diff --git a/irc.cpp b/irc.cpp
index 1734d76fa..aad9beb76 100644
--- a/irc.cpp
+++ b/irc.cpp
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 #include "headers.h"
 
 int nGotIRCAddresses = 0;
+bool fGotExternalIP = false;
 
 void ThreadIRCSeed2(void* parg);
 
@@ -223,6 +224,8 @@ bool GetIPFromIRC(SOCKET hSocket, string strMyName, unsigned int& ipRet)
     }
     else
     {
+        // Hybrid IRC used by lfnet always returns IP when you userhost yourself,
+        // but in case another IRC is ever used this should work.
         printf("GetIPFromIRC() got userhost %s\n", strHost.c_str());
         if (fUseProxy)
             return false;
@@ -327,14 +330,15 @@ void ThreadIRCSeed2(void* parg)
         }
         Sleep(500);
 
-        // Get my external IP from IRC server
+        // Get our external IP from the IRC server and re-nick before joining the channel
         CAddress addrFromIRC;
         if (GetIPFromIRC(hSocket, strMyName, addrFromIRC.ip))
         {
-            // Just using it as a backup for now
             printf("GetIPFromIRC() returned %s\n", addrFromIRC.ToStringIP().c_str());
-            if (addrFromIRC.IsRoutable() && !fUseProxy && !addrLocalHost.IsRoutable())
+            if (!fUseProxy && addrFromIRC.IsRoutable())
             {
+                // IRC lets you to re-nick
+                fGotExternalIP = true;
                 addrLocalHost.ip = addrFromIRC.ip;
                 strMyName = EncodeAddress(addrLocalHost);
                 Send(hSocket, strprintf("NICK %s\r", strMyName.c_str()).c_str());
diff --git a/irc.h b/irc.h
index 9cf964a6e..4bc812902 100644
--- a/irc.h
+++ b/irc.h
@@ -6,3 +6,4 @@ bool RecvLine(SOCKET hSocket, string& strLine);
 void ThreadIRCSeed(void* parg);
 
 extern int nGotIRCAddresses;
+extern bool fGotExternalIP;
diff --git a/main.h b/main.h
index 088e2860c..5934350f2 100644
--- a/main.h
+++ b/main.h
@@ -1733,6 +1733,8 @@ public:
 
 
 //
+// Alerts are for notifying old versions if they become too obsolete and
+// need to upgrade.  The message is displayed in the status bar.
 // Alert messages are broadcast as a vector of signed data.  Unserializing may
 // not read the entire buffer if the alert is for a newer version, but older
 // versions can still relay the original data.
diff --git a/net.cpp b/net.cpp
index 3c80644a4..da7661962 100644
--- a/net.cpp
+++ b/net.cpp
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@ bool GetMyExternalIP2(const CAddress& addrConnect, const char* pszGet, const cha
     return error("GetMyExternalIP() : connection closed");
 }
 
-
+// We now get our external IP from the IRC server first and only use this as a backup
 bool GetMyExternalIP(unsigned int& ipRet)
 {
     CAddress addrConnect;
@@ -176,6 +176,10 @@ bool GetMyExternalIP(unsigned int& ipRet)
     for (int nLookup = 0; nLookup <= 1; nLookup++)
     for (int nHost = 1; nHost <= 2; nHost++)
     {
+        // We should be phasing out our use of sites like these.  If we need
+        // replacements, we should ask for volunteers to put this simple
+        // php file on their webserver that prints the client IP:
+        //  <?php echo $_SERVER["REMOTE_ADDR"]; ?>
         if (nHost == 1)
         {
             addrConnect = CAddress("91.198.22.70:80"); // checkip.dyndns.org
@@ -222,6 +226,36 @@ bool GetMyExternalIP(unsigned int& ipRet)
     return false;
 }
 
+void ThreadGetMyExternalIP(void* parg)
+{
+    // Wait for IRC to get it first
+    if (!GetBoolArg("-noirc"))
+    {
+        for (int i = 0; i < 2 * 60; i++)
+        {
+            Sleep(1000);
+            if (fGotExternalIP || fShutdown)
+                return;
+        }
+    }
+
+    // Fallback in case IRC fails to get it
+    if (GetMyExternalIP(addrLocalHost.ip))
+    {
+        printf("GetMyExternalIP() returned %s\n", addrLocalHost.ToStringIP().c_str());
+        if (addrLocalHost.IsRoutable())
+        {
+            // If we already connected to a few before we had our IP, go back and addr them.
+            // setAddrKnown automatically filters any duplicate sends.
+            CAddress addr(addrLocalHost);
+            addr.nTime = GetAdjustedTime();
+            CRITICAL_BLOCK(cs_vNodes)
+                foreach(CNode* pnode, vNodes)
+                    pnode->PushAddress(addr);
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 
 
 
@@ -1310,8 +1344,7 @@ void StartNode(void* parg)
 #endif
     printf("addrLocalHost = %s\n", addrLocalHost.ToString().c_str());
 
-    // Get our external IP address for incoming connections
-    if (fUseProxy)
+    if (fUseProxy || mapArgs.count("-connect"))
     {
         // Proxies can't take incoming connections
         addrLocalHost.ip = CAddress("0.0.0.0").ip;
@@ -1319,15 +1352,7 @@ void StartNode(void* parg)
     }
     else
     {
-        if (addrIncoming.IsValid())
-            addrLocalHost.ip = addrIncoming.ip;
-
-        if (GetMyExternalIP(addrLocalHost.ip))
-        {
-            addrIncoming = addrLocalHost;
-            CWalletDB().WriteSetting("addrIncoming", addrIncoming);
-            printf("addrLocalHost = %s\n", addrLocalHost.ToString().c_str());
-        }
+        CreateThread(ThreadGetMyExternalIP, NULL);
     }
 
     //
diff --git a/serialize.h b/serialize.h
index e4c3bb0dd..34a339f77 100644
--- a/serialize.h
+++ b/serialize.h
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ class CDataStream;
 class CAutoFile;
 static const unsigned int MAX_SIZE = 0x02000000;
 
-static const int VERSION = 31900;
+static const int VERSION = 31901;
 static const char* pszSubVer = "";