diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index e282ffa..528f4de 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ retr0chat is the lightweight, no-dependencies, runs-anywhere solution for when l
 * tries to be irssi
 * zero dependencies on python 2.6, 2.7, 3.x
 * supports telnet, netcat, /dev/tcp, TLS clients
-* is not an irc server, but can bridge to/from irc servers
+* is not an irc server, but can [bridge to/from irc servers](#irc)
 * [modem-aware](https://ocv.me/r0c-2400.webm); comfortable at 1200 bps
 * fallbacks for inhumane conditions
   * linemode
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ retr0chat is the lightweight, no-dependencies, runs-anywhere solution for when l
 
 * 1980: [TVI 920C](https://a.ocv.me/pub/g/nerd-stuff/r0c-tvi-920c.jpg)
 * 1987: [IBM 3151](https://a.ocv.me/pub/g/nerd-stuff/r0c-ibm-3151.jpg) (also [video](https://a.ocv.me/pub/g/nerd-stuff/r0c-ibm-3151.webm)), using gnu-screen to translate VT100 sequences
+* 1993: [windows 3.11](https://a.ocv.me/pub/g/nerd-stuff/r0c-for-workgroups.png)
 
 ## features
 
@@ -48,7 +49,7 @@ technical:
   * history of sent messages (arrow-up/down)
 * bandwidth-conservative (push/pop lines instead of full redraws; scroll-regions)
 * fast enough; 600 clients @ 750 msgs/sec, or 1'000 cli @ 350 msg/s
-* bridge several irc channels from several networks into one r0c channel
+* [bridge](#irc) several irc channels from several networks into one r0c channel
 
 ## windows clients
 
@@ -108,6 +109,22 @@ you can run it as a service so it autostarts on boot:
 * on alpine / gentoo: [openrc service](docs/openrc/r0c)
 * on windows: [nssm](https://nssm.cc/) probably
 
+## irc
+
+if you want to connect your r0c instance to an irc network and bridge channels between them, you can do that:
+
+![screenshot of a r0c channel being bridged to an irc channel](docs/r0c-irc.png)
+
+```bash
+python3 r0c.py --ircn a,127.0.0.1,6667,r0c --ircb a,chat,g
+```
+
+run that command to start r0c with irc bridging enabled; r0c will then connect to an irc server (which we nicknamed `a`) on `127.0.0.1:6667` with the irc-nick `r0c` and bridge the irc-channel `#chat` with the r0c-channel `#g`
+
+if you then start an irc server locally, for example [miniircd](https://github.com/jrosdahl/miniircd/blob/master/miniircd) by running `python3 miniircd --verbose` then you're all set, people can now join r0c by connecting via irc
+
+to bridge additional channels on the same network, add more `--ircb` args, for example `--ircb a,tech,tech` like in the screenshot, and optionally add more networks with `--ircn`
+
 ## firewall rules
 
 skip this section if:
diff --git a/docs/r0c-irc.png b/docs/r0c-irc.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..40754bf
Binary files /dev/null and b/docs/r0c-irc.png differ
diff --git a/r0c/__version__.py b/r0c/__version__.py
index 69ad225..43dd8fb 100644
--- a/r0c/__version__.py
+++ b/r0c/__version__.py
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
-VERSION = (1, 6, 0)
-BUILD_DT = (2024, 4, 4)
+VERSION = (1, 6, 1)
+BUILD_DT = (2024, 4, 27)
 
 S_VERSION = u".".join(map(str, VERSION))
 S_BUILD_DT = u"{0:04d}-{1:02d}-{2:02d}".format(*BUILD_DT)
diff --git a/r0c/user.py b/r0c/user.py
index 9720867..ae606cd 100644
--- a/r0c/user.py
+++ b/r0c/user.py
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ class User(object):
             # the messy version
             text = u"""
 `1;30m______    `37m_`30m    ______
-`1;30m\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  `37m/ \\  `30m///////   `0mret`1mr0c`22mhat r0c_ver `36m-----
+`1;30m\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  `37m/ \\  `30m///////   `0mret`1mr0c`22mhat r0c_ver `36m---
  `1;30m\\\\ `36m/`37m^^  | |  `36m/^`0;36m^`1;30m //    `0mgithub.com/9001/r0c
   `1;30m\\ `0;36m|    `1m\\_/  `0;36m\\__ `1;30m/     `0;36m------b. r0c_build `0m
 """
diff --git a/test/stress.py b/test/stress.py
index 130eeca..81fcf91 100644
--- a/test/stress.py
+++ b/test/stress.py
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ from __future__ import print_function
 
 import builtins
 import multiprocessing
-import threading
 import socket
 import struct
 import signal
@@ -179,6 +178,10 @@ class Client(object):
         util.Daemon(self.rx_loop)
         util.Daemon(self.tx_loop)
 
+    def close(self):
+        self.stopping = True
+        self.sck.close()
+
     def send_status(self, txt):
         if False:
             print(txt)