diff --git a/src/db.py b/src/db.py
index 1f097b6..ad5fcc8 100644
--- a/src/db.py
+++ b/src/db.py
@@ -884,8 +884,31 @@ def _conn():
         with _ts.conn:
             c = _ts.conn.cursor()
             c.execute("PRAGMA foreign_keys = ON")
+        # remap NOCASE to be IRC casing
+        _ts.conn.create_collation("NOCASE", _collate_irc)
         return _ts.conn
 
+def _collate_irc(s1, s2):
+    # treat hostmasks specially, otherwise call irc_lower on stuff
+    if "@" in s1:
+        hl, hr = s1.split("@", 1)
+        s1 = irc_lower(hl) + "@" + hr.lower()
+    else:
+        s1 = irc_lower(s1)
+
+    if "@" in s2:
+        hl, hr = s2.split("@", 1)
+        l2 = irc_lower(hl) + "@" + hr.lower()
+    else:
+        s2 = irc_lower(s2)
+
+    if s1 == s2:
+        return 0
+    elif s1 < s2:
+        return -1
+    else:
+        return 1
+
 need_install = not os.path.isfile("data.sqlite3")
 conn = sqlite3.connect("data.sqlite3")
 with conn: