diff --git a/host.go b/host.go
index dedbb3c..31f93dc 100644
--- a/host.go
+++ b/host.go
@@ -114,32 +114,6 @@ func (h *Host) Connect(term *sshd.Terminal) {
 	}
 
 	user.SetConfig(cfg)
-
-	// Load user config overrides from ENV
-	// TODO: Would be nice to skip the command parsing pipeline just to load
-	// config values. Would need to factor out some command handler logic into
-	// accessible helpers.
-	env := term.Env()
-	for _, e := range env {
-		switch e.Key {
-		case "SSHCHAT_TIMESTAMP":
-			if e.Value != "" && e.Value != "0" {
-				cmd := "/timestamp"
-				if e.Value != "1" {
-					cmd += " " + e.Value
-				}
-				if msg, ok := message.NewPublicMsg(cmd, user).ParseCommand(); ok {
-					h.Room.HandleMsg(msg)
-				}
-			}
-		case "SSHCHAT_THEME":
-			cmd := "/theme " + e.Value
-			if msg, ok := message.NewPublicMsg(cmd, user).ParseCommand(); ok {
-				h.Room.HandleMsg(msg)
-			}
-		}
-	}
-
 	go user.Consume()
 
 	// Close term once user is closed.
@@ -168,6 +142,33 @@ func (h *Host) Connect(term *sshd.Terminal) {
 		return
 	}
 
+	// Load user config overrides from ENV
+	// TODO: Would be nice to skip the command parsing pipeline just to load
+	// config values. Would need to factor out some command handler logic into
+	// accessible helpers.
+	env := term.Env()
+	for _, e := range env {
+		switch e.Key {
+		case "SSHCHAT_TIMESTAMP":
+			if e.Value != "" && e.Value != "0" {
+				fmt.Println("got timestamp", e.Value)
+				cmd := "/timestamp"
+				if e.Value != "1" {
+					cmd += " " + e.Value
+				}
+				if msg, ok := message.NewPublicMsg(cmd, user).ParseCommand(); ok {
+					fmt.Println("sending command to server:", cmd)
+					h.Room.HandleMsg(msg)
+				}
+			}
+		case "SSHCHAT_THEME":
+			cmd := "/theme " + e.Value
+			if msg, ok := message.NewPublicMsg(cmd, user).ParseCommand(); ok {
+				h.Room.HandleMsg(msg)
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
 	// Successfully joined.
 	if !apiMode {
 		term.SetPrompt(GetPrompt(user))
diff --git a/host_test.go b/host_test.go
index 76b6d0a..ff715c8 100644
--- a/host_test.go
+++ b/host_test.go
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ func TestHostGetPrompt(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestHostNameCollision(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Skip("Test is flakey on CI. :(")
-	
+
 	key, err := sshd.NewRandomSigner(512)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
@@ -284,3 +284,62 @@ func TestHostKick(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Error(err)
 	}
 }
+
+func TestClientEnvConfig(t *testing.T) {
+	key, err := sshd.NewRandomSigner(512)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	config := sshd.MakeNoAuth()
+	config.AddHostKey(key)
+
+	s, err := sshd.ListenSSH("localhost:0", config)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	defer s.Close()
+	host := NewHost(s, nil)
+	go host.Serve()
+
+	clientConfig := sshd.NewClientConfig("dingus")
+	conn, err := ssh.Dial("tcp", s.Addr().String(), clientConfig)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Error(err)
+	}
+	defer conn.Close()
+
+	session, err := conn.NewSession()
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Error(err)
+	}
+	defer session.Close()
+
+	session.Setenv("SSHCHAT_TIMESTAMP", "datetime +8h")
+
+	stdout, err := session.StdoutPipe()
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Error(err)
+	}
+
+	err = session.Shell()
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Error(err)
+	}
+
+	// consume
+	bufio.NewScanner(stdout).Scan()
+
+	// this fails occasionally because the user has not been registered by the server yet
+	// add some kind of wait/synchornization mechanism
+	u, ok := host.GetUser("dingus")
+	if !ok {
+		t.Fatal("test user not found in host: ", host.Members)
+	}
+	userConfig := u.Config()
+	// add cases
+	// /timestamp datetime => 2006-01-02 15:04:05
+	// /timestamp time => 15:04
+	if userConfig.Timeformat != nil && *userConfig.Timeformat != "2006-01-02 15:04:05" {
+		t.Fatal("unexpected timeformat:", *userConfig.Timeformat)
+	}
+}