diff --git a/bot/bot.go b/bot/bot.go
index 051532d..40c661f 100644
--- a/bot/bot.go
+++ b/bot/bot.go
@@ -149,22 +149,12 @@ func (b *bot) migrateDB() {
 		}
 	}
 
-	if b.dbVersion == 1 {
-		if _, err := b.db.Exec(`create table if not exists variables (
+	if _, err := b.db.Exec(`create table if not exists variables (
 			id integer primary key,
 			name string,
-			perms string,
-			type string
-		);`); err != nil {
-			log.Fatal("Initial DB migration create variables table: ", err)
-		}
-		if _, err := b.db.Exec(`create table if not exists 'values' (
-			id integer primary key,
-			varId integer,
 			value string
 		);`); err != nil {
-			log.Fatal("Initial DB migration create values table: ", err)
-		}
+		log.Fatal("Initial DB migration create variables table: ", err)
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/bot/handlers.go b/bot/handlers.go
index 04d19d9..ba4c5b1 100644
--- a/bot/handlers.go
+++ b/bot/handlers.go
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ func (b *bot) Filter(message msg.Message, input string) string {
 
 func (b *bot) getVar(varName string) (string, error) {
 	var text string
-	err := b.db.QueryRow(`select v.value from variables as va inner join "values" as v on va.id = va.id = v.varId order by random() limit 1`).Scan(&text)
+	err := b.db.Get(&text, `select value from variables where name=? order by random() limit 1`, varName)
 	switch {
 	case err == sql.ErrNoRows:
 		return "", fmt.Errorf("No factoid found")
@@ -170,19 +170,14 @@ func (b *bot) getVar(varName string) (string, error) {
 }
 
 func (b *bot) listVars(channel string, parts []string) {
-	rows, err := b.db.Query(`select name from variables`)
+	var variables []string
+	err := b.db.Select(&variables, `select name from variables group by name`)
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Fatal(err)
 	}
 	msg := "I know: $who, $someone, $digit, $nonzero"
-	for rows.Next() {
-		var variable string
-		err := rows.Scan(&variable)
-		if err != nil {
-			log.Println("Error scanning variable.")
-			continue
-		}
-		msg = fmt.Sprintf("%s, %s", msg, variable)
+	if len(variables) > 0 {
+		msg += ", " + strings.Join(variables, ", ")
 	}
 	b.SendMessage(channel, msg)
 }
diff --git a/plugins/admin/admin.go b/plugins/admin/admin.go
index a81e9e9..bf12c81 100644
--- a/plugins/admin/admin.go
+++ b/plugins/admin/admin.go
@@ -3,8 +3,6 @@
 package admin
 
 import (
-	"database/sql"
-	"fmt"
 	"log"
 	"math/rand"
 	"strings"
@@ -19,14 +17,14 @@ import (
 
 type AdminPlugin struct {
 	Bot bot.Bot
-	DB  *sqlx.DB
+	db  *sqlx.DB
 }
 
 // NewAdminPlugin creates a new AdminPlugin with the Plugin interface
 func New(bot bot.Bot) *AdminPlugin {
 	p := &AdminPlugin{
 		Bot: bot,
-		DB:  bot.DB(),
+		db:  bot.DB(),
 	}
 	p.LoadData()
 	return p
@@ -36,18 +34,8 @@ func New(bot bot.Bot) *AdminPlugin {
 // This function returns true if the plugin responds in a meaningful way to the users message.
 // Otherwise, the function returns false and the bot continues execution of other plugins.
 func (p *AdminPlugin) Message(message msg.Message) bool {
-	// This bot does not reply to anything
-
-	if !message.User.Admin {
-		return false
-	}
-
 	body := message.Body
 
-	if len(body) == 0 {
-		return false
-	}
-
 	if body[0] == '$' {
 		return p.handleVariables(message)
 	}
@@ -56,32 +44,49 @@ func (p *AdminPlugin) Message(message msg.Message) bool {
 }
 
 func (p *AdminPlugin) handleVariables(message msg.Message) bool {
+	if parts := strings.SplitN(message.Body, "!=", 2); len(parts) == 2 {
+		variable := strings.ToLower(strings.TrimSpace(parts[0]))
+		value := strings.TrimSpace(parts[1])
+
+		_, err := p.db.Exec(`delete from variables where name=? and value=?`, variable, value)
+		if err != nil {
+			p.Bot.SendMessage(message.Channel, "I'm broke and need attention in my variable creation code.")
+			log.Println("[admin]: ", err)
+		} else {
+			p.Bot.SendMessage(message.Channel, "Removed.")
+		}
+
+		return true
+	}
+
 	parts := strings.SplitN(message.Body, "=", 2)
 	if len(parts) != 2 {
 		return false
 	}
 
-	variable := strings.TrimSpace(parts[0])
-	value := parts[1]
+	variable := strings.ToLower(strings.TrimSpace(parts[0]))
+	value := strings.TrimSpace(parts[1])
 
 	var count int64
-	var varId int64
-	err := p.DB.QueryRow(`select count(*), varId from variables vs inner join "values" v on vs.id = v.varId where vs.name = ? and v.value = ?`, variable, value).Scan(&count)
-	switch {
-	case err == sql.ErrNoRows:
-		_, err := p.DB.Exec(`insert into "values" (varId, value) values (?, ?)`, varId, value)
-		if err != nil {
-			log.Println(err)
-		}
-		msg := fmt.Sprintf("Added '%s' to %s.\n", value, variable)
-		p.Bot.SendMessage(message.Channel, msg)
-		return true
-	case err != nil:
+	row := p.db.QueryRow(`select count(*) from variables where value = ?`, variable, value)
+	err := row.Scan(&count)
+	if err != nil {
 		p.Bot.SendMessage(message.Channel, "I'm broke and need attention in my variable creation code.")
-		log.Println("Admin error: ", err)
+		log.Println("[admin]: ", err)
 		return true
 	}
-	p.Bot.SendMessage(message.Channel, "I've already got that one.")
+
+	if count > 0 {
+		p.Bot.SendMessage(message.Channel, "I've already got that one.")
+	} else {
+		_, err := p.db.Exec(`INSERT INTO variables (name, value) VALUES (?, ?)`, variable, value)
+		if err != nil {
+			p.Bot.SendMessage(message.Channel, "I'm broke and need attention in my variable creation code.")
+			log.Println("[admin]: ", err)
+			return true
+		}
+		p.Bot.SendMessage(message.Channel, "Added.")
+	}
 	return true
 }