> std::io::Result<()> {
-    let mut conn = Connection::connect(&config.server, config.port, config.tls)?;
+    let mut conn = Connection::connect(&config.server, config.port, config.tls, config.verbose)?;
     if labelled {
         conn.set_label(&config.name);
     }
diff --git a/tests/bot.rs b/tests/bot.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fd6d040
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/bot.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,78 @@
+use std::io::{self, Cursor, Read, Write};
+use std::sync::{Arc, Mutex};
+
+use rustbot::bot::Bot;
+use rustbot::config::Config;
+use rustbot::irc::Connection;
+
+struct Mock {
+    input: Cursor<Vec<u8>>,
+    output: Arc<Mutex<Vec<u8>>>,
+}
+
+impl Read for Mock {
+    fn read(&mut self, buf: &mut [u8]) -> io::Result<usize> {
+        self.input.read(buf)
+    }
+}
+
+impl Write for Mock {
+    fn write(&mut self, buf: &[u8]) -> io::Result<usize> {
+        self.output.lock().unwrap().extend_from_slice(buf);
+        Ok(buf.len())
+    }
+    fn flush(&mut self) -> io::Result<()> {
+        Ok(())
+    }
+}
+
+fn run(server: &str) -> String {
+    let output = Arc::new(Mutex::new(Vec::new()));
+    let mock = Mock {
+        input: Cursor::new(server.as_bytes().to_vec()),
+        output: output.clone(),
+    };
+    let conn = Connection::from_stream(mock);
+    let mut bot = Bot::new(Config::default(), conn);
+    let _ = bot.run();
+    let bytes = output.lock().unwrap().clone();
+    String::from_utf8_lossy(&bytes).into_owned()
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn sends_registration() {
+    let out = run("");
+    assert!(out.contains("CAP LS"), "{out}");
+    assert!(out.contains("NICK rubot"), "{out}");
+    assert!(out.contains("USER rubot"), "{out}");
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn answers_ping() {
+    let out = run("PING :tok123\r\n");
+    assert!(out.contains("PONG :tok123"), "{out}");
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn joins_configured_channels_on_welcome() {
+    let out = run(":srv 001 rubot :welcome\r\n");
+    assert!(out.contains("JOIN #devs"), "{out}");
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn appends_underscore_on_nick_in_use() {
+    let out = run(":srv 433 * rubot :nickname is already in use\r\n");
+    assert!(out.contains("NICK rubot_"), "{out}");
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn dispatches_command_to_module() {
+    let out = run(":alice!a@h PRIVMSG #chan :!ping\r\n");
+    assert!(out.contains("PRIVMSG #chan :pong"), "{out}");
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn ignores_own_echoed_message() {
+    let out = run(":rubot!r@h PRIVMSG #chan :!ping\r\n");
+    assert!(!out.contains(":pong"), "{out}");
+}