diff --git a/config.py b/config.py
index 8953fc9..aabe43d 100644
--- a/config.py
+++ b/config.py
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ class config(config):
         nickserv_mask = (
             "NickServ!NickServ@services.libera.chat"  # the mask you receive from server
         )
+        nickserv_squery = True
         nickserv_path = "NickServ@services."  # the mask you actually send commands to
         # get password from secret file
         nickserv_pass = open("pass.txt", "r").read().strip()
diff --git a/stuff.py b/stuff.py
index 8694f84..fdf35f9 100644
--- a/stuff.py
+++ b/stuff.py
@@ -37,12 +37,25 @@ def stuff(bot, sock):
             # TODO: on most network can probably do "PRIVMSG NickServ@services. :help"
             # TODO: support actually checking the nickserv mask properly
             if nickserv_auth:
-                util.mesg(f"IDENTIFY {nick} {passwd}", config.server.nickserv_path)
                 nick_override = True
-                util.mesg(
-                    f"{config.server.nickserv_recover} {nick}",
-                    config.server.nickserv_path,
-                )
+                if config.server.nickserv_squery:
+                    util.send(
+                        irctokens.build(
+                            "SQUERY", ["NickServ", f"IDENTIFY {nick} {passwd}"]
+                        ).format()
+                    )
+                    util.send(
+                        irctokens.build(
+                            "SQUERY",
+                            ["NickServ", f"{config.server.nickserv_recover} {nick}"],
+                        ).format()
+                    )
+                else:
+                    util.mesg(f"IDENTIFY {nick} {passwd}", config.server.nickserv_path)
+                    util.mesg(
+                        f"{config.server.nickserv_recover} {nick}",
+                        config.server.nickserv_path,
+                    )
         # attempt to re-nick just in case
         send(irctokens.build("NICK", [config.self.nick]).format())
 
@@ -107,15 +120,10 @@ def stuff(bot, sock):
                 send(f"PONG :{line.params[0]}")
 
             if mode == "init":
-                if line.command == "NOTICE":
-                    #                    if line.source.startswith("NickServ!"):
+                if line.command == "NOTICE" and line.source != None:
                     if util.maskmatch(line.source, config.server.nickserv_mask):
                         if config.server.nickserv_auth == True:
                             auth()
-                #                            mesg(
-                #                                f"IDENTIFY {config.self.nick} {config.server.nickserv_pass}",
-                #                                line.source.split("!")[0],
-                #                            )
                 if line.command == "433":  # 433 is ERR_NICKNAMEINUSE
                     util.nick(config.self.nick + "_")
                 if (
diff --git a/util.py b/util.py
index eba8439..8538ef3 100644
--- a/util.py
+++ b/util.py
@@ -86,8 +86,9 @@ class Util:
         t, msg = self._m(msg, t)
         self.send(irctokens.build("NOTICE", [t, str(msg)]).format())
 
-    def maskmatch(self, string, hostmask):
+    def maskmatch(self, string: str, hostmask: str):
         """DOES NOT HANDLE CASEMAPPING (yet), just dumb case-sensitive match, only ? and * are special"""
+        print("string is", string, "and hostmask is", hostmask)
         pat = "[[]".join(
             [x.replace("]", "[]]") for x in hostmask.split("[")]
         )  # escape all [ and ] into [[] and []]