diff --git a/client.go b/client.go
index 12d6212..22185a1 100644
--- a/client.go
+++ b/client.go
@@ -538,7 +538,7 @@ func (client *Client) receiver() {
 }
 
 func (client *Client) sendChannelList() {
-	client.sendChannelTree(client.server.root)
+	client.sendChannelTree(client.server.RootChannel())
 }
 
 func (client *Client) sendChannelTree(channel *Channel) {
diff --git a/freeze.go b/freeze.go
index 3394759..83457bd 100644
--- a/freeze.go
+++ b/freeze.go
@@ -295,6 +295,10 @@ func NewServerFromFrozen(filename string) (s *Server, err os.Error) {
 		}
 
 		s.Channels[c.Id] = c
+
+		if c.Id >= s.nextChanId {
+			s.nextChanId = c.Id + 1
+		}
 	}
 
 	// Hook up children with their parents.
@@ -313,8 +317,6 @@ func NewServerFromFrozen(filename string) (s *Server, err os.Error) {
 		parentChan.AddChild(childChan)
 	}
 
-	s.root = s.Channels[0]
-
 	// Add all users
 	for _, fu := range fs.Users {
 		u, err := NewUser(fu.Id, fu.Name)
diff --git a/message.go b/message.go
index 3524796..4e989f9 100644
--- a/message.go
+++ b/message.go
@@ -532,8 +532,8 @@ func (server *Server) handleUserRemoveMessage(client *Client, msg *Message) {
 	if isBan {
 		perm = Permission(BanPermission)
 	}
-	if removeClient.IsSuperUser() || !server.HasPermission(client, server.root, perm) {
-		client.sendPermissionDenied(client, server.root, perm)
+	if removeClient.IsSuperUser() || !server.HasPermission(client, server.RootChannel(), perm) {
+		client.sendPermissionDenied(client, server.RootChannel(), perm)
 		return
 	}
 
@@ -647,8 +647,8 @@ func (server *Server) handleUserStateMessage(client *Client, msg *Message) {
 		if target != actor {
 			// Check if actor has 'move' permissions on the root channel. It is needed
 			// to clear another user's comment.
-			if !server.HasPermission(actor, server.root, MovePermission) {
-				client.sendPermissionDenied(actor, server.root, MovePermission)
+			if !server.HasPermission(actor, server.RootChannel(), MovePermission) {
+				client.sendPermissionDenied(actor, server.RootChannel(), MovePermission)
 				return
 			}
 
@@ -676,8 +676,8 @@ func (server *Server) handleUserStateMessage(client *Client, msg *Message) {
 			perm = Permission(SelfRegisterPermission)
 		}
 
-		if target.IsRegistered() || !server.HasPermission(actor, server.root, perm) {
-			client.sendPermissionDenied(actor, server.root, perm)
+		if target.IsRegistered() || !server.HasPermission(actor, server.RootChannel(), perm) {
+			client.sendPermissionDenied(actor, server.RootChannel(), perm)
 			return
 		}
 
@@ -895,8 +895,8 @@ func (server *Server) handleBanListMessage(client *Client, msg *Message) {
 		return
 	}
 
-	if !server.HasPermission(client, server.root, BanPermission) {
-		client.sendPermissionDenied(client, server.root, BanPermission)
+	if !server.HasPermission(client, server.RootChannel(), BanPermission) {
+		client.sendPermissionDenied(client, server.RootChannel(), BanPermission)
 		return
 	}
 
@@ -1283,7 +1283,7 @@ func (server *Server) handleUserStatsMessage(client *Client, msg *Message) {
 	}
 	// Otherwise, only send extended UserStats for people with +register permissions
 	// on the root channel.
-	if server.HasPermission(client, server.root, RegisterPermission) {
+	if server.HasPermission(client, server.RootChannel(), RegisterPermission) {
 		extended = true
 	}
 
@@ -1471,8 +1471,8 @@ func (server *Server) handleUserList(client *Client, msg *Message) {
 	}
 
 	// Only users who are allowed to register other users can access the user list.
-	if !server.HasPermission(client, server.root, RegisterPermission) {
-		client.sendPermissionDenied(client, server.root, RegisterPermission)
+	if !server.HasPermission(client, server.RootChannel(), RegisterPermission) {
+		client.sendPermissionDenied(client, server.RootChannel(), RegisterPermission)
 		return
 	}
 
diff --git a/murmurdb.go b/murmurdb.go
index 10b386a..fd4e342 100644
--- a/murmurdb.go
+++ b/murmurdb.go
@@ -37,17 +37,17 @@ func NewServerFromSQLite(id int64, db *sqlite.Conn) (s *Server, err os.Error) {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	err = populateChannelInfoFromDatabase(s, s.root, db)
+	err = populateChannelInfoFromDatabase(s, s.RootChannel(), db)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	err = populateChannelACLFromDatabase(s, s.root, db)
+	err = populateChannelACLFromDatabase(s, s.RootChannel(), db)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	err = populateChannelGroupsFromDatabase(s, s.root, db)
+	err = populateChannelGroupsFromDatabase(s, s.RootChannel(), db)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -252,7 +252,8 @@ func populateChannelsFromDatabase(server *Server, db *sqlite.Conn, parentId int)
 			return err
 		}
 
-		c := server.NewChannel(chanid, name)
+		c := NewChannel(chanid, name)
+		server.Channels[c.Id] = c
 		c.InheritACL = inherit
 		parent.AddChild(c)
 	}
diff --git a/server.go b/server.go
index 09fd023..2d8d92d 100644
--- a/server.go
+++ b/server.go
@@ -83,9 +83,8 @@ type Server struct {
 	PreferAlphaCodec bool
 
 	// Channels
-	chanid   int
-	root     *Channel
-	Channels map[int]*Channel
+	Channels   map[int]*Channel
+	nextChanId int
 
 	// Administration
 	SuperUserPassword string
@@ -158,14 +157,26 @@ func NewServer(id int64, addr string, port int) (s *Server, err os.Error) {
 	s.UserNameMap["SuperUser"] = s.Users[0]
 
 	s.Channels = make(map[int]*Channel)
-	s.root = s.NewChannel(0, "Root")
 	s.aclcache = NewACLCache()
 
+	// Create root channel
+	s.Channels[0] = NewChannel(0, "Root")
+	s.nextChanId = 1
+
 	s.Logger = log.New(os.Stdout, fmt.Sprintf("[%v] ", s.Id), log.Ldate|log.Ltime)
 
 	return
 }
 
+// Get a pointer to the root channel
+func (server *Server) RootChannel() *Channel {
+	 root, exists := server.Channels[0]
+	 if !exists {
+		 server.Fatalf("Not Root channel found for server")
+	 }
+	 return root
+}
+
 // Set password as the new SuperUser password
 func (server *Server) SetSuperUserPassword(password string) {
 	saltBytes := make([]byte, 24)
@@ -300,28 +311,11 @@ func (server *Server) RemoveClient(client *Client, kicked bool) {
 	}
 }
 
-// Add an existing channel to the Server. (Do not arbitrarily pick an ID)
-func (server *Server) NewChannel(id int, name string) (channel *Channel) {
-	_, exists := server.Channels[id]
-	if exists {
-		// fime(mkrautz): Handle duplicates
-		return nil
-	}
-
-	channel = NewChannel(id, name)
-	server.Channels[id] = channel
-
-	if id > server.chanid {
-		server.chanid = id + 1
-	}
-
-	return
-}
-
 // Add a new channel to the server. Automatically assign it a channel ID.
 func (server *Server) AddChannel(name string) (channel *Channel) {
-	channel = NewChannel(server.chanid, name)
+	channel = NewChannel(server.nextChanId, name)
 	server.Channels[channel.Id] = channel
+	server.nextChanId += 1
 	return
 }
 
@@ -623,7 +617,7 @@ func (server *Server) finishAuthenticate(client *Client) {
 		}
 	}
 
-	server.userEnterChannel(client, server.root, userstate)
+	server.userEnterChannel(client, server.RootChannel(), userstate)
 	if err := server.broadcastProtoMessage(MessageUserState, userstate); err != nil {
 		// Server panic?
 	}
@@ -637,8 +631,8 @@ func (server *Server) finishAuthenticate(client *Client) {
 	if client.IsSuperUser() {
 		sync.Permissions = proto.Uint64(uint64(AllPermissions))
 	} else {
-		server.HasPermission(client, server.root, EnterPermission)
-		perm := server.aclcache.GetPermission(client, server.root)
+		server.HasPermission(client, server.RootChannel(), EnterPermission)
+		perm := server.aclcache.GetPermission(client, server.RootChannel())
 		if !perm.IsCached() {
 			client.Panic("Corrupt ACL cache")
 			return
@@ -1100,7 +1094,7 @@ func (s *Server) RemoveRegistration(uid uint32) (err os.Error) {
 	s.UserNameMap[user.Name] = nil, false
 
 	// Remove from groups and ACLs.
-	s.removeRegisteredUserFromChannel(uid, s.root)
+	s.removeRegisteredUserFromChannel(uid, s.RootChannel())
 
 	return nil
 }