diff --git a/irc.go b/irc.go
index 290dc76..57036f5 100644
--- a/irc.go
+++ b/irc.go
@@ -114,13 +114,19 @@ func GetNick(name string) string {
 	return strings.Split(name, "!")[0]
 }
 
+func hasNick(nick string, names []string) bool {
+	for _, v := range names {
+		if v == nick {
+			return true
+		}
+	}
+	return false
+}
+
 func (c *Connection) updateNicks(channel string, names []string) {
 	log.Printf("updating channel %s with %d nicks\n", channel, len(names))
 	for _, i := range names {
-		for _, n := range c.userList[channel] {
-			if n == i {
-				continue
-			}
+		if !hasNick(i, c.userList[channel]) {
 			c.userList[channel] = append(c.userList[channel], i)
 			log.Printf("added nick: %s to channel %s\n", channel, i)
 		}