diff --git a/src/utilities.py b/src/utilities.py
index d35a223..6c7789a 100644
--- a/src/utilities.py
+++ b/src/utilities.py
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ __all__ = ["pm", "is_fake_nick", "mass_mode", "mass_privmsg", "reply",
            "relay_wolfchat_command", "irc_lower", "irc_equals", "match_hostmask",
            "is_owner", "is_admin", "plural", "singular", "list_players",
            "get_role", "get_roles", "change_role", "role_order", "break_long_message",
-           "complete_match", "complete_one_match", "get_victim", "get_nick", "InvalidModeException"]
+           "complete_match", "complete_one_match", "get_victim", "InvalidModeException"]
 # message either privmsg or notice, depending on user settings
 def pm(cli, target, message):
     if is_fake_nick(target) and botconfig.DEBUG_MODE:
@@ -381,15 +381,6 @@ def get_victim(cli, nick, victim, in_chan, self_in_list=False, bot_in_list=False
         return
     return pl[pll.index(tempvictims.pop())] #convert back to normal casing
 
-# wrapper around complete_match() used for any nick on the channel
-def get_nick(cli, nick):
-    ul = [x for x in var.USERS]
-    ull = [x.lower() for x in var.USERS]
-    lnick = complete_match(nick.lower(), ull)
-    if not lnick:
-        return None
-    return ul[ull.index(lnick)]
-
 class InvalidModeException(Exception): pass
 
 # vim: set sw=4 expandtab:
diff --git a/src/wolfgame.py b/src/wolfgame.py
index a362f8b..d3c9bc1 100644
--- a/src/wolfgame.py
+++ b/src/wolfgame.py
@@ -673,12 +673,16 @@ def join_timer_handler(var):
             for num in var.PING_IF_NUMS_ACCS:
                 if num <= len(pl):
                     for acc in var.PING_IF_NUMS_ACCS[num]:
+                        if db.has_unacknowledged_warnings(acc, None):
+                            continue
                         chk_acc.add(users.lower(acc))
 
         if not var.ACCOUNTS_ONLY:
             for num in var.PING_IF_NUMS:
                 if num <= len(pl):
                     for hostmask in var.PING_IF_NUMS[num]:
+                        if db.has_unacknowledged_warnings(None, hostmask):
+                            continue
                         checker.add(users.lower(hostmask, casemapping="ascii"))
 
         # Don't ping alt connections of users that have already joined