diff --git a/src/client/voice/ClientVoiceManager.js b/src/client/voice/ClientVoiceManager.js
index bf9f99bdb..09b23c637 100644
--- a/src/client/voice/ClientVoiceManager.js
+++ b/src/client/voice/ClientVoiceManager.js
@@ -2,6 +2,135 @@ const Collection = require('../../util/Collection');
 const mergeDefault = require('../../util/MergeDefault');
 const Constants = require('../../util/Constants');
 const VoiceConnection = require('./VoiceConnection');
+const EventEmitter = require('events').EventEmitter;
+
+/**
+ * Represents a Pending Voice Connection
+ * @private
+ */
+class PendingVoiceConnection extends EventEmitter {
+  constructor(voiceManager, channel) {
+    super();
+    /**
+     * The ClientVoiceManager that instantiated this pending connection
+     * @type {ClientVoiceManager}
+     */
+    this.voiceManager = voiceManager;
+    /**
+     * The channel that this pending voice connection will attempt to join
+     * @type {VoiceChannel}
+     */
+    this.channel = channel;
+    /**
+     * The timeout that will be invoked after 15 seconds signifying a failure to connect
+     * @type {Timeout}
+     */
+    this.deathTimer = this.voiceManager.client.setTimeout(
+      () => this.fail(new Error('Automatic failure after 15 seconds')), 15000);
+    /**
+     * An object containing data required to connect to the voice servers with
+     * @type {object}
+     */
+    this.data = {};
+
+    this.sendVoiceStateUpdate();
+  }
+
+  checkReady() {
+    if (this.data.token && this.data.endpoint && this.data.session_id) {
+      this.pass();
+      return true;
+    } else {
+      return false;
+    }
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Set the token and endpoint required to connect to the the voice servers
+   * @param {string} token the token
+   * @param {string} endpoint the endpoint
+   * @returns {void}
+   */
+  setTokenAndEndpoint(token, endpoint) {
+    if (!token) {
+      this.fail(new Error('Token not provided from voice server packet'));
+      return;
+    }
+    if (!endpoint) {
+      this.fail(new Error('Endpoint not provided from voice server packet'));
+      return;
+    }
+    if (this.data.token) {
+      this.fail(new Error('There is already a registered token for this connection'));
+      return;
+    }
+    if (this.data.endpoint) {
+      this.fail(new Error('There is already a registered endpoint for this connection'));
+      return;
+    }
+
+    endpoint = endpoint.match(/([^:]*)/)[0];
+
+    if (!endpoint) {
+      this.fail(new Error('failed to find an endpoint'));
+      return;
+    }
+
+    this.data.token = token;
+    this.data.endpoint = endpoint;
+
+    this.checkReady();
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Sets the Session ID for the connection
+   * @param {string} sessionID the session ID
+   */
+  setSessionID(sessionID) {
+    if (!sessionID) {
+      this.fail(new Error('Session ID not supplied'));
+      return;
+    }
+    if (this.data.session_id) {
+      this.fail(new Error('There is already a registered session ID for this connection'));
+      return;
+    }
+    this.data.session_id = sessionID;
+
+    this.checkReady();
+  }
+
+  clean() {
+    clearInterval(this.deathTimer);
+    this.emit('fail', new Error('Clean-up triggered :fourTriggered:'));
+  }
+
+  pass() {
+    clearInterval(this.deathTimer);
+    this.emit('pass', this.upgrade());
+  }
+
+  fail(reason) {
+    this.emit('fail', reason);
+    this.clean();
+  }
+
+  sendVoiceStateUpdate() {
+    try {
+      this.voiceManager.sendVoiceStateUpdate(this.channel);
+    } catch (error) {
+      this.fail(error);
+    }
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Upgrades this Pending Connection to a full Voice Connection
+   * @returns {VoiceConnection}
+   */
+  upgrade() {
+    return new VoiceConnection(this);
+  }
+}
 
 /**
  * Manages all the voice stuff for the Client
@@ -26,6 +155,9 @@ class ClientVoiceManager {
      * @type {Collection<string, VoiceChannel>}
      */
     this.pending = new Collection();
+
+    this.client.on('self.voiceServer', this.onVoiceServer.bind(this));
+    this.client.on('self.voiceStateUpdate', this.onVoiceStateUpdate.bind(this));
   }
 
   /**
@@ -47,31 +179,16 @@ class ClientVoiceManager {
     }
   }
 
-  /**
-   * Called when the Client receives information about this voice server update.
-   * @param {string} guildID The ID of the Guild
-   * @param {string} token The token to authorise with
-   * @param {string} endpoint The endpoint to connect to
-   */
-  _receivedVoiceServer(guildID, token, endpoint) {
-    const pendingRequest = this.pending.get(guildID);
-    if (!pendingRequest) throw new Error('Guild not pending.');
-    pendingRequest.token = token;
-    // remove the port otherwise it errors ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
-    pendingRequest.endpoint = endpoint.match(/([^:]*)/)[0];
-    this._checkPendingReady(guildID);
+  onVoiceServer(data) {
+    if (this.pending.has(data.guild_id)) {
+      this.pending.get(data.guild_id).setTokenAndEndpoint(data.token, data.endpoint);
+    }
   }
 
-  /**
-   * Called when the Client receives information about the voice state update.
-   * @param {string} guildID The ID of the Guild
-   * @param {string} sessionID The session id to authorise with
-   */
-  _receivedVoiceStateUpdate(guildID, sessionID) {
-    const pendingRequest = this.pending.get(guildID);
-    if (!pendingRequest) throw new Error('Guild not pending.');
-    pendingRequest.sessionID = sessionID;
-    this._checkPendingReady(guildID);
+  onVoiceStateUpdate(data) {
+    if (this.pending.has(data.guild_id)) {
+      this.pending.get(data.guild_id).setSessionID(data.session_id);
+    }
   }
 
   /**
@@ -79,13 +196,31 @@ class ClientVoiceManager {
    * @param {VoiceChannel} channel The channel to join
    * @param {Object} [options] The options to provide
    */
-  _sendWSJoin(channel, options = {}) {
+  sendVoiceStateUpdate(channel, options = {}) {
+    if (!this.client.user) {
+      throw new Error('You cannot join because there is no client user');
+    }
+
+    if (channel.permissionsFor) {
+      const permissions = channel.permissionsFor(this.client.user);
+      if (permissions) {
+        if (!permissions.hasPermission('CONNECT')) {
+          throw new Error('You do not have permission to connect to this voice channel');
+        }
+      } else {
+        throw new Error('There is no permission set for the client user in this channel - are they part of the guild?');
+      }
+    } else {
+      throw new Error('Channel does not support permissionsFor; is it really a voice channel?');
+    }
+
     options = mergeDefault({
       guild_id: channel.guild.id,
       channel_id: channel.id,
       self_mute: false,
       self_deaf: false,
     }, options);
+
     this.client.ws.send({
       op: Constants.OPCodes.VOICE_STATE_UPDATE,
       d: options,
@@ -99,26 +234,32 @@ class ClientVoiceManager {
    */
   joinChannel(channel) {
     return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
-      if (this.pending.get(channel.guild.id)) throw new Error(`Already connecting to a channel in guild.`);
-      const existingConn = this.connections.get(channel.guild.id);
-      if (existingConn) {
-        if (existingConn.channel.id !== channel.id) {
-          this._sendWSJoin(channel);
+      // if already connecting to this voice server, error
+      if (this.pending.get(channel.guild.id)) {
+        throw new Error(`Already connecting to this guild's voice server.`);
+      }
+
+      const existingConnection = this.connections.get(channel.guild.id);
+      if (existingConnection) {
+        if (existingConnection.channel.id !== channel.id) {
+          this.sendVoiceStateUpdate(channel);
           this.connections.get(channel.guild.id).channel = channel;
         }
-        resolve(existingConn);
+        resolve(existingConnection);
         return;
       }
-      this.pending.set(channel.guild.id, {
-        channel,
-        sessionID: null,
-        token: null,
-        endpoint: null,
-        resolve,
-        reject,
+
+      const pendingConnection = new PendingVoiceConnection(this, channel);
+      this.pending.set(channel.guild.id, pendingConnection);
+
+      pendingConnection.on('fail', reason => {
+        this.pending.delete(channel.guild.id);
+        reject(reason);
+      });
+
+      pendingConnection.on('pass', voiceConnection => {
+        // do stuff
       });
-      this._sendWSJoin(channel);
-      this.client.setTimeout(() => reject(new Error('Connection not established within 15 seconds.')), 15000);
     });
   }
 }
diff --git a/src/client/websocket/packets/handlers/VoiceServerUpdate.js b/src/client/websocket/packets/handlers/VoiceServerUpdate.js
index 108d54ccc..97885d6cd 100644
--- a/src/client/websocket/packets/handlers/VoiceServerUpdate.js
+++ b/src/client/websocket/packets/handlers/VoiceServerUpdate.js
@@ -12,9 +12,7 @@ class VoiceServerUpdate extends AbstractHandler {
   handle(packet) {
     const client = this.packetManager.client;
     const data = packet.d;
-    if (client.voice.pending.has(data.guild_id) && data.endpoint) {
-      client.voice._receivedVoiceServer(data.guild_id, data.token, data.endpoint);
-    }
+    client.emit('self.voiceServer', data);
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/client/websocket/packets/handlers/VoiceStateUpdate.js b/src/client/websocket/packets/handlers/VoiceStateUpdate.js
index 639da210b..ddbfbfcbd 100644
--- a/src/client/websocket/packets/handlers/VoiceStateUpdate.js
+++ b/src/client/websocket/packets/handlers/VoiceStateUpdate.js
@@ -20,8 +20,8 @@ class VoiceStateUpdateHandler extends AbstractHandler {
         // if the member left the voice channel, unset their speaking property
         if (!data.channel_id) member.speaking = null;
 
-        if (client.voice.pending.has(guild.id) && member.user.id === client.user.id && data.channel_id) {
-          client.voice._receivedVoiceStateUpdate(data.guild_id, data.session_id);
+        if (member.user.id === client.user.id && data.channel_id) {
+          client.emit('self.voiceStateUpdate', data);
         }
 
         const newChannel = client.channels.get(data.channel_id);