diff --git a/core/main.py b/core/main.py
index 38ebfa8..22abb4a 100644
--- a/core/main.py
+++ b/core/main.py
@@ -35,11 +35,22 @@ class Input(dict):
         def notice(msg):
             conn.cmd('NOTICE', [nick, msg])
 
+        def kick(target=None, reason=None):
+            conn.cmd('KICK', [chan, target or nick, reason or ''])
+
+        def ban(target=None):
+            conn.cmd('MODE', [chan, '+b', target or host])
+
+        def unban(target=None):
+            conn.cmd('MODE', [chan, '-b', target or host])
+
+
         dict.__init__(self, conn=conn, raw=raw, prefix=prefix, command=command,
                       params=params, nick=nick, user=user, host=host,
                       paraml=paraml, msg=msg, server=conn.server, chan=chan,
                       notice=notice, say=say, reply=reply, pm=pm, bot=bot,
-                      me=me, set_nick=set_nick, lastparam=paraml[-1])
+                      kick=kick, ban=ban, unban=unban, me=me,
+                      set_nick=set_nick, lastparam=paraml[-1])
 
     # make dict keys accessible as attributes
     def __getattr__(self, key):
diff --git a/plugins/crowdcontrol.py b/plugins/crowdcontrol.py
index 19937f6..3724b10 100644
--- a/plugins/crowdcontrol.py
+++ b/plugins/crowdcontrol.py
@@ -15,16 +15,19 @@ from util import hook
 
 
 @hook.regex(r'.*')
-def crowdcontrol(inp, nick='', chan='', host='', bot=None, conn=None):
+def crowdcontrol(inp, kick=None, ban=None, unban=None, reply=None, bot=None):
     inp = inp.group(0)
     for rule in bot.config.get('crowdcontrol', []):
         if re.search(rule['re'], inp) is not None:
-            if 'ban_length' in rule and rule['ban_length'] != 0:
-                conn.cmd("MODE", [chan, "+b", host])
-            if rule['kick']:
-                conn.cmd('KICK', [chan, nick, rule['msg']])
-            if 'ban_length' in rule and rule['ban_length'] > 0:
-                time.sleep(rule['ban_length'])
-                conn.cmd("MODE", [chan, "-b", host])
-            if not rule['kick']:
-                return rule['msg']
+            should_kick = rule.get('kick', 0)
+            ban_length = rule.get('ban_length', 0)
+            reason = rule.get('msg')
+            if ban_length != 0:
+                ban()
+            if should_kick:
+                kick(reason=reason)
+            elif 'msg' in rule:
+                reply(reason)
+            if ban_length > 0:
+                time.sleep(ban_length)
+                unban()