diff --git a/DrBotIRC.py b/DrBotIRC.py
index ae0c95b..47f174b 100644
--- a/DrBotIRC.py
+++ b/DrBotIRC.py
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 
 """
 
+import bisect
 import copy
 from ConfigParser import NoOptionError, NoSectionError
 import logging
@@ -213,6 +214,8 @@ class DrBotIRC(irclib.IRC):
         self.config = config
         self.xmlrpc = None
 
+        self.regex_handlers = dict()
+
         # handle SIGINT
         signal.signal(signal.SIGINT, self.sigint_handler)
 
@@ -257,8 +260,62 @@ class DrBotIRC(irclib.IRC):
 
         return self.server
 
+    def add_global_regex_handler(self, event, regex, handler, priority=0):
+        """Adds a global handler function for a specific event type and regex.
+
+        The handler function is called whenever the specified event is
+        triggered in any of the connections and the regex matches.
+        See documentation for the Event class.
+
+        The handler functions are called in priority order (lowest
+        number is highest priority).  If a handler function returns
+        "NO MORE", no more handlers will be called.
+
+        This is basically an extension of add_global_handler(), either may
+        work, though it turns out most modules probably want this one.
+
+        The provided method should take as arguments:
+            * nick          the nick creating the event, or None
+            * userhost      the userhost creating the event, or None
+            * event         the raw IRC event, which may be None
+            * from_admin    whether or not the event came from an admin
+            * groups        list of match.groups(), from re.search()
+
+        Args:
+            event       event type (a string), as in numeric_events
+            regex       regex string to match before doing callback invocation
+            handler     callback function to invoke
+            priority    integer, the lower number, the higher priority
+
+        """
+
+        if not event in self.regex_handlers:
+            self.regex_handlers[event] = []
+        bisect.insort(self.regex_handlers[event], ((priority, regex, handler)))
+
+    def remove_global_regex_handler(self, event, regex, handler):
+        """Removes a global regex handler function.
+
+        Args:
+            event       event type (a string), as in numeric_events
+            regex       regex string that was used in matching
+            handler     callback function to remove
+
+        Returns:
+            1 on success, otherwise 0.
+
+        """
+
+        if not event in self.regex_handlers:
+            return 0
+
+        for h in self.regex_handlers[event]:
+            if regex == h[1] and handler == h[2]:
+                self.regex_handlers[event].remove(h)
+        return 1
+
     def _handle_event(self, connection, event):
-        """Override event handler to do recursion.
+        """Override event handler to do recursion and regex checking.
 
         Args:
             connection  source connection
@@ -287,6 +344,41 @@ class DrBotIRC(irclib.IRC):
         self.try_recursion(connection, event)
         self.try_alias(connection, event)
 
+        nick = None
+        userhost = None
+        admin = False
+
+        if event.source() is not None:
+            nick = irclib.nm_to_n(event.source())
+            try:
+                userhost = irclib.nm_to_uh(event.source())
+            except IndexError: pass
+
+        try:
+            if userhost == self.config.get('dr.botzo', 'admin_userhost'):
+                admin = True
+        except NoOptionError: pass
+
+        # try regex handlers first, since they're more specific
+        rh = self.regex_handlers
+        trh = sorted(rh.get('all_events', []) + rh.get(event.eventtype(), []))
+        for handler in trh:
+            try:
+                prio, regex, method = handler
+                for line in event.arguments():
+                    match = re.search(regex, line)
+                    if match:
+                        log.debug("pattern matched, calling "
+                                  "{0:s}".format(method))
+                        # pattern matched, call method with pattern groups
+                        ret = method(nick, userhost, event, admin,
+                                     match.groups())
+                        if ret == 'NO MORE':
+                            return
+            except Exception as e:
+                log.error("exception floated up to DrBotIrc!")
+                log.exception(e)
+
         h = self.handlers
         th = sorted(h.get('all_events', []) + h.get(event.eventtype(), []))
         for handler in th:
@@ -335,6 +427,41 @@ class DrBotIRC(irclib.IRC):
 
         replies = []
 
+        nick = None
+        userhost = None
+        admin = False
+
+        if event.source() is not None:
+            nick = irclib.nm_to_n(event.source())
+            try:
+                userhost = irclib.nm_to_uh(event.source())
+            except IndexError: pass
+
+        try:
+            if userhost == self.config.get('dr.botzo', 'admin_userhost'):
+                admin = True
+        except NoOptionError: pass
+
+        # try regex handlers first, since they're more specific
+        rh = self.regex_handlers
+        trh = sorted(rh.get('all_events', []) + rh.get(event.eventtype(), []))
+        for handler in trh:
+            try:
+                prio, regex, method = handler
+                for line in event.arguments():
+                    match = re.search(regex, line)
+                    if match:
+                        log.debug("pattern matched, calling "
+                                  "{0:s}".format(method))
+                        # pattern matched, call method with pattern groups
+                        ret = method(nick, userhost, event, admin,
+                                     match.groups())
+                        if ret:
+                            replies.append(ret)
+            except Exception as e:
+                log.error("exception floated up to DrBotIrc!")
+                log.exception(e)
+
         h = self.handlers
         th = sorted(h.get('all_events', []) + h.get(event.eventtype(), []))
         for handler in th: