diff --git a/CHANGESTODO b/CHANGESTODO
index 18aadbc..4176212 100644
--- a/CHANGESTODO
+++ b/CHANGESTODO
@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@ vim:nosmarttab:syntax=diff
 ________________________________________________________________________
 == NUISANCES worth fixing, possibly ====================================
 ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
+- how is it that /join #foo.bar tries to connect a host called foo.bar?
+
 - offline messages not being output (which *can* work even with OTR!)
      <<< did i fix that recently?
 
diff --git a/world/net/http/server.c b/world/net/http/server.c
index 8e8ca3a..ab206a2 100644
--- a/world/net/http/server.c
+++ b/world/net/http/server.c
@@ -168,8 +168,7 @@ process() {
     P4(("found cookie: %O\n", t))
     if (t && sscanf(t, "psyced=\"%s\"", t)) {
 	P3(("got cookie: %O\n", t))
-	query = url_parse_query(query, t);
-	P4(("parsed cookie: %O\n", query))
+	qs = qs ? t+"&"+qs : t;
     }
 #ifdef GENERIC_COOKIES	// we might need them someday..?
     // if within the same domain other cookies are being used, like
@@ -197,6 +196,8 @@ process() {
 	query = url_parse_query(query, body);
     }
     P4(("parsed query: %O\n", query))
+    // remember original form of item in headers mapping 
+    headers["item"] = item;
     switch (item) {
 case "/favicon.ico":
 #if 0
diff --git a/world/net/include/place.gen b/world/net/include/place.gen
index c8fe462..6376a81 100644
--- a/world/net/include/place.gen
+++ b/world/net/include/place.gen
@@ -610,6 +610,35 @@ htget(prot, query, headers, qs) {
 }
 #endif
 
+#ifdef CHALLENGE_MATCH
+#include <sys/regexp.h>
+
+htget(prot, query, headers, qs, data, noprocess) {
+	if (query["challenge"] == "complete")
+	    return ::htget(prot, query, headers, qs, data, noprocess);
+	string item = headers[item] || "/@"+ MYNICK;
+	if (query["challenge"] == "given" &&
+# if __EFUN_DEFINED__(regmatch)
+	    stringp(query["answer"]) &&
+	    regmatch(lower_case(query["answer"]), CHALLENGE_MATCH, RE_MATCH_SUBS)
+# else
+	    query["answer"] == CHALLENGE_MATCH
+# endif
+	) {
+		htredirect(prot, item, "Reload, please", 0, "Set-Cookie: psyced=\"challenge=complete\"; path="+ item +";\n");
+		return 1;
+	}
+	sTextPath(query["layout"], query["lang"], "html");
+	// could add a timeout here...
+	htok3(prot, 0, "Set-Cookie: psyced=\"challenge=given\"; path="+ item +";\n");
+	w("_PAGES_group_challenge", 0,
+	    ([ "_challenge" : htquote(CHALLENGE_QUESTION),
+	       "_nick_place" : MYNICK ]) );
+	printf("%O (%O) in %O\n", query, qs, headers);
+	return 1;
+}
+#endif
+
 #ifdef HISTORY
 # if defined(HISTORY_METHOD) || defined(HISTORY_MAY_LOG)
 mayLog(mc) {