diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 2806cd1..9d30eb8 100755
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@ main:
 	$(CC) $(CFLAGS) $(SRC)/module.c -o $(OBJ)/module.o
 	$(CC) $(CFLAGS) $(SRC)/channel.c -o $(OBJ)/channel.o
 	$(CC) $(CFLAGS) $(SRC)/timers.c -o $(OBJ)/timers.o
+	$(CC) $(CFLAGS) $(SRC)/db.c -o $(OBJ)/db.o
+
 	$(CC) -o $(EXEC) $(OBJECTS) $(BINFLAGS)
 	@echo "All Done!"
 
diff --git a/lib/db.h b/lib/db.h
index 3f7d82e..56fb2bd 100755
--- a/lib/db.h
+++ b/lib/db.h
@@ -1,10 +1,15 @@
 #ifndef DB_H
 #define DB_H
 
+#define DB_MAGIC 0xdeadbeef
+#define DB_VER 0x10
+
 struct db_hash
 {
-    char key[85];
-    char value[4096];
+    int key_len;
+    int value_len;
+    char *key;
+    char *value;
 };
 
 struct db_table
@@ -18,8 +23,8 @@ struct db_table
 
 int write_db(struct db_table *db, char *fname);
 struct db_table *read_db(char *fname);
-int add_hash(struct db_table *db, char *key, char *value);
-int del_hash(struct db_table *db, char *key);
+int db_add_hash(struct db_table *db, char *key, char *value);
+int db_del_hash(struct db_table *db, char *key);
 char *get_hash(struct db_table *db, char *key);
 
 #endif
diff --git a/lib/irc.h b/lib/irc.h
index f4c44cb..6867419 100755
--- a/lib/irc.h
+++ b/lib/irc.h
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@
 
 #include <stdio.h>
 
+#include "db.h"
+
 #ifdef _WIN32
 #include <winsock2.h>
 #endif
@@ -30,6 +32,9 @@ struct irc_conn
     char port[5];
     char real_name[512];
 
+    char db_file[256];
+    struct db_table *db;
+
     // I/O Buffers
     char *out;
     char *in;
diff --git a/src/config.c b/src/config.c
index bcd6fbf..22698cc 100755
--- a/src/config.c
+++ b/src/config.c
@@ -41,6 +41,9 @@ struct irc_conn read_config(struct irc_conn bot, char *file)
     if (config_lookup_string(cf, "bot.admin", &base))
         strlcpy(bot.admin, base, sizeof bot.admin);
 
+    if (config_lookup_string(cf, "bot.db", &base))
+        strlcpy(bot.db_file, base, sizeof bot.db_file);
+
     autoload = config_lookup(cf, "mods.autoload");
     count    = config_setting_length(autoload);
 
diff --git a/src/db.c b/src/db.c
index cf40b71..43048d2 100755
--- a/src/db.c
+++ b/src/db.c
@@ -16,10 +16,21 @@ int write_db(struct db_table *db, char *fname)
         return -1;
     }
 
-    db->db_magic = 0xdeadbeef;
-    db->db_ver = 0x10;
+    db->db_magic = DB_MAGIC;
+    db->db_ver = DB_VER;
 
-    fwrite(db, sizeof(struct db_table) + (sizeof(struct db_hash) * db->count), 1, fp);
+    // write the header
+    fwrite(db, sizeof(struct db_table), 1, fp);
+
+    // write the hashes
+    fwrite(db->hashes, sizeof(struct db_hash), db->count, fp);
+
+    // write the keys and values
+    for (i = 0; i < db->count; i++)
+    {
+        fwrite(db->hashes[i].key, sizeof(char), db->hashes[i].key_len, fp);
+        fwrite(db->hashes[i].value, sizeof(char), db->hashes[i].value_len, fp);
+    }
 
     fclose(fp);
 
@@ -30,6 +41,7 @@ struct db_table *read_db(char *fname)
 {
     FILE *fp;
     struct db_table *db;
+    int tmp;
 
     if ((fp = fopen(fname, "rb")) == NULL)
     {
@@ -41,35 +53,43 @@ struct db_table *read_db(char *fname)
     fread(db, sizeof(struct db_table), 1, fp);
 
     // check the magic value
-    if (db->db_magic != 0xdeadbeef)
+    if (db->db_magic != DB_MAGIC)
     {
-        printf("Error: %s incompatible or unknown db file format\n", fname);
+        printf("Error: %s incompatible or unknown db file format: Bad Magic\n", fname);
 
         return NULL;
     }
 
 
     // check the version
-    if (db->db_ver != 0x10)
+    if (db->db_ver != DB_VER)
     {
-        printf("Error: %s incompatible or unknown db file format\n", fname);
+        printf("Error: %s incompatible or unknown db file format: Incompatible Version\n", fname);
 
         return NULL;
     }
 
-    db->hashes = (struct db_hash *)malloc(sizeof(struct db_hash) * db->count);
-
-    // skip padding
-    fseek(fp, 8, SEEK_CUR);
+    tmp = db->count != 0 ? db->count : sizeof(struct db_hash);
+    db->hashes = (struct db_hash *)malloc(sizeof(struct db_hash) * tmp);
 
     fread(db->hashes, sizeof(struct db_hash), db->count, fp);
 
+    // read the keys and values
+    for (tmp = 0; tmp < db->count; tmp++)
+    {
+        db->hashes[tmp].key = (char *)malloc(sizeof(char) * db->hashes[tmp].key_len);
+        db->hashes[tmp].value = (char *)malloc(sizeof(char) * db->hashes[tmp].value_len);
+
+        fread(db->hashes[tmp].key, sizeof(char), db->hashes[tmp].key_len, fp);
+        fread(db->hashes[tmp].value, sizeof(char), db->hashes[tmp].value_len, fp);
+    }
+
     fclose(fp);
 
     return db;
 }
 
-int add_hash(struct db_table *db, char *key, char *value)
+int db_add_hash(struct db_table *db, char *key, char *value)
 {
     int i;
 
@@ -83,17 +103,28 @@ int add_hash(struct db_table *db, char *key, char *value)
 
     db->hashes = (struct db_hash *)realloc(db->hashes, sizeof(struct db_hash) * (db->count + 1));
 
-    memset(db->hashes[db->count].key, 0, sizeof(db->hashes[db->count].key));
-    memset(db->hashes[db->count].value, 0, sizeof(db->hashes[db->count].value));
+    // zero out reallocated memory
+    memset(&db->hashes[db->count], 0, sizeof(struct db_hash));
 
-    strlcpy(db->hashes[db->count].key, key, sizeof(db->hashes[db->count].key));
-    strlcpy(db->hashes[db->count].value, value, sizeof(db->hashes[db->count].value));
+    db->hashes[db->count].key_len = strlen(key) + 1;
+    db->hashes[db->count].value_len = strlen(value) + 1;
+
+    printf("key_len: %d, value_len: %d\n", sizeof(char) * db->hashes[db->count].key_len, sizeof(char) *  db->hashes[db->count].value_len);
+
+    db->hashes[db->count].key = (char *)malloc(sizeof(char) * db->hashes[db->count].key_len);
+    db->hashes[db->count].value = (char *)malloc(sizeof(char) * db->hashes[db->count].value_len);
+
+    memset(db->hashes[db->count].key, 0, sizeof(char) * db->hashes[db->count].key_len);
+    memset(db->hashes[db->count].value, 0, sizeof(char) * db->hashes[db->count].value_len);
+
+    strlcpy(db->hashes[db->count].key, key, sizeof(char) * db->hashes[db->count].key_len);
+    strlcpy(db->hashes[db->count].value, value, sizeof(char) * db->hashes[db->count].value_len);
     db->count++;
 
     return 0;
 }
 
-int del_hash(struct db_table *db, char *key)
+int db_del_hash(struct db_table *db, char *key)
 {
     int i;
 
diff --git a/src/main.c b/src/main.c
index 041a4ab..ba166b2 100755
--- a/src/main.c
+++ b/src/main.c
@@ -9,8 +9,11 @@
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <time.h>
 #include <errno.h>
+#include <unistd.h>
+
 #include "config.h"
 #include "irc.h"
+#include "db.h"
 #include "util.h"
 #include "events.h"
 #include "module.h"
@@ -50,6 +53,23 @@ int main()
     // Read the config
     bot = read_config(bot, "xbot.cfg");
 
+    // check if the db exists, if not, create it
+    if (access(bot.db_file, F_OK) == -1)
+    {
+        printf("Creating db\n");
+        bot.db = (struct db_table *)malloc(sizeof(struct db_table));
+        memset(bot.db, 0, sizeof(struct db_table));
+
+        bot.db->count = 0;
+        bot.db->hashes = NULL;
+
+        write_db(bot.db, bot.db_file);
+    }
+    else
+    {
+        bot.db = read_db(bot.db_file);
+    }
+
     // Connect to the server
     printf("Connecting to %s...\n", bot.host);
 
diff --git a/test.db b/test.db
index 1fd816b..aa5dc16 100755
Binary files a/test.db and b/test.db differ
diff --git a/test1.db b/test1.db
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..b4cdfc9
Binary files /dev/null and b/test1.db differ
diff --git a/test_db.c b/test_db.c
index a6289a6..4fbde56 100755
--- a/test_db.c
+++ b/test_db.c
@@ -2,20 +2,22 @@
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <string.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
+#include <unistd.h>
 
-#define FNAME "test.db"
+#define FNAME "xbot.db"
 
 int main()
 {
     struct db_table *db;
     int i;
 
+    /*
     db = (struct db_table *)malloc(sizeof(struct db_table));
     db->count = 0;
     db->hashes = NULL;
 
-    add_hash(db, "lua.scripts", "hello.lua,test.lua,youtube.lua");
-    add_hash(db, "lua.scriptcount", "2");
+    db_add_hash(db, "lua.scripts", "hello.lua,test.lua,youtube.lua");
+    db_add_hash(db, "lua.scriptcount", "2");
 
     if (write_db(db, FNAME) == -1)
     {
@@ -23,16 +25,36 @@ int main()
     }
 
     free(db);
+    */
 
-    db = read_db(FNAME);
+    if (access(FNAME, F_OK) == -1)
+    {
+        printf("Creating db\n");
+
+        db = (struct db_table *)malloc(sizeof(struct db_table));
+        db->count = 0;
+        db->hashes = NULL;
+    }
+    else
+    {
+        db = read_db(FNAME);
+    }
+
+    // write some data if db is empty
+    if (db->count == 0)
+    {
+        db_add_hash(db, "lua.scripts", "hello.lua,test.lua,youtube.lua");
+        db_add_hash(db, "lua.scriptcount", "2");
+        write_db(db, FNAME);
+
+        return 0;
+    }
 
     for (i = 0; i < db->count; i++)
     {
         printf("Key: %s, Value: %s\n", db->hashes[i].key, db->hashes[i].value);
     }
 
-    printf("test: lua.scripts: %s\n", get_hash(db, "lua.scripts"));
-
     free(db);
 
     return 0;
diff --git a/testdb b/testdb
index c6f3e38..6aa9388 100755
Binary files a/testdb and b/testdb differ
diff --git a/xbot.cfg b/xbot.cfg
index 3c64ecf..9c1a975 100755
--- a/xbot.cfg
+++ b/xbot.cfg
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@ bot:
 	nick = "xbot";
 	user = "xbot";
 	admin = "ab3800";
+
+    db = "xbot.db";
 };
 
 server:
diff --git a/xbot.db b/xbot.db
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..c826d12
Binary files /dev/null and b/xbot.db differ