diff --git a/zulip/integrations/bridge_with_irc/irc_mirror_backend.py b/zulip/integrations/bridge_with_irc/irc_mirror_backend.py
index 5242ca0d6..1f9398196 100644
--- a/zulip/integrations/bridge_with_irc/irc_mirror_backend.py
+++ b/zulip/integrations/bridge_with_irc/irc_mirror_backend.py
@@ -1,15 +1,15 @@
+import logging
 import multiprocessing as mp
 from typing import Any, Dict
 
 import irc.bot
 import irc.strings
 from irc.client import Event, ServerConnection, ip_numstr_to_quad
-from irc.client_aio import AioReactor
 
+logging.basicConfig(level=logging.DEBUG)
 
-class IRCBot(irc.bot.SingleServerIRCBot):
-    reactor_class = AioReactor
 
+class IRCBot(irc.bot.SingleServerIRCBot):
     def __init__(
         self,
         zulip_client: Any,
@@ -30,19 +30,14 @@ def __init__(
         # Make sure the bot is subscribed to the stream
         self.check_subscription_or_die()
         # Initialize IRC bot after proper connection to Zulip server has been confirmed.
-        irc.bot.SingleServerIRCBot.__init__(self, [(server, port)], nickname, nickname)
+        irc.bot.SingleServerIRCBot.__init__(
+            self, [(server, port, nickserv_password)], nickname, nickname, sasl_login=nickname
+        )
 
     def zulip_sender(self, sender_string: str) -> str:
         nick = sender_string.split("!")[0]
         return nick + "@" + self.IRC_DOMAIN
 
-    def connect(self, *args: Any, **kwargs: Any) -> None:
-        # Taken from
-        # https://github.com/jaraco/irc/blob/main/irc/client_aio.py,
-        # in particular the method of AioSimpleIRCClient
-        self.c = self.reactor.loop.run_until_complete(self.connection.connect(*args, **kwargs))
-        print("Listening now. Please send an IRC message to verify operation")
-
     def check_subscription_or_die(self) -> None:
         resp = self.zulip_client.get_subscriptions()
         if resp["result"] != "success":
@@ -76,7 +71,7 @@ def forward_to_irc(msg: Dict[str, Any]) -> None:
                 at_the_specified_subject = msg["subject"].casefold() == self.topic.casefold()
                 if in_the_specified_stream and at_the_specified_subject:
                     msg["content"] = ("@**{}**: ".format(msg["sender_full_name"])) + msg["content"]
-                    send = lambda x: self.c.privmsg(self.channel, x)
+                    send = lambda x: c.privmsg(self.channel, x)
                 else:
                     return
             else:
@@ -86,9 +81,9 @@ def forward_to_irc(msg: Dict[str, Any]) -> None:
                     if u["email"] != msg["sender_email"]
                 ]
                 if len(recipients) == 1:
-                    send = lambda x: self.c.privmsg(recipients[0], x)
+                    send = lambda x: c.privmsg(recipients[0], x)
                 else:
-                    send = lambda x: self.c.privmsg_many(recipients, x)
+                    send = lambda x: c.privmsg_many(recipients, x)
             for line in msg["content"].split("\n"):
                 send(line)
 
diff --git a/zulip/integrations/bridge_with_irc/requirements.txt b/zulip/integrations/bridge_with_irc/requirements.txt
index 085dd9a8d..b090adb76 100644
--- a/zulip/integrations/bridge_with_irc/requirements.txt
+++ b/zulip/integrations/bridge_with_irc/requirements.txt
@@ -1 +1 @@
-irc==18.0
+irc==20.3.0