diff --git a/application/application.go b/application/application.go
index 2a2c778..051ae46 100644
--- a/application/application.go
+++ b/application/application.go
@@ -3,98 +3,28 @@ package application
 import (
 	"crypto/rsa"
 	"github.com/s-rah/go-ricochet"
-	"github.com/s-rah/go-ricochet/channels"
 	"github.com/s-rah/go-ricochet/connection"
 	"github.com/s-rah/go-ricochet/identity"
 	"log"
 	"net"
 	"sync"
-	"time"
 )
 
 // RicochetApplication bundles many useful constructs that are
 // likely standard in a ricochet application
 type RicochetApplication struct {
-	contactManager        ContactManagerInterface
-	privateKey            *rsa.PrivateKey
-	chatMessageHandler    func(*RicochetApplicationInstance, uint32, time.Time, string)
-	chatMessageAckHandler func(*RicochetApplicationInstance, uint32)
-	onConnected           func(*RicochetApplicationInstance)
-	onLeave               func(*RicochetApplicationInstance)
-	l                     net.Listener
-	instances             []*RicochetApplicationInstance
-	lock                  sync.Mutex
+	contactManager ContactManagerInterface
+	privateKey     *rsa.PrivateKey
+	l              net.Listener
+	instances      []*ApplicationInstance
+	lock           sync.Mutex
+	aif            ApplicationInstanceFactory
 }
 
-type RicochetApplicationInstance struct {
-	connection.AutoConnectionHandler
-	connection            *connection.Connection
-	RemoteHostname        string
-	ChatMessageHandler    func(*RicochetApplicationInstance, uint32, time.Time, string)
-	ChatMessageAckHandler func(*RicochetApplicationInstance, uint32)
-	OnLeave               func(*RicochetApplicationInstance)
-}
-
-func (rai *RicochetApplicationInstance) ContactRequest(name string, message string) string {
-	return "Accepted"
-}
-
-func (rai *RicochetApplicationInstance) ContactRequestRejected() {
-}
-func (rai *RicochetApplicationInstance) ContactRequestAccepted() {
-}
-func (rai *RicochetApplicationInstance) ContactRequestError() {
-}
-
-func (rai *RicochetApplicationInstance) SendChatMessage(message string) {
-	rai.connection.Do(func() error {
-		// Technically this errors afte the second time but we can ignore it.
-		rai.connection.RequestOpenChannel("im.ricochet.chat",
-			&channels.ChatChannel{
-				Handler: rai,
-			})
-
-		channel := rai.connection.Channel("im.ricochet.chat", channels.Outbound)
-		if channel != nil {
-			chatchannel, ok := channel.Handler.(*channels.ChatChannel)
-			if ok {
-				chatchannel.SendMessage(message)
-			}
-		}
-		return nil
-	})
-}
-
-func (rai *RicochetApplicationInstance) ChatMessage(messageID uint32, when time.Time, message string) bool {
-	go rai.ChatMessageHandler(rai, messageID, when, message)
-	return true
-}
-
-func (rai *RicochetApplicationInstance) ChatMessageAck(messageID uint32, accepted bool) {
-	rai.ChatMessageAckHandler(rai, messageID)
-}
-
-func (ra *RicochetApplication) Init(pk *rsa.PrivateKey, cm ContactManagerInterface) {
+func (ra *RicochetApplication) Init(pk *rsa.PrivateKey, af ApplicationInstanceFactory, cm ContactManagerInterface) {
 	ra.privateKey = pk
+	ra.aif = af
 	ra.contactManager = cm
-	ra.chatMessageHandler = func(*RicochetApplicationInstance, uint32, time.Time, string) {}
-	ra.chatMessageAckHandler = func(*RicochetApplicationInstance, uint32) {}
-}
-
-func (ra *RicochetApplication) OnChatMessage(call func(*RicochetApplicationInstance, uint32, time.Time, string)) {
-	ra.chatMessageHandler = call
-}
-
-func (ra *RicochetApplication) OnChatMessageAck(call func(*RicochetApplicationInstance, uint32)) {
-	ra.chatMessageAckHandler = call
-}
-
-func (ra *RicochetApplication) OnConnected(call func(*RicochetApplicationInstance)) {
-	ra.onConnected = call
-}
-
-func (ra *RicochetApplication) OnLeave(call func(*RicochetApplicationInstance)) {
-	ra.onLeave = call
 }
 
 func (ra *RicochetApplication) handleConnection(conn net.Conn) {
@@ -114,39 +44,17 @@ func (ra *RicochetApplication) handleConnection(conn net.Conn) {
 		return
 	}
 	rc.TraceLog(true)
-	rai := new(RicochetApplicationInstance)
-	rai.Init()
-	rai.RemoteHostname = rc.RemoteHostname
-	rai.connection = rc
-	rai.ChatMessageHandler = ra.chatMessageHandler
-	rai.ChatMessageAckHandler = ra.chatMessageAckHandler
-	rai.OnLeave = ra.onLeave
-
-	rai.RegisterChannelHandler("im.ricochet.contact.request", func() channels.Handler {
-		contact := new(channels.ContactRequestChannel)
-		contact.Handler = rai
-		return contact
-	})
-	rai.RegisterChannelHandler("im.ricochet.chat", func() channels.Handler {
-		chat := new(channels.ChatChannel)
-		chat.Handler = rai
-		return chat
-	})
+	rai := ra.aif.GetApplicationInstance(rc)
 	ra.lock.Lock()
 	ra.instances = append(ra.instances, rai)
 	ra.lock.Unlock()
-	go ra.onConnected(rai)
 	rc.Process(rai)
 }
 
-func (rai *RicochetApplicationInstance) OnClosed(err error) {
-	rai.OnLeave(rai)
-}
-
-func (ra *RicochetApplication) Broadcast(message string) {
+func (ra *RicochetApplication) Broadcast(do func(rai *ApplicationInstance)) {
 	ra.lock.Lock()
 	for _, rai := range ra.instances {
-		rai.SendChatMessage(message)
+		do(rai)
 	}
 	ra.lock.Unlock()
 }
diff --git a/application/application_factory.go b/application/application_factory.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8779458
--- /dev/null
+++ b/application/application_factory.go
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+package application
+
+import (
+	"github.com/s-rah/go-ricochet/channels"
+	"github.com/s-rah/go-ricochet/connection"
+)
+
+// A concrete instance of a ricochet application, encapsulating a connection
+type ApplicationInstance struct {
+	connection.AutoConnectionHandler
+	Connection     *connection.Connection
+	RemoteHostname string
+}
+
+// Application instance factory
+type ApplicationInstanceFactory struct {
+	handlerMap map[string]func(*ApplicationInstance) func() channels.Handler
+}
+
+// Init setsup an Application Factory
+func (af *ApplicationInstanceFactory) Init() {
+	af.handlerMap = make(map[string]func(*ApplicationInstance) func() channels.Handler)
+}
+
+// AddHandler
+func (af *ApplicationInstanceFactory) AddHandler(ctype string, chandler func(*ApplicationInstance) func() channels.Handler) {
+	af.handlerMap[ctype] = chandler
+}
+
+// GetApplicationInstance,
+func (af *ApplicationInstanceFactory) GetApplicationInstance(rc *connection.Connection) *ApplicationInstance {
+	rai := new(ApplicationInstance)
+	rai.Init()
+	rai.RemoteHostname = rc.RemoteHostname
+	rai.Connection = rc
+	for t, h := range af.handlerMap {
+		rai.RegisterChannelHandler(t, h(rai))
+	}
+	return rai
+}
diff --git a/application/examples/commandbot/main.go b/application/examples/commandbot/main.go
deleted file mode 100644
index 97897e2..0000000
--- a/application/examples/commandbot/main.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,31 +0,0 @@
-package main
-
-import (
-	"github.com/s-rah/go-ricochet/application"
-	"github.com/s-rah/go-ricochet/utils"
-	"log"
-	"time"
-)
-
-func main() {
-	commandbot := new(application.RicochetApplication)
-	pk, err := utils.LoadPrivateKeyFromFile("./testing/private_key")
-
-	if err != nil {
-		log.Fatalf("error reading private key file: %v", err)
-	}
-
-	l, err := application.SetupOnion("127.0.0.1:9051", "", pk, 9878)
-
-	if err != nil {
-		log.Fatalf("error setting up onion service: %v", err)
-	}
-
-	commandbot.Init(pk, new(application.AcceptAllContactManager))
-	commandbot.OnChatMessage(func(rai *application.RicochetApplicationInstance, id uint32, timestamp time.Time, message string) {
-		log.Printf("message from %v - %v", rai.RemoteHostname, message)
-		go echobot.Broadcast(rai.RemoteHostname + " " + message)
-	})
-	log.Printf("commandbot listening on %s", l.Addr().String())
-	commandbot.Run(l)
-}
diff --git a/application/examples/echobot/main.go b/application/examples/echobot/main.go
index ec3bb25..3fe9b33 100644
--- a/application/examples/echobot/main.go
+++ b/application/examples/echobot/main.go
@@ -2,11 +2,53 @@ package main
 
 import (
 	"github.com/s-rah/go-ricochet/application"
+	"github.com/s-rah/go-ricochet/channels"
 	"github.com/s-rah/go-ricochet/utils"
 	"log"
 	"time"
 )
 
+type EchoBotInstance struct {
+	rai *application.ApplicationInstance
+	ra  *application.RicochetApplication
+}
+
+func (ebi *EchoBotInstance) Init(rai *application.ApplicationInstance, ra *application.RicochetApplication) {
+	ebi.rai = rai
+	ebi.ra = ra
+}
+
+func (ebi *EchoBotInstance) ChatMessage(messageID uint32, when time.Time, message string) bool {
+	log.Printf("message from %v - %v", ebi.rai.RemoteHostname, message)
+	go ebi.ra.Broadcast(func(rai *application.ApplicationInstance) {
+		ebi.SendChatMessage(rai, ebi.rai.RemoteHostname+" "+message)
+	})
+	return true
+}
+
+func (ebi *EchoBotInstance) ChatMessageAck(messageID uint32, accepted bool) {
+
+}
+
+func (ebi *EchoBotInstance) SendChatMessage(rai *application.ApplicationInstance, message string) {
+	rai.Connection.Do(func() error {
+		// Technically this errors after the second time but we can ignore it.
+		rai.Connection.RequestOpenChannel("im.ricochet.chat",
+			&channels.ChatChannel{
+				Handler: ebi,
+			})
+
+		channel := rai.Connection.Channel("im.ricochet.chat", channels.Outbound)
+		if channel != nil {
+			chatchannel, ok := channel.Handler.(*channels.ChatChannel)
+			if ok {
+				chatchannel.SendMessage(message)
+			}
+		}
+		return nil
+	})
+}
+
 func main() {
 	echobot := new(application.RicochetApplication)
 	pk, err := utils.LoadPrivateKeyFromFile("./testing/private_key")
@@ -21,11 +63,19 @@ func main() {
 		log.Fatalf("error setting up onion service: %v", err)
 	}
 
-	echobot.Init(pk, new(application.AcceptAllContactManager))
-	echobot.OnChatMessage(func(rai *application.RicochetApplicationInstance, id uint32, timestamp time.Time, message string) {
-		log.Printf("message from %v - %v", rai.RemoteHostname, message)
-		go echobot.Broadcast(rai.RemoteHostname + " " + message)
+	af := application.ApplicationInstanceFactory{}
+	af.Init()
+	af.AddHandler("im.ricochet.chat", func(rai *application.ApplicationInstance) func() channels.Handler {
+		ebi := new(EchoBotInstance)
+		ebi.Init(rai, echobot)
+		return func() channels.Handler {
+			chat := new(channels.ChatChannel)
+			chat.Handler = ebi
+			return chat
+		}
 	})
+
+	echobot.Init(pk, af, new(application.AcceptAllContactManager))
 	log.Printf("echobot listening on %s", l.Addr().String())
 	echobot.Run(l)
 }
diff --git a/utils/networking.go b/utils/networking.go
index 9eef409..782d8f6 100644
--- a/utils/networking.go
+++ b/utils/networking.go
@@ -7,11 +7,11 @@ import (
 )
 
 const (
-        // InvalidPacketLengthError is returned whenever ricochet receives a packet too small or too large to conform to the spec.
+	// InvalidPacketLengthError is returned whenever ricochet receives a packet too small or too large to conform to the spec.
 	InvalidPacketLengthError = Error("InvalidPacketLengthError")
-	
+
 	// InvalidChannelIDError channels must be between 0 and 65535
-	InvalidChannelIDError    = Error("InvalidChannelIDError")
+	InvalidChannelIDError = Error("InvalidChannelIDError")
 )
 
 // RicochetData is a structure containing the raw data and the channel it the