diff --git a/gerritbot/bot.py b/gerritbot/bot.py
index eff76a5..53eff5e 100755
--- a/gerritbot/bot.py
+++ b/gerritbot/bot.py
@@ -29,17 +29,14 @@ openstack-dev:
       - master
 """
 
-import irc.bot
-import time
-import subprocess
-import threading
-import select
-import json
-import sys
-import os
 import ConfigParser
 import daemon
-import traceback
+import irc.bot
+import logging.config
+import os
+import sys
+import threading
+import time
 import yaml
 
 try:
@@ -80,40 +77,14 @@ class GerritBot(irc.bot.SingleServerIRCBot):
 
 
 class Gerrit(threading.Thread):
-    def __init__(self, ircbot, channel_config,
-                 username, keyfile, server, port=29418):
+    def __init__(self, ircbot, channel_config, server,
+                 username, port=29418, keyfile=None):
         threading.Thread.__init__(self)
         self.ircbot = ircbot
         self.channel_config = channel_config
-        self.username = username
-        self.keyfile = keyfile
-        self.server = server
-        self.port = port
-        self.proc = None
-        self.poll = select.poll()
-
-    def _open(self):
-        self.proc = subprocess.Popen(['/usr/bin/ssh', '-p', str(self.port),
-                                      '-i', self.keyfile,
-                                      '-l', self.username, self.server,
-                                      'gerrit', 'stream-events'],
-                                     bufsize=1,
-                                     stdin=None,
-                                     stdout=subprocess.PIPE,
-                                     stderr=None,
-                                     )
-        self.poll.register(self.proc.stdout)
-
-    def _close(self):
-        try:
-            self.poll.unregister(self.proc.stdout)
-        except:
-            pass
-        try:
-            self.proc.kill()
-        except:
-            pass
-        self.proc = None
+        # Import here because it needs to happen after daemonization
+        import gerritlib.gerrit
+        self.gerrit = gerritlib.gerrit.Gerrit(server, username, port, keyfile)
 
     def patchset_created(self, channel, data):
         msg = '%s proposed a change to %s: %s  %s' % (
@@ -174,9 +145,7 @@ class Gerrit(threading.Thread):
             data['change']['url'])
         self.ircbot.send(channel, msg)
 
-    def _read(self):
-        l = self.proc.stdout.readline()
-        data = json.loads(l)
+    def _read(self, data):
         channel_set = (self.channel_config.projects.get(
                             data['change']['project'], set()) &
                        self.channel_config.events.get(
@@ -191,30 +160,11 @@ class Gerrit(threading.Thread):
             elif data['type'] == 'change-merged':
                 self.change_merged(channel, data)
 
-    def _listen(self):
-        while True:
-            ret = self.poll.poll()
-            for (fd, event) in ret:
-                if fd == self.proc.stdout.fileno():
-                    if event == select.POLLIN:
-                        self._read()
-                    else:
-                        raise Exception("event on ssh connection")
-
-    def _run(self):
-        try:
-            if not self.proc:
-                self._open()
-            self._listen()
-        except:
-            traceback.print_exc()
-            self._close()
-            time.sleep(5)
-
     def run(self):
-        time.sleep(5)
+        self.gerrit.startWatching()
         while True:
-            self._run()
+            event = self.gerrit.getEvent()
+            self._read(event)
 
 
 class ChannelConfig(object):
@@ -246,6 +196,7 @@ class ChannelConfig(object):
 def _main():
     config = ConfigParser.ConfigParser()
     config.read(sys.argv[1])
+    setup_logging(config)
 
     fp = config.get('ircbot', 'channel_config')
     if fp:
@@ -264,10 +215,10 @@ def _main():
                     config.getint('ircbot', 'port'))
     g = Gerrit(bot,
                channel_config,
-               config.get('gerrit', 'user'),
-               config.get('gerrit', 'key'),
                config.get('gerrit', 'host'),
-               config.getint('gerrit', 'port'))
+               config.get('gerrit', 'user'),
+               config.getint('gerrit', 'port'),
+               config.get('gerrit', 'key'))
     g.start()
     bot.start()
 
@@ -283,5 +234,16 @@ def main():
         _main()
 
 
+def setup_logging(config):
+    if config.has_option('gerrit', 'log_config'):
+        log_config = config.get('gerrit', 'log_config')
+        fp = os.path.expanduser(log_config)
+        if not os.path.exists(fp):
+            raise Exception("Unable to read logging config file at %s" % fp)
+        logging.config.fileConfig(fp)
+    else:
+        logging.basicConfig(level=logging.DEBUG)
+
+
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     main()
diff --git a/tools/pip-requires b/tools/pip-requires
index ddf5b57..efecad9 100644
--- a/tools/pip-requires
+++ b/tools/pip-requires
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+gerritlib
+irc
 pyyaml
 python-daemon
-irc