diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 9cf44b2..ac9faa7 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -11,10 +11,13 @@ EXTRA_SELECTORS ?=
 ANOPE_SELECTORS := \
 	and not testPlainLarge
 
+# buffering tests cannot pass because of issues with UTF-8 handling: https://github.com/DALnet/bahamut/issues/196
 BAHAMUT_SELECTORS := \
 	not Ergo \
 	and not deprecated \
 	and not strict \
+	and not IRCv3 \
+	and not buffering \
 	$(EXTRA_SELECTORS)
 
 # testQuitErrors is very flaky
diff --git a/irctest/cases.py b/irctest/cases.py
index 3070069..d6a8d5d 100644
--- a/irctest/cases.py
+++ b/irctest/cases.py
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ from .numerics import (
     ERR_NEEDREGGEDNICK,
     ERR_NOSUCHCHANNEL,
     ERR_TOOMANYCHANNELS,
+    RPL_HELLO,
 )
 from .specifications import Capabilities, IsupportTokens, Specifications
 
@@ -559,7 +560,9 @@ class BaseServerTestCase(
         """Filter notices, do not send pings."""
         while True:
             msg = self.getMessage(
-                client, synchronize=False, filter_pred=lambda m: m.command != "NOTICE"
+                client,
+                synchronize=False,
+                filter_pred=lambda m: m.command not in ("NOTICE", RPL_HELLO),
             )
             if msg.command == "PING":
                 # Hi Unreal
diff --git a/irctest/controllers/bahamut.py b/irctest/controllers/bahamut.py
index b5e8c79..baa877a 100644
--- a/irctest/controllers/bahamut.py
+++ b/irctest/controllers/bahamut.py
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ allow {{
 class {{
     name        users;      # Class name
     maxusers    100;        # Maximum connections
-    pingfreq    90;         # Check idle connections every N seconds
+    pingfreq    1000;       # Check idle connections every N seconds
     maxsendq    100000;     # 100KB send buffer limit
 }};
 
diff --git a/irctest/numerics.py b/irctest/numerics.py
index 776e804..5dbac52 100644
--- a/irctest/numerics.py
+++ b/irctest/numerics.py
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ RPL_MYINFO = "004"
 RPL_ISUPPORT = "005"
 RPL_SNOMASKIS = "008"
 RPL_BOUNCE = "010"
+RPL_HELLO = "020"
 RPL_TRACELINK = "200"
 RPL_TRACECONNECTING = "201"
 RPL_TRACEHANDSHAKE = "202"
diff --git a/irctest/server_tests/test_buffering.py b/irctest/server_tests/test_buffering.py
index d90e449..9d1164d 100644
--- a/irctest/server_tests/test_buffering.py
+++ b/irctest/server_tests/test_buffering.py
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 correctly. Also checks truncation"""
 
 import socket
+import time
 
 import pytest
 
@@ -81,7 +82,7 @@ class BufferingTestCase(cases.BaseServerTestCase):
                 continue
 
             received_line = self._getLine(2)
-            print("(repr) S -> 2:", repr(received_line))
+            print("(repr) S -> 2", repr(received_line))
             try:
                 decoded_line = received_line.decode()
             except UnicodeDecodeError:
@@ -117,11 +118,13 @@ class BufferingTestCase(cases.BaseServerTestCase):
 
     def _getLine(self, client) -> bytes:
         line = b""
-        while True:
+        for _ in range(600):
             try:
                 data = self.clients[client].conn.recv(4096)
             except socket.timeout:
                 data = b""
             line += data
-            if not data or data.endswith(b"\r\n"):
+            if data.endswith(b"\r\n"):
                 return line
+            time.sleep(0.1)
+        return line
diff --git a/irctest/server_tests/test_channel_operations.py b/irctest/server_tests/test_channel_operations.py
index 9b0f3bf..163fcd7 100644
--- a/irctest/server_tests/test_channel_operations.py
+++ b/irctest/server_tests/test_channel_operations.py
@@ -897,15 +897,29 @@ class KeyTestCase(cases.BaseServerTestCase):
         reply = self.getMessages(2)
         self.assertMessageMatch(reply[0], command="JOIN", params=["#chan"])
 
-    @cases.mark_specifications("RFC2812")
+    @cases.mark_specifications("RFC2812", "Modern")
     def testKeyValidation(self):
         """
           key        =  1*23( %x01-05 / %x07-08 / %x0C / %x0E-1F / %x21-7F )
                   ; any 7-bit US_ASCII character,
                   ; except NUL, CR, LF, FF, h/v TABs, and " "
-        <https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc2812#page-8>
+        -- https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc2812#page-8
+
+        "Servers may validate the value (eg. to forbid spaces, as they make it harder
+        to use the key in `JOIN` messages). If the value is invalid, they SHOULD
+        return [`ERR_INVALIDMODEPARAM`](#errinvalidmodeparam-696).
+        However, clients MUST be able to handle any of the following:
+
+        * [`ERR_INVALIDMODEPARAM`](#errinvalidmodeparam-696)
+        * [`ERR_INVALIDKEY`](#errinvalidkey-525)
+        * `MODE` echoed with a different key (eg. truncated or stripped of invalid
+          characters)
+        * the key changed ignored, and no `MODE` echoed if no other mode change
+          was valid.
+        "
+        -- https://modern.ircdocs.horse/#key-channel-mode
+        -- https://github.com/ircdocs/modern-irc/pull/107
         """
-        # oragono issue #1021
         self.connectClient("bar")
         self.joinChannel(1, "#chan")
         self.sendLine(1, "MODE #chan +k :passphrase with spaces")
@@ -927,6 +941,15 @@ class KeyTestCase(cases.BaseServerTestCase):
             # First option: ERR_INVALIDMODEPARAM (eg. Ergo)
             return
 
+        if not replies:
+            # MODE was ignored entirely
+            self.connectClient("foo")
+            self.sendLine(2, "JOIN #chan")
+            self.assertMessageMatch(
+                self.getMessage(2), command="JOIN", params=["#chan"]
+            )
+            return
+
         # Second and third options: truncating the key (eg. UnrealIRCd)
         # or replacing spaces (eg. Charybdis)
         mode_commands = [msg for msg in replies if msg.command == "MODE"]