diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 5695706..0372fd3 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 build
 .vscode
 bbirc-debug
-bbirc
\ No newline at end of file
+bbirc
+tests
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/include/IRC.h b/include/IRC.h
index 99d221d..2ac17bd 100644
--- a/include/IRC.h
+++ b/include/IRC.h
@@ -41,8 +41,9 @@ typedef struct
 
 typedef struct 
 {
-    char name[32];
-    char args[64];
+    char capLine[96];       // A place for name and args to point to.
+    char *name;
+    char *args;
 } irc_capability_t;
 
 
diff --git a/src/IRC.c b/src/IRC.c
index 41cd83b..b47dd77 100644
--- a/src/IRC.c
+++ b/src/IRC.c
@@ -65,42 +65,59 @@ void IRC_ParseMessage(char *line, irc_message_t *msg)
     }
 }
 
-// WIP
+// Returns the number of capabilities found.
 int IRC_ParseCapabilities(char *caps, irc_capability_t *capabilities, int capsLength)
 {
     char capBak[512];
-    strncpy(capBak, caps, sizeof(capBak) - 1);
+    strncpy(capBak, caps, sizeof(capBak) - 1); // copy the capline so we don't destroy our parameter
     capBak[sizeof(capBak) - 1] = 0;
 
-    memset(capabilities, 0, sizeof(irc_capability_t) * capsLength);
-
     char *ptr = capBak;
+    char *tmp = ptr;
 
     int argc = 0;
-
-    while(*ptr && argc <= capsLength)
+    
+    while(*ptr && argc < capsLength)
     {
-        // copy the cap name
-        strncpy(capabilities[argc].name, ptr, sizeof(capabilities[argc].name) - 1);
-        capabilities[argc].name[sizeof(capabilities[argc].name) - 1] = 0;
-        while(*ptr != ' ' && *ptr != '=') ptr++;
+        while(*ptr == ' ') ptr++;  // skip any spaces before a capability
+        if(!*ptr) break;
 
-        if(*ptr == '=')
+        tmp = ptr;
+
+        while(*tmp && *tmp != ' ') tmp++;
+
+        *tmp++ = 0;
+        
+        // copy the cap line while it's untampered with
+        strncpy(capabilities[argc].capLine, ptr, sizeof(capabilities[argc].capLine) - 1);
+        capabilities[argc].capLine[sizeof(capabilities[argc].capLine) - 1] = 0;
+
+        // ptr now points to the start of the next cap
+        ptr = tmp;
+
+        // set the name pointer there
+        char* walker = capabilities[argc].capLine;
+        capabilities[argc].name = walker;
+        
+        while(*walker && *walker != '=') walker++;
+
+        if(*walker == '=')
         {
-            *ptr++ = 0;
+            *walker++ = 0;
+
+            // we don't need to move walker since it will be reinitialized in the next `while` iteration, and capLine already ends with a nullbyte
+            capabilities[argc].args = walker;
+            argc++;
         }
-        else if (*ptr == ' ')
+        else if (*walker == 0)
         {
-            if(strlen(capabilities[argc].name) > 0)
-            {
-                // the cap has no args
-
-            }
+            // the cap has no args
+            capabilities[argc].args = NULL;
             argc++;
         }
     }
 
-    return 0;
+    return argc;
 }
 
 static void handlePing(irc_message_t *msg, irc_client_t *irc)
@@ -115,45 +132,8 @@ static void handleCapabilities(irc_message_t *msg, irc_client_t *irc)
     // we are willing to tolerate some spaghetti...
     if(strncmp(msg->argv[1], "LS", 4) == 0)
     {
-        // add the supported capabilities to our client info
-        strncpy(irc->supportedCapabilities, msg->argv[2], sizeof irc->supportedCapabilities);
-        irc->supportedCapabilities[sizeof(irc->supportedCapabilities) - 1] = 0;
-        // try to find specific requested capabilities in there
-        
-        char* caps[64];
-        int capCount = 0;
+        // parse the caps
 
-        char* ptr = irc->requestedCapabilities;
-        
-        // split the requested caps
-        while(*ptr && capCount < 64)
-        {
-            caps[capCount] = ptr;
-
-            while(*ptr && *ptr != ' ') ptr++;
-
-            if(*ptr)
-            {
-                *ptr++ = NUL;
-                while (*ptr == ' ') ptr++;
-            }
-
-            capCount++;
-        }
-
-        char buf[512];
-        int bytesWritten = 0;
-
-        for(int i = 0; i < capCount; i++)
-        {
-            if(strstr(irc->supportedCapabilities, caps[i]) != NULL)
-            {
-                // queue that up for one CAP REQ
-                bytesWritten += snprintf(buf + bytesWritten, sizeof(buf) - bytesWritten, "%s ", caps[i]);
-            }
-        }
-
-        IRC_RequestCapabilities(buf, irc);
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/test b/test
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..ca26170
Binary files /dev/null and b/test differ