diff --git a/pyircbot/irccore.py b/pyircbot/irccore.py
index d71bcde..a76b9f1 100644
--- a/pyircbot/irccore.py
+++ b/pyircbot/irccore.py
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 
 """
 
+import queue
 import socket
 import asynchat
 import asyncore
@@ -14,6 +15,8 @@ import traceback
 import sys
 from inspect import getargspec
 from socket import SHUT_RDWR
+from threading import Thread
+from time import sleep,time
 
 try:
     from cStringIO import StringIO
@@ -44,6 +47,12 @@ class IRCCore(asynchat.async_chat):
         self.ipv6 = False
         """Use IPv6?"""
         
+        self.OUTPUT_BUFFER_SIZE = 1000
+        self.SEND_WAIT = 0.800
+        self.outputQueue = queue.PriorityQueue(self.OUTPUT_BUFFER_SIZE)
+        self.outputQueueRunner = OutputQueueRunner(self)
+        self.outputQueueRunner.start()
+        
         # IRC Messages are terminated with \r\n
         self.set_terminator(b"\r\n")
         
@@ -57,8 +66,18 @@ class IRCCore(asynchat.async_chat):
         asyncore.loop(map=self.asynmap)
     
     def kill(self):
-        """TODO close the socket"""
+        """Send quit message and close the socket"""
+        # Pauses output queue
+        self.outputQueueRunner.paused = True
+        # Clear any pending messages
+        self.outputQueueRunner.clear()
+        # Send quit message and flush queue
         self.act_QUIT("Help! Another thread is killing me :(")
+        self.outputQueueRunner.flush()
+        # Signal disconnection
+        self.alive=False
+        # Close socket
+        self.close()
     
     " Net related code here on down "
     
@@ -126,16 +145,13 @@ class IRCCore(asynchat.async_chat):
         self.fire_hook("_CONNECT")
         self.log.debug("handle_connect: complete")
     
-    def sendRaw(self, text):
-        """Send a raw string to the IRC server
+    def sendRaw(self, text, prio=2):
+        """Queue messages (raw string) to be sent to the IRC server
         
         :param text: the string to send
         :type text: str"""
-        if self.connected:
-            #self.log.debug(">> "+text)
-            self.send( (text+"\r\n").encode("UTF-8").decode().encode("UTF-8"))
-        else:
-            self.log.warning("Send attempted while disconnected. >> "+text)
+        text = (text+"\r\n").encode("UTF-8").decode().encode("UTF-8")
+        self.outputQueue.put((prio, text), block=False)
     
     def process_data(self, data):
         """Process one line of tet irc sent us
@@ -413,5 +429,59 @@ class IRCCore(asynchat.async_chat):
         
         :param message: quit message
         :type message: str"""
-        self.sendRaw("QUIT :%s" % message)
+        self.sendRaw("QUIT :%s" % message, prio=0)
     
+class OutputQueueRunner(Thread):
+    """Rate-limited output queue"""
+    def __init__(self, bot):
+        Thread.__init__(self, daemon=True)
+        self.bot = bot #reference to main bot thread
+        self.log = logging.getLogger('OutputQueueRunner')
+        self.paused = False
+    
+    def run(self):
+        """Constantly sends messages unless bot is disconnecting/ed"""
+        lastSend = time()
+        while True:
+            # Rate limit
+            sinceLast = time() - lastSend
+            if sinceLast < self.bot.SEND_WAIT:
+                toSleep = self.bot.SEND_WAIT - sinceLast
+                sleep(toSleep)
+            
+            # Pop item and execute
+            if self.bot.connected and not self.paused:
+                try:
+                    self.process_queue_item()
+                    lastSend = time()
+                except queue.Empty:
+                    #self.log.debug("Queue is empty")
+                    pass
+            sleep(0) # yield
+    
+    def process_queue_item(self):
+        """Remove 1 item from queue and process it"""
+        prio,text = self.bot.outputQueue.get(block=True, timeout=10)
+        #self.log.debug("%s>> %s" % (prio,text))
+        self.bot.outputQueue.task_done()
+        self.bot.send(text)
+    
+    def clear(self):
+        """Discard all items from queue"""
+        length = self.bot.outputQueue.qsize()
+        try:
+            while True:
+                self.bot.outputQueue.get(block=False)
+        except queue.Empty:
+            pass
+        #self.log.debug("output queue cleared")
+        return length
+    
+    def flush(self):
+        """Process all items in queue"""
+        for i in range(0, self.bot.outputQueue.qsize()):
+            try:
+                self.process_queue_item()
+            except:
+                pass
+        #self.log.debug("output queue flushed")