diff --git a/plugins/reminder/reminder.go b/plugins/reminder/reminder.go
index 7c87371..1699da2 100644
--- a/plugins/reminder/reminder.go
+++ b/plugins/reminder/reminder.go
@@ -3,29 +3,34 @@
 package reminder
 
 import (
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
-	"sort"
+	"log"
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 	"sync"
 	"time"
 
+	"github.com/jmoiron/sqlx"
 	"github.com/velour/catbase/bot"
 	"github.com/velour/catbase/bot/msg"
 	"github.com/velour/catbase/config"
 )
 
+const (
+	TIMESTAMP = "2006-01-02 15:04:05"
+)
+
 type ReminderPlugin struct {
 	Bot            bot.Bot
-	reminders      []*Reminder
+	db             *sqlx.DB
 	mutex          *sync.Mutex
 	timer          *time.Timer
 	config         *config.Config
-	nextReminderId int
 }
 
 type Reminder struct {
-	id      int
+	id      int64
 	from    string
 	who     string
 	what    string
@@ -33,65 +38,40 @@ type Reminder struct {
 	channel string
 }
 
-type reminderSlice []*Reminder
-
-func (s reminderSlice) Len() int {
-	return len(s)
-}
-
-func (s reminderSlice) Less(i, j int) bool {
-	return s[i].when.Before(s[j].when)
-}
-
-func (s reminderSlice) Swap(i, j int) {
-	s[i], s[j] = s[j], s[i]
-}
-
 func New(bot bot.Bot) *ReminderPlugin {
+	log.SetFlags(log.LstdFlags | log.Lshortfile)
+	if bot.DBVersion() == 1 {
+		if _, err := bot.DB().Exec(`create table if not exists reminders (
+			id integer primary key,
+			fromWho string,
+			toWho string,
+			what string,
+			remindWhen string,
+			channel string
+		);`); err != nil {
+			log.Fatal(err)
+		}
+	}
+
 	dur, _ := time.ParseDuration("1h")
 	timer := time.NewTimer(dur)
 	timer.Stop()
 
 	plugin := &ReminderPlugin{
 		Bot:            bot,
-		reminders:      []*Reminder{},
+		db:             bot.DB(),
 		mutex:          &sync.Mutex{},
 		timer:          timer,
 		config:         bot.Config(),
-		nextReminderId: 0,
 	}
+
+	plugin.queueUpNextReminder()
+
 	go reminderer(plugin)
 
 	return plugin
 }
 
-func reminderer(p *ReminderPlugin) {
-	//welcome to the reminderererererererererer
-	for {
-		<-p.timer.C
-
-		p.mutex.Lock()
-
-		reminder := p.reminders[0]
-		if len(p.reminders) >= 2 {
-			p.reminders = p.reminders[1:]
-			p.timer.Reset(p.reminders[0].when.Sub(time.Now()))
-		} else {
-			p.reminders = []*Reminder{}
-		}
-
-		p.mutex.Unlock()
-
-		if reminder.from == reminder.who {
-			reminder.from = "you"
-		}
-
-		message := fmt.Sprintf("Hey %s, %s wanted you to be reminded: %s", reminder.who, reminder.from, reminder.what)
-		p.Bot.SendMessage(reminder.channel, message)
-	}
-
-}
-
 func (p *ReminderPlugin) Message(message msg.Message) bool {
 	channel := message.Channel
 	from := message.User.Name
@@ -111,8 +91,6 @@ func (p *ReminderPlugin) Message(message msg.Message) bool {
 				return true
 			}
 
-			reminders := []*Reminder{}
-
 			operator := strings.ToLower(parts[2])
 
 			doConfirm := true
@@ -120,20 +98,18 @@ func (p *ReminderPlugin) Message(message msg.Message) bool {
 			if operator == "in" {
 				//one off reminder
 				//remind who in dur blah
-				when := time.Now().Add(dur)
+				when := time.Now().UTC().Add(dur)
 				what := strings.Join(parts[4:], " ")
 
-				id := p.nextReminderId
-				p.nextReminderId++
-
-				reminders = append(reminders, &Reminder{
-					id:      id,
+				p.addReminder(&Reminder{
+					id:      -1,
 					from:    from,
 					who:     who,
 					what:    what,
 					when:    when,
 					channel: channel,
 				})
+
 			} else if operator == "every" && strings.ToLower(parts[4]) == "for" {
 				//batch add, especially for reminding msherms to buy a kit
 				//remind who every dur for dur2 blah
@@ -143,8 +119,8 @@ func (p *ReminderPlugin) Message(message msg.Message) bool {
 					return true
 				}
 
-				when := time.Now().Add(dur)
-				endTime := time.Now().Add(dur2)
+				when := time.Now().UTC().Add(dur)
+				endTime := time.Now().UTC().Add(dur2)
 				what := strings.Join(parts[6:], " ")
 
 				for i := 0; when.Before(endTime); i++ {
@@ -154,11 +130,8 @@ func (p *ReminderPlugin) Message(message msg.Message) bool {
 						break
 					}
 
-					id := p.nextReminderId
-					p.nextReminderId++
-
-					reminders = append(reminders, &Reminder{
-						id:      id,
+					p.addReminder(&Reminder{
+						id:      int64(-1),
 						from:    from,
 						who:     who,
 						what:    what,
@@ -178,59 +151,26 @@ func (p *ReminderPlugin) Message(message msg.Message) bool {
 				p.Bot.SendMessage(channel, response)
 			}
 
-			p.mutex.Lock()
-
-			p.timer.Stop()
-
-			p.reminders = append(p.reminders, reminders...)
-
-			sort.Sort(reminderSlice(p.reminders))
-
-			if len(p.reminders) > 0 {
-				p.timer.Reset(p.reminders[0].when.Sub(time.Now()))
-			}
-
-			p.mutex.Unlock()
+			p.queueUpNextReminder()
 
 			return true
 		}
 	} else if len(parts) == 2 && strings.ToLower(parts[0]) == "list" && strings.ToLower(parts[1]) == "reminders" {
-		var response string
-		p.mutex.Lock()
-		if len(p.reminders) == 0 {
-			response = "no pending reminders"
+		response, err := p.getAllRemindersFormatted(channel)
+		if err != nil {
+			p.Bot.SendMessage(channel, "listing failed.")
 		} else {
-			counter := 1
-			for _, reminder := range p.reminders {
-				if reminder.channel == channel {
-					response += fmt.Sprintf("%d) %s -> %s :: %s @ %s (id=%d)\n", counter, reminder.from, reminder.who, reminder.what, reminder.when, reminder.id)
-					counter++
-				}
-			}
+			p.Bot.SendMessage(channel, response)
 		}
-		p.mutex.Unlock()
-		p.Bot.SendMessage(channel, response)
 		return true
 	} else if len(parts) == 3 && strings.ToLower(parts[0]) == "cancel" && strings.ToLower(parts[1]) == "reminder" {
-		id, err := strconv.Atoi(parts[2])
+		id, err := strconv.ParseInt(parts[2], 10, 64)
 		if err != nil {
 			p.Bot.SendMessage(channel, fmt.Sprintf("couldn't parse id: %s", parts[2]))
 
 		} else {
-			p.mutex.Lock()
-			deleted := false
-			for i, reminder := range p.reminders {
-				if reminder.id == id {
-					copy(p.reminders[i:], p.reminders[i+1:])
-					p.reminders[len(p.reminders)-1] = nil
-					p.reminders = p.reminders[:len(p.reminders)-1]
-					deleted = true
-					break
-				}
-			}
-			p.mutex.Unlock()
-
-			if deleted {
+			err := p.deleteReminder(id)
+			if err == nil {
 				p.Bot.SendMessage(channel, fmt.Sprintf("successfully canceled reminder: %s", parts[2]))
 			} else {
 				p.Bot.SendMessage(channel, fmt.Sprintf("failed to find and cancel reminder: %s", parts[2]))
@@ -257,3 +197,128 @@ func (p *ReminderPlugin) BotMessage(message msg.Message) bool {
 func (p *ReminderPlugin) RegisterWeb() *string {
 	return nil
 }
+
+func (p *ReminderPlugin) getNextReminder() *Reminder {
+	p.mutex.Lock()
+	defer p.mutex.Unlock()
+	rows, err := p.db.Query("select id, fromWho, toWho, what, remindWhen, channel from reminders order by remindWhen asc limit 1;")
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Print(err)
+		return nil
+	}
+	defer rows.Close()
+
+	once := false
+	var reminder *Reminder
+	for rows.Next() {
+		if once {
+			log.Print("somehow got multiple rows")
+		}
+		reminder = &Reminder{}
+
+		var when string
+		err := rows.Scan(&reminder.id, &reminder.from, &reminder.who, &reminder.what, &when, &reminder.channel)
+		if err != nil {
+			log.Print(err)
+			return nil
+		}
+		reminder.when, err = time.Parse(TIMESTAMP, when)
+		if err != nil {
+			log.Print(err)
+			return nil
+		}
+
+		once = true
+	}
+
+	return reminder
+}
+
+func (p *ReminderPlugin) addReminder(reminder *Reminder) error {
+	p.mutex.Lock()
+	defer p.mutex.Unlock()
+	_, err := p.db.Exec(`insert into reminders (fromWho, toWho, what, remindWhen, channel) values (?, ?, ?, ?, ?);`,
+	reminder.from, reminder.who, reminder.what, reminder.when.Format(TIMESTAMP), reminder.channel)
+
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Print(err)
+	}
+	return err
+}
+
+func (p *ReminderPlugin) deleteReminder(id int64) error {
+	p.mutex.Lock()
+	defer p.mutex.Unlock()
+	res, err := p.db.Exec(`delete from reminders where id = ?;`, id)
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Print(err)
+	} else {
+		if affected, err := res.RowsAffected(); err != nil {
+			return err
+		} else if affected != 1 {
+			return errors.New("didn't delete any rows")
+		}
+	}
+	return err
+}
+
+func (p *ReminderPlugin) getAllRemindersFormatted(channel string) (string, error) {
+	p.mutex.Lock()
+	defer p.mutex.Unlock()
+	rows, err := p.db.Query("select id, fromWho, toWho, what, remindWhen from reminders order by remindWhen asc;")
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Print(err)
+		return "", nil
+	}
+	defer rows.Close()
+	reminders := ""
+	counter := 1
+	reminder := &Reminder{}
+	for rows.Next() {
+		var when string
+		err := rows.Scan(&reminder.id, &reminder.from, &reminder.who, &reminder.what, &when)
+		if err != nil {
+			return "", err
+		}
+		reminders += fmt.Sprintf("%d) %s -> %s :: %s @ %s (%d)\n", counter, reminder.from, reminder.who, reminder.what, when, reminder.id)
+		counter++
+	}
+	if counter == 1 {
+		return "no pending reminders", nil
+	}
+
+	return reminders, nil
+}
+
+func (p *ReminderPlugin) queueUpNextReminder() {
+	nextReminder := p.getNextReminder()
+
+	if nextReminder != nil {
+		p.timer.Reset(nextReminder.when.Sub(time.Now().UTC()))
+	}
+}
+
+func reminderer(p *ReminderPlugin) {
+	for {
+		<-p.timer.C
+
+		reminder := p.getNextReminder()
+
+		if reminder != nil && time.Now().UTC().After(reminder.when) {
+			if reminder.from == reminder.who {
+				reminder.from = "you"
+			}
+
+			message := fmt.Sprintf("Hey %s, %s wanted you to be reminded: %s", reminder.who, reminder.from, reminder.what)
+			p.Bot.SendMessage(reminder.channel, message)
+
+			if err:= p.deleteReminder(reminder.id); err != nil {
+				log.Print(reminder.id)
+				log.Print(err)
+				log.Fatal("this will cause problems, we need to stop now.")
+			}
+		}
+
+		p.queueUpNextReminder()
+	}
+}
diff --git a/plugins/reminder/reminder_test.go b/plugins/reminder/reminder_test.go
index 841d1ce..aab65f3 100644
--- a/plugins/reminder/reminder_test.go
+++ b/plugins/reminder/reminder_test.go
@@ -128,13 +128,13 @@ func TestCancel(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.NotNil(t, c)
 	res := c.Message(makeMessage("!remind testuser in 1m don't fail this test"))
 	assert.True(t, res)
-	res = c.Message(makeMessage("!cancel reminder 0"))
+	res = c.Message(makeMessage("!cancel reminder 1"))
 	assert.True(t, res)
 	res = c.Message(makeMessage("!list reminders"))
 	assert.True(t, res)
 	assert.Len(t, mb.Messages, 3)
 	assert.Contains(t, mb.Messages[0], "Sure tester, I'll remind testuser.")
-	assert.Contains(t, mb.Messages[1], "successfully canceled reminder: 0")
+	assert.Contains(t, mb.Messages[1], "successfully canceled reminder: 1")
 	assert.Contains(t, mb.Messages[2], "no pending reminders")
 }
 
@@ -142,10 +142,10 @@ func TestCancelMiss(t *testing.T) {
 	mb := bot.NewMockBot()
 	c := New(mb)
 	assert.NotNil(t, c)
-	res := c.Message(makeMessage("!cancel reminder 0"))
+	res := c.Message(makeMessage("!cancel reminder 1"))
 	assert.True(t, res)
 	assert.Len(t, mb.Messages, 1)
-	assert.Contains(t, mb.Messages[0], "failed to find and cancel reminder: 0")
+	assert.Contains(t, mb.Messages[0], "failed to find and cancel reminder: 1")
 }
 
 func TestHelp(t *testing.T) {