diff --git a/core/db.py b/core/db.py
index 1f7209f..c2400db 100644
--- a/core/db.py
+++ b/core/db.py
@@ -2,9 +2,13 @@ import os
 import sqlite3
 
 
-def get_db_connection(server, name='skybot.%s.db'):
+def get_db_connection(conn, name=''):
     "returns an sqlite3 connection to a persistent database"
-    filename = os.path.join(bot.persist_dir, name % server)
+
+    if not name:
+        name = '%s.%s.db' % (conn.nick, conn.server)
+
+    filename = os.path.join(bot.persist_dir, name)
     return sqlite3.connect(filename, timeout=10)
 
 bot.get_db_connection = get_db_connection
diff --git a/core/main.py b/core/main.py
index 7eecd5c..ce60bb1 100644
--- a/core/main.py
+++ b/core/main.py
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ class Input(dict):
                     paraml=paraml, msg=msg, server=conn.server, chan=chan,
                     say=say, reply=reply, pm=pm, bot=bot, lastparam=paraml[-1])
 
+    # make dict keys accessible as attributes
     def __getattr__(self, key):
         return self[key]
 
@@ -42,18 +43,18 @@ def run(func, input):
 
     if args:
         if 'db' in args:
-            input['db'] = get_db_connection(input['server'])
+            input.db = get_db_connection(input.conn)
         if 'input' in args:
-            input['input'] = input
+            input.input = input
         if 0 in args:
-            out = func(input['inp'], **input)
+            out = func(input.inp, **input)
         else:
             kw = dict((key, input[key]) for key in args if key in input)
-            out = func(input['inp'], **kw)
+            out = func(input.inp, **kw)
     else:
-        out = func(input['inp'])
+        out = func(input.inp)
     if out is not None:
-        input['reply'](unicode(out))
+        input.reply(unicode(out))
 
 
 def do_sieve(sieve, bot, input, func, type, args):
diff --git a/plugins/log.py b/plugins/log.py
index ce1bf1f..cc6b62e 100644
--- a/plugins/log.py
+++ b/plugins/log.py
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@ import re
 from util import hook
 
 
-lock = thread.allocate_lock()
 log_fds = {}  # '%(net)s %(chan)s' : (filename, fd)
 
 timestamp_format = '%H:%M:%S'
@@ -86,24 +85,23 @@ def get_log_fd(dir, server, chan):
 @hook.thread
 @hook.event('*')
 def log(paraml, input=None, bot=None):
-    with lock:
-        timestamp = gmtime(timestamp_format)
+    timestamp = gmtime(timestamp_format)
 
-        fd = get_log_fd(bot.persist_dir, input.server, 'raw')
-        fd.write(timestamp + ' ' + input.raw + '\n')
+    fd = get_log_fd(bot.persist_dir, input.server, 'raw')
+    fd.write(timestamp + ' ' + input.raw + '\n')
 
-        if input.command == 'QUIT':  # these are temporary fixes until proper
-            input.chan = 'quit'      # presence tracking is implemented
-        if input.command == 'NICK':
-            input.chan = 'nick'
+    if input.command == 'QUIT':  # these are temporary fixes until proper
+        input.chan = 'quit'      # presence tracking is implemented
+    if input.command == 'NICK':
+        input.chan = 'nick'
 
-        beau = beautify(input)
+    beau = beautify(input)
 
-        if beau == '':  # don't log this
-            return
+    if beau == '':  # don't log this
+        return
 
-        if input.chan:
-            fd = get_log_fd(bot.persist_dir, input.server, input.chan)
-            fd.write(timestamp + ' ' + beau + '\n')
+    if input.chan:
+        fd = get_log_fd(bot.persist_dir, input.server, input.chan)
+        fd.write(timestamp + ' ' + beau + '\n')
 
-        print timestamp, input.chan, beau.encode('utf8', 'ignore')
+    print timestamp, input.chan, beau.encode('utf8', 'ignore')
diff --git a/plugins/seen.py b/plugins/seen.py
index 152c7d6..3b27d26 100644
--- a/plugins/seen.py
+++ b/plugins/seen.py
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ from util import hook, timesince
 @hook.thread
 @hook.event('PRIVMSG')
 def seeninput(paraml, input=None, bot=None):
-    db = bot.get_db_connection(input.server)
+    db = bot.get_db_connection(input.conn)
     db_init(db)
     db.execute("insert or replace into seen(name, time, quote, chan)"
         "values(?,?,?,?)", (input.nick.lower(), time.time(), input.msg,
diff --git a/plugins/tell.py b/plugins/tell.py
index 2951b07..350347b 100644
--- a/plugins/tell.py
+++ b/plugins/tell.py
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ def tellinput(paraml, input=None, bot=None):
     if 'showtells' in input.msg.lower():
         return
 
-    db = bot.get_db_connection(input.server)
+    db = bot.get_db_connection(input.conn)
     db = db_init(db)
 
     tells = get_tells(db, input.nick, input.chan)
diff --git a/plugins/urlhistory.py b/plugins/urlhistory.py
index e6eaadf..6d6ee6c 100644
--- a/plugins/urlhistory.py
+++ b/plugins/urlhistory.py
@@ -11,9 +11,8 @@ expiration_period = 60 * 60 * 24  # 1 day
 ignored_urls = [urlnorm.normalize("http://google.com")]
 
 
-def db_connect(bot, server):
-    "check to see that our db has the the seen table and return a dbection."
-    db = bot.get_db_connection(server)
+def db_connect(bot, conn):
+    db = bot.get_db_connection(conn)
     db.execute("create table if not exists urlhistory"
                  "(chan, url, nick, time)")
     db.commit()
@@ -68,8 +67,8 @@ def format_reply(history):
 
 
 @hook.regex(url_re)
-def urlinput(match, nick='', chan='', server='', reply=None, bot=None):
-    db = db_connect(bot, server)
+def urlinput(match, nick='', chan='', conn=None, bot=None):
+    db = db_connect(bot, conn)
     url = urlnorm.normalize(match.group().encode('utf-8'))
     if url not in ignored_urls:
         history = get_history(db, chan, url)