diff --git a/extensions/hurt.c b/extensions/hurt.c
index 68615897..ca187346 100644
--- a/extensions/hurt.c
+++ b/extensions/hurt.c
@@ -311,7 +311,7 @@ mo_heal(struct Client *client_p, struct Client *source_p,
 		return 0;
 	}
 
-	if (is_valid_nick(parv[1]))
+	if (clean_nick(parv[1], 0))
 	{
 		target_p = find_named_person(parv[1]);
 		if (target_p == NULL)
@@ -363,7 +363,7 @@ me_heal(struct Client *client_p, struct Client *source_p,
 	if (parc < 2)
 		return 0;
 
-	if (is_valid_nick(parv[1]))
+	if (clean_nick(parv[1], 0))
 	{
 		target_p = find_person(parv[1]);
 		if (target_p != NULL && MyConnect(target_p))
diff --git a/include/client.h b/include/client.h
index 7f32b400..ddf64375 100644
--- a/include/client.h
+++ b/include/client.h
@@ -592,6 +592,8 @@ extern void error_exit_client(struct Client *, int);
 extern void count_local_client_memory(size_t * count, size_t * memory);
 extern void count_remote_client_memory(size_t * count, size_t * memory);
 
+extern int clean_nick(const char *, int loc_client);
+
 extern struct Client *find_chasing(struct Client *, const char *, int *);
 extern struct Client *find_person(const char *);
 extern struct Client *find_named_person(const char *);
@@ -616,25 +618,4 @@ extern char *generate_uid(void);
 void allocate_away(struct Client *);
 void free_away(struct Client *);
 
-static inline int
-is_valid_nick(const char *nick)
-{
-	int len = 0;
-
-	if(EmptyString(nick) || *nick == '-' || IsDigit(*nick))
-		return 0;
-
-	for(; *nick; nick++)
-	{
-		len++;
-		if(!IsNickChar(*nick))
-			return 0;
-	}
-
-	if(len >= NICKLEN)
-		return 0;
-
-	return 1;
-}
-
 #endif /* INCLUDED_client_h */
diff --git a/modules/core/m_nick.c b/modules/core/m_nick.c
index ff0878b4..a028a58c 100644
--- a/modules/core/m_nick.c
+++ b/modules/core/m_nick.c
@@ -92,7 +92,6 @@ DECLARE_MODULE_AV1(nick, NULL, NULL, nick_clist, NULL, NULL, "$Revision: 3518 $"
 static int change_remote_nick(struct Client *, struct Client *, time_t,
 			      const char *, int);
 
-static int clean_nick(const char *, int loc_client);
 static int clean_username(const char *);
 static int clean_host(const char *);
 static int clean_uid(const char *uid, const char *sid);
@@ -525,38 +524,6 @@ ms_save(struct Client *client_p, struct Client *source_p, int parc, const char *
 	return 0;
 }
 
-/* clean_nick()
- *
- * input	- nickname to check
- * output	- 0 if erroneous, else 1
- * side effects -
- */
-static int
-clean_nick(const char *nick, int loc_client)
-{
-	int len = 0;
-
-	/* nicks cant start with a digit or -, and must have a length */
-	if(*nick == '-' || *nick == '\0')
-		return 0;
-
-	if(loc_client && IsDigit(*nick))
-		return 0;
-
-	for(; *nick; nick++)
-	{
-		len++;
-		if(!IsNickChar(*nick))
-			return 0;
-	}
-
-	/* nicklen is +1 */
-	if(len >= NICKLEN && (unsigned int)len >= ConfigFileEntry.nicklen)
-		return 0;
-
-	return 1;
-}
-
 /* clean_username()
  *
  * input	- username to check
diff --git a/modules/m_monitor.c b/modules/m_monitor.c
index aa003f2e..2c81d39c 100644
--- a/modules/m_monitor.c
+++ b/modules/m_monitor.c
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ add_monitor(struct Client *client_p, const char *nicks)
 			return;
 		}
 
-		if (!is_valid_nick(name))
+		if (!clean_nick(name, 0))
 			continue;
 
 		monptr = find_monitor(name, 1);
diff --git a/modules/m_services.c b/modules/m_services.c
index a1c93be6..9a51f64b 100644
--- a/modules/m_services.c
+++ b/modules/m_services.c
@@ -176,7 +176,7 @@ me_rsfnc(struct Client *client_p, struct Client *source_p,
 	if(!MyClient(target_p))
 		return 0;
 
-	if(!is_valid_nick(parv[2]))
+	if(!clean_nick(parv[2], 0) || IsDigit(parv[2][0]))
 		return 0;
 
 	curts = atol(parv[4]);
diff --git a/modules/m_signon.c b/modules/m_signon.c
index ce79de81..f7fb8eb9 100644
--- a/modules/m_signon.c
+++ b/modules/m_signon.c
@@ -75,35 +75,6 @@ DECLARE_MODULE_AV1(signon, NULL, NULL, signon_clist, NULL, NULL, "$Revision: 119
 #define USER_VALID	2
 #define HOST_VALID	4
 
-static int
-clean_nick(const char *nick)
-{
-	int len = 0;
-
-	if(*nick == '-')
-		return 0;
-
-	/* This is used to check logins, which are often
-	 * numeric. Don't check for leading digits, if
-	 * services wants to set someone's nick to something
-	 * starting with a number, let it try.
-	 * --gxti
-	 */
-
-	for (; *nick; nick++)
-	{
-		len++;
-		if(!IsNickChar(*nick))
-			return 0;
-	}
-
-	/* nicklen is +1 */
-	if(len >= NICKLEN)
-		return 0;
-
-	return 1;
-}
-
 static int
 clean_username(const char *username)
 {
@@ -164,7 +135,7 @@ me_svslogin(struct Client *client_p, struct Client *source_p,
 	if(!MyClient(target_p) && !IsUnknown(target_p))
 		return 0;
 
-	if(clean_nick(parv[2]))
+	if(clean_nick(parv[2], 0))
 	{
 		rb_strlcpy(nick, parv[2], NICKLEN + 1);
 		valid |= NICK_VALID;
@@ -203,7 +174,7 @@ me_svslogin(struct Client *client_p, struct Client *source_p,
 		rb_strlcpy(login, parv[5], NICKLEN + 1);
 
 	/* Login (mostly) follows nick rules. */
-	if(*login && !clean_nick(login))
+	if(*login && !clean_nick(login, 0))
 		return 0;
 
 	if((exist_p = find_person(nick)) && target_p != exist_p)
@@ -280,7 +251,7 @@ ms_signon(struct Client *client_p, struct Client *source_p,
 	int newts, sameuser;
 	char login[NICKLEN+1];
 
-	if(!clean_nick(parv[1]))
+	if(!clean_nick(parv[1], 0))
 	{
 		ServerStats.is_kill++;
 		sendto_realops_snomask(SNO_DEBUG, L_ALL,
@@ -322,7 +293,7 @@ ms_signon(struct Client *client_p, struct Client *source_p,
 		login[0] = '\0';
 	else if(*parv[5] != '*')
 	{
-		if (clean_nick(parv[5]))
+		if (clean_nick(parv[5], 0))
 			rb_strlcpy(login, parv[5], NICKLEN + 1);
 		else
 			return 0;
diff --git a/src/client.c b/src/client.c
index 64ab07f1..32dcefbb 100644
--- a/src/client.c
+++ b/src/client.c
@@ -787,6 +787,38 @@ remove_client_from_list(struct Client *client_p)
 }
 
 
+/* clean_nick()
+ *
+ * input	- nickname to check, flag for nick from local client
+ * output	- 0 if erroneous, else 1
+ * side effects -
+ */
+int
+clean_nick(const char *nick, int loc_client)
+{
+	int len = 0;
+
+	/* nicks cant start with a digit or -, and must have a length */
+	if(*nick == '-' || *nick == '\0')
+		return 0;
+
+	if(loc_client && IsDigit(*nick))
+		return 0;
+
+	for(; *nick; nick++)
+	{
+		len++;
+		if(!IsNickChar(*nick))
+			return 0;
+	}
+
+	/* nicklen is +1 */
+	if(len >= NICKLEN && (unsigned int)len >= ConfigFileEntry.nicklen)
+		return 0;
+
+	return 1;
+}
+
 /*
  * find_person	- find person by (nick)name.
  * inputs	- pointer to name