diff --git a/modules/Karma.py b/modules/Karma.py
index d0e4e5f..3116377 100755
--- a/modules/Karma.py
+++ b/modules/Karma.py
@@ -46,68 +46,73 @@ class Karma(Module):
         self.queryre = re.compile(querypattern)
 
     def do(self, connection, event, nick, userhost, replypath, what, admin_unlocked):
-        """look for karma strings."""
+        """look for karma strings at the start of messages"""
         
         if (self.karmare.match(what)):
+            self.handle_karma_change(connection, nick, userhost, replypath, what)
+            
+        elif (self.queryre.match(what)):
+            self.handle_karma_query(connection, nick, userhost, replypath, what)
 
-            match = self.karmare.match(what)
-            key = match.group(1)
-            value = match.group(2)
-            if (value == '++'):
-                value = 1;
+    def handle_karma_change(self, connection, nick, userhost, replypath, what):
+        """
+        handle the karma change and storage.
+        """
+        match = self.karmare.match(what)
+        key = match.group(1)
+        value = match.group(2)
+        if (value == '++'):
+            value = 1;
+        else:
+            value = -1;
+
+         # do karma recording
+        karma = shelve.open(self.karmafile)
+        try:
+            oldvalue = 0;
+            if karma.has_key(key):
+                oldvalue = karma[key]
+            newvalue = oldvalue + value;
+            karma[key] = newvalue;
+        finally:
+            karma.close()
+
+        trend = shelve.open(self.trendfile)
+        try:
+            nickpos = nick + "_pos"
+            nickneg = nick + "_neg"
+            trend_pos = 0;
+            trend_neg = 0;
+            if trend.has_key(nickpos):
+                trend_pos = trend[nickpos]
+            if trend.has_key(nickneg):
+                trend_neg = trend[nickneg]
+            if value > 0:
+                trend_pos = trend_pos + 1
             else:
-                value = -1;
+                trend_neg = trend_neg + 1
+            trend[nickpos] = trend_pos;
+            trend[nickneg] = trend_neg;
+        finally:
+            trend.close();
 
-             # do karma recording
-            karma = shelve.open(self.karmafile)
-            try:
-                oldvalue = 0;
-                if karma.has_key(key):
-                    oldvalue = karma[key]
-                newvalue = oldvalue + value;
-                karma[key] = newvalue;
-            finally:
-                karma.close()
+        reply = "karma change for '" + key + "' (" + str(value) + ") by " + nick
+        self.reply(connection, replypath, reply)
 
-            trend = shelve.open(self.trendfile)
-            try:
-                nickpos = nick + "_pos"
-                nickneg = nick + "_neg"
-                trend_pos = 0;
-                trend_neg = 0;
-                if trend.has_key(nickpos):
-                    trend_pos = trend[nickpos]
-                if trend.has_key(nickneg):
-                    trend_neg = trend[nickneg]
-                if value > 0:
-                    trend_pos = trend_pos + 1
-                else:
-                    trend_neg = trend_neg + 1
-                trend[nickpos] = trend_pos;
-                trend[nickneg] = trend_neg;
-            finally:
-                trend.close();
+    def handle_karma_query(self, connection, nick, userhost, replypath, what):
+        match = self.queryre.match(what)
+        key = match.group(1)
 
-            reply = "karma change for '" + key + "' (" + str(value) + ") by " + nick
-            self.reply(connection, replypath, reply)
-            return
+        karma = shelve.open(self.karmafile, "r")
+        reply = key + ' has no karma'
+        try:
+            if karma.has_key(key):
+                value = karma[key]
+                reply = key + ' has ' + str(value) + ' points of karma'
+        finally:
+            karma.close()
 
-        if (self.queryre.match(what)):
-            # tell about karma
-            match = self.queryre.match(what)
-            key = match.group(1)
-
-            karma = shelve.open(self.karmafile, "r")
-            reply = key + ' has no karma'
-            try:
-                if karma.has_key(key):
-                    value = karma[key]
-                    reply = key + ' has ' + str(value) + ' points of karma'
-            finally:
-                karma.close()
-
-            self.reply(connection, replypath, reply)
-            return
+        self.reply(connection, replypath, reply)
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     print "Hello World"