diff --git a/library/notification/irc b/library/notification/irc
index 1948d54c0db..11bdc4a95ec 100644
--- a/library/notification/irc
+++ b/library/notification/irc
@@ -61,10 +61,16 @@ options:
     description:
       - Server password
     required: false
+  timeout:
+    description:
+      - Timeout to use while waiting for successful registration and join
+        messages, this is to prevent an endless loop
+    default: 30
+    version_added: 1.5
 
 # informational: requirements for nodes
 requirements: [ socket ]
-author: Jan-Piet Mens
+author: Jan-Piet Mens, Matt Martz
 '''
 
 EXAMPLES = '''
@@ -81,19 +87,22 @@ EXAMPLES = '''
 # IRC module support methods.
 #
 
-from time import sleep
+import re
 import socket
 
+from time import sleep
+
+
 def send_msg(channel, msg, server='localhost', port='6667',
-        nick="ansible", color='black', passwd=False):
+             nick="ansible", color='black', passwd=False, timeout=30):
     '''send message to IRC'''
 
     colornumbers = {
-        'black'  : "01",
-        'red'    : "04",
-        'green'  : "09",
-        'yellow' : "08",
-        'blue'   : "12",
+        'black': "01",
+        'red': "04",
+        'green': "09",
+        'yellow': "08",
+        'blue': "12",
     }
 
     try:
@@ -103,18 +112,37 @@ def send_msg(channel, msg, server='localhost', port='6667',
 
     message = "\x03" + colornumber + msg
 
-    irc = socket.socket( socket.AF_INET, socket.SOCK_STREAM )
-    irc.connect( ( server, int(port) ) )
+    irc = socket.socket(socket.AF_INET, socket.SOCK_STREAM)
+    irc.connect((server, int(port)))
     if passwd:
-        irc.send( 'PASS %s\r\n' % passwd )
-    irc.send( 'NICK %s\r\n' % nick )
-    irc.send( 'USER %s %s %s :ansible IRC\r\n' % (nick, nick, nick))
-    time.sleep(1)
-    irc.send( 'JOIN %s\r\n' % channel )
-    irc.send( 'PRIVMSG %s :%s\r\n' % (channel, message))
+        irc.send('PASS %s\r\n' % passwd)
+    irc.send('NICK %s\r\n' % nick)
+    irc.send('USER %s %s %s :ansible IRC\r\n' % (nick, nick, nick))
+    motd = ''
+    start = time.time()
+    while 1:
+        motd += irc.recv(1024)
+        if re.search('^:\S+ 00[1-4] %s :' % nick, motd, flags=re.M):
+            break
+        elif time.time() - start > timeout:
+            raise Exception('Timeout waiting for IRC server welcome response')
+        time.sleep(0.5)
+
+    irc.send('JOIN %s\r\n' % channel)
+    join = ''
+    start = time.time()
+    while 1:
+        join += irc.recv(1024)
+        if re.search('^:\S+ 366 %s %s :' % (nick, channel), join, flags=re.M):
+            break
+        elif time.time() - start > timeout:
+            raise Exception('Timeout waiting for IRC JOIN response')
+        time.sleep(0.5)
+
+    irc.send('PRIVMSG %s :%s\r\n' % (channel, message))
     time.sleep(1)
-    irc.send( 'PART %s\r\n' % channel)
-    irc.send( 'QUIT\r\n' )
+    irc.send('PART %s\r\n' % channel)
+    irc.send('QUIT\r\n')
     time.sleep(1)
     irc.close()
 
@@ -122,32 +150,34 @@ def send_msg(channel, msg, server='localhost', port='6667',
 # Main
 #
 
-def main():
 
+def main():
     module = AnsibleModule(
         argument_spec=dict(
-            server = dict(default='localhost'),
-            port = dict(default = 6667),
-            nick = dict(default = 'ansible'),
-            msg = dict(required = True),
-            color = dict(default="black", choices=["yellow", "red", "green",
-                                                  "blue", "black"]),
-            channel = dict(required = True),
-            passwd = dict()
+            server=dict(default='localhost'),
+            port=dict(default=6667),
+            nick=dict(default='ansible'),
+            msg=dict(required=True),
+            color=dict(default="black", choices=["yellow", "red", "green",
+                                                 "blue", "black"]),
+            channel=dict(required=True),
+            passwd=dict(),
+            timeout=dict(type='int', default=30)
         ),
         supports_check_mode=True
     )
 
-    server  = module.params["server"]
-    port    = module.params["port"]
-    nick    = module.params["nick"]
-    msg     = module.params["msg"]
-    color   = module.params["color"]
+    server = module.params["server"]
+    port = module.params["port"]
+    nick = module.params["nick"]
+    msg = module.params["msg"]
+    color = module.params["color"]
     channel = module.params["channel"]
-    passwd  = module.params["passwd"]
+    passwd = module.params["passwd"]
+    timeout = module.params["timeout"]
 
     try:
-        send_msg(channel, msg, server, port, nick, color, passwd)
+        send_msg(channel, msg, server, port, nick, color, passwd, timeout)
     except Exception, e:
         module.fail_json(msg="unable to send to IRC: %s" % e)