diff --git a/krebs/3modules/ci.nix b/krebs/3modules/ci/default.nix
similarity index 89%
rename from krebs/3modules/ci.nix
rename to krebs/3modules/ci/default.nix
index 5efe41786..0f85b27c0 100644
--- a/krebs/3modules/ci.nix
+++ b/krebs/3modules/ci/default.nix
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ let
               "${url}",
               workdir='${name}-${elemAt(splitString "." url) 1}', branches=True,
               project='${name}',
-              pollinterval=100
+              pollinterval=30
           )
         '') repo.urls
       ) cfg.repos;
@@ -84,6 +84,7 @@ let
         from buildbot.process import buildstep, logobserver
         from twisted.internet import defer
         import json
+        import sys
 
         class GenerateStagesCommand(buildstep.ShellMixin, steps.BuildStep):
             def __init__(self, **kwargs):
@@ -157,19 +158,29 @@ let
               )
           )
         '') cfg.repos)}
+
+        # fancy irc notification by Mic92 https://github.com/Mic92/dotfiles/tree/master/nixos/eve/modules/buildbot
+        sys.path.append("${./modules}")
+        from irc_notify import NotifyFailedBuilds
+        c['services'].append(
+            NotifyFailedBuilds("irc://buildbot|test@irc.r:6667/#xxx")
+        )
+
       '';
 
       enable = true;
-      reporters = [''
-        reporters.IRC(
-          host = "irc.r",
-          nick = "buildbot|${hostname}",
-          notify_events = [ 'started', 'finished', 'failure', 'success', 'exception', 'problem' ],
-          channels = [{"channel": "#xxx"}],
-          showBlameList = True,
-          authz={'force': True},
-        )
-      ''];
+      reporters = [
+        ''
+          reporters.IRC(
+            host = "irc.r",
+            nick = "buildbot|${hostname}",
+            notify_events = [ 'started', 'finished', 'failure', 'success', 'exception', 'problem' ],
+            channels = [{"channel": "#xxx"}],
+            showBlameList = True,
+            authz={'force': True},
+          )
+        ''
+      ];
 
       buildbotUrl = "http://build.${hostname}.r/";
     };
diff --git a/krebs/3modules/ci/modules/irc_notify.py b/krebs/3modules/ci/modules/irc_notify.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..4b7969aaf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/krebs/3modules/ci/modules/irc_notify.py
@@ -0,0 +1,145 @@
+from typing import Optional, Generator, Any
+import socket
+import ssl
+import threading
+import re
+from urllib.parse import urlparse
+import base64
+
+from buildbot.reporters.base import ReporterBase
+from buildbot.reporters.generators.build import BuildStatusGenerator
+from buildbot.reporters.message import MessageFormatter
+from twisted.internet import defer
+
+DEBUG = False
+
+
+def _irc_send(
+    server: str,
+    nick: str,
+    channel: str,
+    sasl_password: Optional[str] = None,
+    server_password: Optional[str] = None,
+    tls: bool = True,
+    port: int = 6697,
+    messages: list[str] = [],
+) -> None:
+    if not messages:
+        return
+
+    # don't give a shit about legacy ip
+    sock = socket.socket(family=socket.AF_INET6)
+    if tls:
+        sock = ssl.wrap_socket(
+            sock, cert_reqs=ssl.CERT_NONE, ssl_version=ssl.PROTOCOL_TLSv1_2
+        )
+
+    def _send(command: str) -> int:
+        if DEBUG:
+            print(command)
+        return sock.send((f"{command}\r\n").encode())
+
+    def _pong(ping: str):
+        if ping.startswith("PING"):
+            sock.send(ping.replace("PING", "PONG").encode("ascii"))
+
+    recv_file = sock.makefile(mode="r")
+
+    print(f"connect {server}:{port}")
+    sock.connect((server, port))
+    if server_password:
+        _send(f"PASS {server_password}")
+    _send(f"USER {nick} 0 * :{nick}")
+    _send(f"NICK {nick}")
+    for line in recv_file.readline():
+        if re.match(r"^:[^ ]* (MODE|221|376|422) ", line):
+            break
+        else:
+            _pong(line)
+
+    if sasl_password:
+        _send("CAP REQ :sasl")
+        _send("AUTHENTICATE PLAIN")
+        auth = base64.encodebytes(f"{nick}\0{nick}\0{sasl_password}".encode("ascii"))
+        _send(f"AUTHENTICATE {auth.decode('ascii')}")
+        _send("CAP END")
+    _send(f"JOIN :{channel}")
+
+    for m in messages:
+        _send(f"PRIVMSG {channel} :{m}")
+
+    _send("INFO")
+    for line in recv_file:
+        if DEBUG:
+            print(line, end="")
+        # Assume INFO reply means we are done
+        if "End of /INFO" in line:
+            break
+        else:
+            _pong(line)
+
+    sock.send(b"QUIT")
+    print("disconnect")
+    sock.close()
+
+
+def irc_send(
+    url: str, notifications: list[str], password: Optional[str] = None
+) -> None:
+    parsed = urlparse(f"{url}")
+    username = parsed.username or "prometheus"
+    server = parsed.hostname or "chat.freenode.net"
+    if parsed.fragment != "":
+        channel = f"#{parsed.fragment}"
+    else:
+        channel = "#krebs-announce"
+    port = parsed.port or 6697
+    if not password:
+        password = parsed.password
+    if len(notifications) == 0:
+        return
+    # put this in a thread to not block buildbot
+    t = threading.Thread(
+        target=_irc_send,
+        kwargs=dict(
+            server=server,
+            nick=username,
+            sasl_password=password,
+            channel=channel,
+            port=port,
+            messages=notifications,
+            tls=parsed.scheme == "irc+tls",
+        ),
+    )
+    t.start()
+
+
+subject_template = """\
+{{ '☠' if result_names[results] == 'failure' else '☺' if result_names[results] == 'success' else '☝' }} \
+{{ build['properties'].get('project', ['whole buildset'])[0] if is_buildset else buildername }} \
+- \
+{{ build['state_string'] }} \
+{{ '(%s)' % (build['properties']['branch'][0] if (build['properties']['branch'] and build['properties']['branch'][0]) else build['properties'].get('got_revision', ['(unknown revision)'])[0]) }} \
+({{ build_url }})
+"""  # # noqa pylint: disable=line-too-long
+
+
+class NotifyFailedBuilds(ReporterBase):
+    def _generators(self) -> list[BuildStatusGenerator]:
+        formatter = MessageFormatter(template_type="plain", subject=subject_template)
+        return [BuildStatusGenerator(message_formatter=formatter)]
+
+    def checkConfig(self, url: str):
+        super().checkConfig(generators=self._generators())
+
+    @defer.inlineCallbacks
+    def reconfigService(self, url: str) -> Generator[Any, object, Any]:
+        self.url = url
+        yield super().reconfigService(generators=self._generators())
+
+    def sendMessage(self, reports: list):
+        msgs = []
+        for r in reports:
+            if r["builds"][0]["state_string"] != "build successful":
+                msgs.append(r["subject"])
+        irc_send(self.url, notifications=msgs)
diff --git a/krebs/3modules/default.nix b/krebs/3modules/default.nix
index 5ba436580..01436d352 100644
--- a/krebs/3modules/default.nix
+++ b/krebs/3modules/default.nix
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ let
       ./brockman.nix
       ./build.nix
       ./cachecache.nix
-      ./ci.nix
+      ./ci
       ./current.nix
       ./dns.nix
       ./ergo.nix