diff --git a/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/api/Economy.java b/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/api/Economy.java
index 940207a6f..b0a267345 100644
--- a/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/api/Economy.java
+++ b/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/api/Economy.java
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ public final class Economy
 	}
 	private static final Logger logger = Logger.getLogger("Minecraft");
 	private static IEssentials ess;
+	private static final String noCallBeforeLoad = "Essentials API is called before Essentials is loaded.";
 
 	/**
 	 * @param aEss the ess to set
@@ -66,6 +67,10 @@ public final class Economy
 
 	private static User getUserByName(String name)
 	{
+		if (ess == null)
+		{
+			throw new RuntimeException(noCallBeforeLoad);
+		}
 		User user;
 		Player player = ess.getServer().getPlayer(name);
 		if (player != null)
@@ -176,6 +181,10 @@ public final class Economy
 	 */
 	public static void resetBalance(String name) throws UserDoesNotExistException, NoLoanPermittedException
 	{
+		if (ess == null)
+		{
+			throw new RuntimeException(noCallBeforeLoad);
+		}
 		setMoney(name, ess.getSettings().getStartingBalance());
 	}
 
@@ -231,6 +240,10 @@ public final class Economy
 	 */
 	public static String format(double amount)
 	{
+		if (ess == null)
+		{
+			throw new RuntimeException(noCallBeforeLoad);
+		}
 		return Util.formatCurrency(amount, ess);
 	}
 
diff --git a/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/commands/Commandbanip.java b/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/commands/Commandbanip.java
index 3301afc87..591542bcb 100644
--- a/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/commands/Commandbanip.java
+++ b/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/commands/Commandbanip.java
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 package com.earth2me.essentials.commands;
 
+import com.earth2me.essentials.User;
 import com.earth2me.essentials.Util;
 import org.bukkit.Server;
 import org.bukkit.command.CommandSender;
@@ -13,14 +14,24 @@ public class Commandbanip extends EssentialsCommand
 	}
 
 	@Override
-	public void run(Server server, CommandSender sender, String commandLabel, String[] args) throws Exception
+	public void run(final Server server, final CommandSender sender, final String commandLabel, final String[] args) throws Exception
 	{
 		if (args.length < 1)
 		{
 			throw new NotEnoughArgumentsException();
 		}
 
-		ess.getServer().banIP(args[0]);
-		sender.sendMessage(Util.i18n("banIpAddress"));
+		final User u = ess.getUser(args[0]);
+
+		if (u == null)
+		{
+			ess.getServer().banIP(args[0]);
+			sender.sendMessage(Util.i18n("banIpAddress"));
+		}
+		else
+		{
+			ess.getServer().banIP(u.getAddress().getAddress().getHostAddress());
+			sender.sendMessage(Util.i18n("banIpAddress"));
+		}
 	}
 }
diff --git a/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/commands/Commandkill.java b/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/commands/Commandkill.java
index 03afeadc4..e976faa42 100644
--- a/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/commands/Commandkill.java
+++ b/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/commands/Commandkill.java
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import com.earth2me.essentials.Util;
 import org.bukkit.Server;
 import org.bukkit.command.CommandSender;
 import org.bukkit.entity.Player;
+import org.bukkit.event.entity.EntityDamageEvent;
 
 
 public class Commandkill extends EssentialsCommand
@@ -23,6 +24,13 @@ public class Commandkill extends EssentialsCommand
 
 		for (Player p : server.matchPlayer(args[0]))
 		{
+			final EntityDamageEvent ede = new EntityDamageEvent(p, sender instanceof Player && ((Player)sender).getName().equals(p.getName()) ? EntityDamageEvent.DamageCause.SUICIDE : EntityDamageEvent.DamageCause.CUSTOM, 1000);
+			server.getPluginManager().callEvent(ede);
+			if (ede.isCancelled() && !sender.hasPermission("essentials.kill.force"))
+			{
+				continue;
+			}
+
 			p.setHealth(0);
 			sender.sendMessage(Util.format("kill", p.getDisplayName()));
 		}
diff --git a/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/signs/SignTrade.java b/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/signs/SignTrade.java
index bf85d827c..c19d19178 100644
--- a/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/signs/SignTrade.java
+++ b/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/signs/SignTrade.java
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@ import org.bukkit.inventory.ItemStack;
 
 public class SignTrade extends EssentialsSign
 {
-
 	public SignTrade()
 	{
 		super("Trade");
@@ -40,11 +39,11 @@ public class SignTrade extends EssentialsSign
 				substractAmount(sign, 1, stored, ess);
 				stored.pay(player);
 				Trade.log("Sign", "Trade", "OwnerInteract", username, null, username, stored, sign.getBlock().getLocation(), ess);
-			}			
+			}
 			catch (SignException e)
 			{
 				throw new SignException(Util.i18n("tradeSignEmptyOwner"));
-			}			
+			}
 		}
 		else
 		{
@@ -67,11 +66,22 @@ public class SignTrade extends EssentialsSign
 		if ((sign.getLine(3).length() > 3 && sign.getLine(3).substring(2).equalsIgnoreCase(username))
 			|| player.isAuthorized("essentials.signs.trade.override"))
 		{
-			final Trade stored1 = getTrade(sign, 1, true, false, ess);
-			final Trade stored2 = getTrade(sign, 2, true, false, ess);
-			stored1.pay(player);
-			stored2.pay(player);
-			Trade.log("Sign", "Trade", "Break", username, stored2, username, stored1, sign.getBlock().getLocation(), ess);
+			try
+			{
+				final Trade stored1 = getTrade(sign, 1, true, false, ess);
+				final Trade stored2 = getTrade(sign, 2, true, false, ess);
+				stored1.pay(player);
+				stored2.pay(player);
+				Trade.log("Sign", "Trade", "Break", username, stored2, username, stored1, sign.getBlock().getLocation(), ess);
+			}
+			catch (SignException e)
+			{
+				if (player.isAuthorized("essentials.signs.trade.override"))
+				{
+					return true;
+				}
+				throw e;
+			}
 			return true;
 		}
 		else
diff --git a/EssentialsChat/src/com/earth2me/essentials/chat/EssentialsChat.java b/EssentialsChat/src/com/earth2me/essentials/chat/EssentialsChat.java
index 20b3756d0..7a10d9a92 100644
--- a/EssentialsChat/src/com/earth2me/essentials/chat/EssentialsChat.java
+++ b/EssentialsChat/src/com/earth2me/essentials/chat/EssentialsChat.java
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ public class EssentialsChat extends JavaPlugin
 		chatListener = new HashMap<String, IEssentialsChatListener>();
 
 		final EssentialsChatPlayerListener playerListener = new EssentialsChatPlayerListener(getServer(), ess, chatListener);
-		pluginManager.registerEvent(Type.PLAYER_CHAT, playerListener, Priority.Highest, this);
+		pluginManager.registerEvent(Type.PLAYER_CHAT, playerListener, Priority.High, this);
 		if (!this.getDescription().getVersion().equals(ess.getDescription().getVersion()))
 		{
 			LOGGER.log(Level.WARNING, Util.i18n("versionMismatchAll"));