diff --git a/conf/example/config.json b/conf/example/config.json
index 5ead613..d2f87ff 100644
--- a/conf/example/config.json
+++ b/conf/example/config.json
@@ -21,10 +21,10 @@
         "protocol": null,
         "bind": null,
         "timeout": 30,
-        "maxdelay": 5,
-        "initialdelay": 1,
-        "factor": 2,
-        "jitter": 5,
+        "maxdelay": 360,
+        "initialdelay": 1.0,
+        "factor": 2.7182818284590451,
+        "jitter": 0.11962656472,
         "nickname": null,
         "username": null,
         "realname": null,
diff --git a/threshold b/threshold
index 9d4df1c..f87a78f 100755
--- a/threshold
+++ b/threshold
@@ -251,6 +251,7 @@ class IRCBotFactory(ReconnectingClientFactory):
     def __init__(self, name):
         self.instance = pool[name]
         self.name = name
+        self.client = None
         self.maxDelay = self.instance["maxdelay"]
         self.initialDelay = self.instance["initialdelay"]
         self.factor = self.instance["factor"]
@@ -264,8 +265,9 @@ class IRCBotFactory(ReconnectingClientFactory):
         return entry
 
     def clientConnectionLost(self, connector, reason):
-        self.client.connected = False
-        self.client.channels = []
+        if not self.client == None:
+            self.client.connected = False
+            self.client.channels = []
         error = reason.getErrorMessage()
         log("%s: connection lost: %s" % (self.name, error))
         helper.sendAll("%s: connection lost: %s" % (self.name, error))
@@ -273,8 +275,9 @@ class IRCBotFactory(ReconnectingClientFactory):
         #ReconnectingClientFactory.clientConnectionLost(self, connector, reason)
 
     def clientConnectionFailed(self, connector, reason):
-        self.client.connected = False
-        self.client.channels = []
+        if not self.client == None:
+            self.client.connected = False
+            self.client.channels = []
         error = reason.getErrorMessage()
         log("%s: connection failed: %s" % (self.name, error))
         helper.sendAll("%s: connection failed: %s" % (self.name, error))
@@ -963,6 +966,10 @@ class Helper(object):
                                  "protocol": protocol,
                                  "bind": config["Default"]["bind"],
                                  "timeout": config["Default"]["timeout"],
+                                 "maxdelay": config["Default"]["maxdelay"],
+                                 "initialdelay": config["Default"]["initialdelay"],
+                                 "factor": config["Default"]["factor"],
+                                 "jitter": config["Default"]["jitter"],
                                  "nickname": nickname,
                                  "username": config["Default"]["username"],
                                  "realname": config["Default"]["realname"],
@@ -1024,13 +1031,20 @@ class Helper(object):
                         spl[2] = None
                         toUnset = True
 
-                    if spl[1] in ["port", "timeout", "maxdelay", "initialdelay", "factor", "jitter"]:
+                    if spl[1] in ["port", "timeout", "maxdelay"]:
                         try:
                             spl[2] = int(spl[2])
                         except:
                             failure("Value must be an integer, not %s" % spl[2])
                             return
 
+                    if spl[2] in ["initialdelay", "factor", "jitter"]:
+                        try:
+                            spl[3] = float(spl[3])
+                        except:
+                            failure("Value must be a floating point integer, not %s" % spl[3])
+                            return
+
                     if spl[1] == "protocol":
                         if not toUnset:
                             if not spl[2] in ["ssl", "plain"]:
@@ -1108,13 +1122,20 @@ class Helper(object):
                         spl[3] = None
                         toUnset = True
 
-                    if spl[2] in ["port", "timeout", "maxdelay", "initialdelay", "factor", "jitter"]:
+                    if spl[2] in ["port", "timeout", "maxdelay"]:
                         try:
                             spl[3] = int(spl[3])
                         except:
                             failure("Value must be an integer, not %s" % spl[3])
                             return
 
+                    if spl[2] in ["initialdelay", "factor", "jitter"]:
+                        try:
+                            spl[3] = float(spl[3])
+                        except:
+                            failure("Value must be a floating point integer, not %s" % spl[3])
+                            return
+
                     if spl[2] == "authtype":
                         if not toUnset:
                             if not spl[3] in ["sp", "ns"]: