diff --git a/rowbot b/rowbot
index ebda271..0f2c43f 100755
--- a/rowbot
+++ b/rowbot
@@ -140,9 +140,14 @@ trap cleanup EXIT
 if [[ $reload = yes ]]; then
   in_sock=$IN_SOCK out_sock=$OUT_SOCK
   trigger=$TRIGGER dev=$DEV level=$LOG_LEVEL
+  registered=$REGISTERED
 
   debug "doing a reload. pid is %d" "$$"
 
+  if [[ -v KEEP_TRYING ]]; then
+    keep_trying=$KEEP_TRYING desired_nick=$DESIRED
+  fi
+
   if [[ $tls = yes ]]; then
     sock_dir=$SOCK_DIR
     tls_pid=$tls_pid
@@ -274,6 +279,7 @@ on_001() {
 
   ping_pid=$!
   nick=${params[0]}
+  registered=yes
   who "$nick" %%uht,42
 }
 
@@ -375,6 +381,14 @@ on_376() {
   debug %s "${params[1]}"
 }
 
+on_433() {
+  info "somebody is already using %s" "${params[1]}"
+
+  if [[ $registered = no ]]; then
+    nick "${nick}_"
+  fi
+}
+
 on_473() {
   error "%s: %s" "${params[1]}" "${params[2]}"
 }
@@ -467,11 +481,16 @@ who() {
 # keepalive code
 ###
 
-ping-handler() {
+alarm-handler() {
   ping "row your bot gently down the stream"
+
+  if [[ $keep_trying = yes ]]; then
+    info "trying for %s again" "$desired_nick"
+    nick "$desired_nick"
+  fi
 }
 
-trap ping-handler ALRM
+trap alarm-handler ALRM
 
 ###
 # app hooks
@@ -604,7 +623,11 @@ hook_post_PRIVMSG_control_panel() {
     reload)
       export IN_SOCK=$in_sock OUT_SOCK=$out_sock LOG_FD=$log DEV=$dev
       export RELOAD_TO=$to TRIGGER=$trigger LOG_LEVEL=$level
-      export NICK=$nick IDENT=$ident
+      export NICK=$nick IDENT=$ident REGISTERED=$registered
+
+      if [[ $keep_trying = yes ]]; then
+        export KEEP_TRYING=yes DESIRED=$desired_nick
+      fi
 
       if [[ -v host ]]; then
         export HOST=$host
@@ -664,15 +687,28 @@ hook_post_PRIVMSG_control_panel() {
   fi
 }
 
+hook_post_433_alternick() {
+  if [[ -z $desired_nick && $registered = no ]]; then
+    desired_nick=${params[1]}
+    keep_trying=yes
+  fi
+}
+
+hook_post_NICK_alternick() {
+  if [[ ${params[0]} = $desired_nick ]]; then
+    keep_trying=no
+    info "obtained nick %s" "$desired_nick"
+  fi
+}
+
 ###
 # driver
 ###
 
-trap ping-handler ALRM
-
 if [[ $reload = yes ]]; then
   privmsg "$RELOAD_TO" done.
 else
+  registered=no
   nick "$nick"
   user "$ident" "$realname"
 fi