It's impossible to know what round-robin server you'll actually connect to when connecting to chat.freenode.net, for example. Therefore, it's impossible to include the correct host lines for channel keys in the auth-source files. It would be far better to search for the channel keys using the same name used to query erc-autojoin-channels-alist when erc-autojoin-domain-only is non-nil. I have a patch that works, but I'm not sure where to submit it. In GNU Emacs 24.5.1 (x86_64-redhat-linux-gnu, GTK+ Version 3.18.9) of 2016-04-11 on buildvm-25.phx2.fedoraproject.org Windowing system distributor `Fedora Project', version 11.0.11803000 System Description: Fedora release 23 (Twenty Three) Configured using: `configure --build=x86_64-redhat-linux-gnu --host=x86_64-redhat-linux-gnu --program-prefix= --disable-dependency-tracking --prefix=/usr --exec-prefix=/usr --bindir=/usr/bin --sbindir=/usr/sbin --sysconfdir=/etc --datadir=/usr/share --includedir=/usr/include --libdir=/usr/lib64 --libexecdir=/usr/libexec --localstatedir=/var --sharedstatedir=/var/lib --mandir=/usr/share/man --infodir=/usr/share/info --with-dbus --with-gif --with-jpeg --with-png --with-rsvg --with-tiff --with-xft --with-xpm --with-x-toolkit=gtk3 --with-gpm=no build_alias=x86_64-redhat-linux-gnu host_alias=x86_64-redhat-linux-gnu 'CFLAGS=-DMAIL_USE_LOCKF -O2 -g -pipe -Wall -Werror=format-security -Wp,-D_FORTIFY_SOURCE=2 -fexceptions -fstack-protector-strong --param=ssp-buffer-size=4 -grecord-gcc-switches -specs=/usr/lib/rpm/redhat/redhat-hardened-cc1 -m64 -mtune=generic' LDFLAGS=-Wl,-z,relro' Important settings: value of $LANG: en_US.UTF-8 value of $XMODIFIERS: @im=ibus locale-coding-system: utf-8-unix Major mode: Emacs-Lisp Minor modes in effect: hi-lock-mode: t diff-auto-refine-mode: t magit-auto-revert-mode: t auto-revert-mode: t global-git-commit-mode: t async-bytecomp-package-mode: t recentf-mode: t erc-log-mode: t erc-autoaway-mode: t elisp-slime-nav-mode: t paredit-mode: t idle-highlight-mode: t ido-ubiquitous-mode: t erc-spelling-mode: t erc-list-mode: t erc-menu-mode: t erc-autojoin-mode: t erc-ring-mode: t erc-networks-mode: t erc-pcomplete-mode: t erc-track-mode: t erc-track-minor-mode: t erc-match-mode: t erc-netsplit-mode: t erc-hl-nicks-mode: t erc-button-mode: t erc-fill-mode: t erc-stamp-mode: t erc-irccontrols-mode: t erc-noncommands-mode: t erc-keep-place-mode: t erc-move-to-prompt-mode: t erc-readonly-mode: t eldoc-mode: t shell-dirtrack-mode: t global-auto-complete-mode: t auto-complete-mode: t global-hl-line-mode: t hl-line-mode: t delete-selection-mode: t show-paren-mode: t electric-indent-mode: t mouse-wheel-mode: t file-name-shadow-mode: t global-font-lock-mode: t font-lock-mode: t auto-composition-mode: t auto-encryption-mode: t auto-compression-mode: t column-number-mode: t line-number-mode: t auto-fill-function: do-auto-fill transient-mark-mode: t Recent messages: Saving file /usr/share/emacs/24.5/lisp/erc/erc-join.el.gz... File erc-join.el.gz is write-protected; try to save anyway? (y or n) n basic-save-buffer-2: Attempt to save to a file which you aren't allowed to write Mark set [4 times] Saving file /home/jim/src/.emacs.d/config/irc.el... Wrote /home/jim/src/.emacs.d/config/irc.el Annotating... Redisplaying annotation...done (Spanned from 9681.2 to 123.8 days old) Annotating... done Mark saved where search started Load-path shadows: None found. 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