diff --git a/channels/__init__.py b/channels/__init__.py
index 1aa77ce..d679bd6 100644
--- a/channels/__init__.py
+++ b/channels/__init__.py
@@ -1,10 +1,15 @@
+from .channel import Channel
 from .consumer_registry import ConsumerRegistry
 
 # Make a site-wide registry
 coreg = ConsumerRegistry()
 
-# Load an implementation of Channel
-from .backends import InMemoryChannel as Channel
+# Load a backend
+from .backends.memory import InMemoryChannelBackend
+DEFAULT_CHANNEL_LAYER = "default"
+channel_layers = {
+    DEFAULT_CHANNEL_LAYER: InMemoryChannelBackend(),
+}
 
 # Ensure monkeypatching
 from .hacks import monkeypatch_django
diff --git a/channels/adapters.py b/channels/adapters.py
index 03c02c9..e078310 100644
--- a/channels/adapters.py
+++ b/channels/adapters.py
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import functools
 from django.core.handlers.base import BaseHandler
 from django.http import HttpRequest, HttpResponse
 from channels import Channel, coreg
@@ -38,6 +39,7 @@ def view_consumer(channel_name):
     Does not run any middleware.
     """
     def inner(func): 
+        @functools.wraps(func)
         def consumer(**kwargs):
             request = HttpRequest.channel_decode(kwargs)
             response = func(request)
diff --git a/channels/backends/__init__.py b/channels/backends/__init__.py
index 0627c0a..e69de29 100644
--- a/channels/backends/__init__.py
+++ b/channels/backends/__init__.py
@@ -1,2 +0,0 @@
-from .base import BaseChannel
-from .memory import InMemoryChannel
diff --git a/channels/backends/base.py b/channels/backends/base.py
index 5341e0c..5ff69db 100644
--- a/channels/backends/base.py
+++ b/channels/backends/base.py
@@ -1,62 +1,24 @@
-class BaseChannel(object):
+class ChannelClosed(Exception):
+    """
+    Raised when you try to send to a closed channel.
+    """
+    pass
+
+
+class BaseChannelBackend(object):
     """
     Base class for all channel layer implementations.
     """
 
-    class ClosedError(Exception):
-        """
-        Raised when you try to send to a closed channel.
-        """
-        pass
-
-    def __init__(self, name):
-        """
-        Create an instance for the channel named "name"
-        """
-        self.name = name
-
-    def send(self, **kwargs):
+    def send(self, channel, message):
         """
         Send a message over the channel, taken from the kwargs.
         """
         raise NotImplementedError()
 
-    def close(self):
-        """
-        Closes the channel, allowing no more messages to be sent over it.
-        """
-        raise NotImplementedError()
-
-    @property
-    def closed(self):
-        """
-        Says if the channel is closed.
-        """
-        raise NotImplementedError()
-
-    @classmethod
-    def receive_many(self, channel_names):
+    def receive_many(self, channels):
         """
         Block and return the first message available on one of the
-        channels passed, as a (channel_name, message) tuple.
+        channels passed, as a (channel, message) tuple.
         """
         raise NotImplementedError()
-
-    @classmethod
-    def new_name(self, prefix):
-        """
-        Returns a new channel name that's unique and not closed
-        with the given prefix. Does not need to be called before sending
-        on a channel name - just provides a way to avoid clashing for
-        response channels.
-        """
-        raise NotImplementedError()
-
-    def as_view(self):
-        """
-        Returns a view version of this channel - one that takes
-        the request passed in and dispatches it to our channel,
-        serialized.
-        """
-        from channels.adapters import view_producer
-        return view_producer(self.name)
diff --git a/channels/backends/memory.py b/channels/backends/memory.py
index 91bd1a2..8b4bd14 100644
--- a/channels/backends/memory.py
+++ b/channels/backends/memory.py
@@ -2,47 +2,30 @@ import time
 import string
 import random
 from collections import deque
-from .base import BaseChannel
+from .base import BaseChannelBackend
 
 queues = {}
-closed = set()
 
-class InMemoryChannel(BaseChannel):
+class InMemoryChannelBackend(BaseChannelBackend):
     """
     In-memory channel implementation. Intended only for use with threading,
     in low-throughput development environments.
     """
 
-    def send(self, **kwargs):
-        # Don't allow if closed
-        if self.name in closed:
-            raise Channel.ClosedError("%s is closed" % self.name)
+    def send(self, channel, message):
         # Add to the deque, making it if needs be
-        queues.setdefault(self.name, deque()).append(kwargs)
+        queues.setdefault(channel, deque()).append(message)
 
-    @property
-    def closed(self):
-        # Check closed set
-        return self.name in closed
-
-    def close(self):
-        # Add to closed set
-        closed.add(self.name)
-
-    @classmethod
-    def receive_many(self, channel_names):
+    def receive_many(self, channels):
         while True:
             # Try to pop a message from each channel
-            for channel_name in channel_names:
+            for channel in channels:
                 try:
                     # This doesn't clean up empty channels - OK for testing.
                     # For later versions, have cleanup w/lock.
-                    return channel_name, queues[channel_name].popleft()
+                    return channel, queues[channel].popleft()
                 except (IndexError, KeyError):
                     pass
             # If all empty, sleep for a little bit
             time.sleep(0.01)
 
-    @classmethod
-    def new_name(self, prefix):
-        return "%s.%s" % (prefix, "".join(random.choice(string.ascii_letters) for i in range(16)))
diff --git a/channels/channel.py b/channels/channel.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ea4a133
--- /dev/null
+++ b/channels/channel.py
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+import random
+import string
+
+
+class Channel(object):
+    """
+    Public interaction class for the channel layer.
+
+    This is separate to the backends so we can:
+     a) Hide receive_many from end-users, as it is only for interface servers
+     b) Keep a stable-ish backend interface for third parties
+
+    You can pass an alternate Channel Layer alias in, but it will use the
+    "default" one by default.
+    """
+
+    def __init__(self, name, alias=None):
+        """
+        Create an instance for the channel named "name"
+        """
+        from channels import channel_layers, DEFAULT_CHANNEL_LAYER
+        self.name = name
+        self.channel_layer = channel_layers[alias or DEFAULT_CHANNEL_LAYER]
+
+    def send(self, **kwargs):
+        """
+        Send a message over the channel, taken from the kwargs.
+        """
+        self.channel_layer.send(self.name, kwargs)
+
+    @classmethod
+    def new_name(self, prefix):
+        """
+        Returns a new channel name that's unique and not closed
+        with the given prefix. Does not need to be called before sending
+        on a channel name - just provides a way to avoid clashing for
+        response channels.
+        """
+        return "%s.%s" % (prefix, "".join(random.choice(string.ascii_letters) for i in range(32)))
+
+    def as_view(self):
+        """
+        Returns a view version of this channel - one that takes
+        the request passed in and dispatches it to our channel,
+        serialized.
+        """
+        from channels.adapters import view_producer
+        return view_producer(self.name)
diff --git a/channels/consumer_registry.py b/channels/consumer_registry.py
index 0e6baaa..e308282 100644
--- a/channels/consumer_registry.py
+++ b/channels/consumer_registry.py
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
 import functools
+from django.utils import six
+from .utils import name_that_thing
 
 class ConsumerRegistry(object):
     """
@@ -14,10 +16,10 @@ class ConsumerRegistry(object):
     def add_consumer(self, consumer, channels):
         for channel in channels:
             if channel in self.consumers:
-                raise ValueError("Cannot register consumer %s - channel %s already consumed by %s" % (
-                    consumer,
+                raise ValueError("Cannot register consumer %s - channel %r already consumed by %s" % (
+                    name_that_thing(consumer),
                     channel,
-                    self.consumers[channel],
+                    name_that_thing(self.consumers[channel]),
                 ))
             self.consumers[channel] = consumer
 
@@ -25,6 +27,8 @@ class ConsumerRegistry(object):
         """
         Decorator that registers a function as a consumer.
         """
+        if isinstance(channels, six.string_types):
+            channels = [channels]
         def inner(func):
             self.add_consumer(func, channels)
             return func
diff --git a/channels/docs/integration-changes.rst b/channels/docs/integration-changes.rst
index 2f6d204..c59fa38 100644
--- a/channels/docs/integration-changes.rst
+++ b/channels/docs/integration-changes.rst
@@ -1,23 +1,24 @@
-Message Standards
+Integration Notes
 =================
 
-Some standardised message formats are used for common message types - they
-are detailed below.
+Django Channels is intended to be merged into Django itself; these are the
+planned changes the codebase will need to undertake in that transition.
 
-HTTP Request
-------------
+* The ``channels`` package will become ``django.channels``. The expected way
+  of interacting with the system will be via the ``Channel`` object, 
 
-Represents a full-fledged, single HTTP request coming in from a client.
-Contains the following keys:
+* Obviously, the monkeypatches in ``channels.hacks`` will be replaced by
+  placing methods onto the objects themselves. The ``request`` and ``response``
+  modules will thus no longer exist separately.
 
-* request: An encoded Django HTTP request
-* response_channel: The channel name to write responses to
+Things to ponder
+----------------
 
+* The mismatch between signals (broadcast) and channels (single-worker) means
+  we should probably leave patching signals into channels for the end developer.
+  This would also ensure the speedup improvements for empty signals keep working.
 
-HTTP Response
--------------
-
-Sends a whole response to a client.
-Contains the following keys:
-
-* response: An encoded Django HTTP response
+* It's likely that the decorator-based approach of consumer registration will
+  mean extending Django's auto-module-loading beyond ``models`` and
+  ``admin`` app modules to include ``views`` and ``consumers``. There may be
+  a better unified approach to this.
diff --git a/channels/management/commands/runserver.py b/channels/management/commands/runserver.py
index 910bac9..8ed1563 100644
--- a/channels/management/commands/runserver.py
+++ b/channels/management/commands/runserver.py
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ import threading
 from django.core.management.commands.runserver import Command as RunserverCommand
 from django.core.handlers.wsgi import WSGIHandler
 from django.http import HttpResponse
-from channels import Channel, coreg
+from channels import Channel, coreg, channel_layers, DEFAULT_CHANNEL_LAYER
 from channels.worker import Worker
 from channels.utils import auto_import_consumers
 from channels.adapters import UrlConsumer
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ class WSGIInterfaceHandler(WSGIHandler):
     def get_response(self, request):
         request.response_channel = Channel.new_name("django.wsgi.response")
         Channel("django.wsgi.request").send(**request.channel_encode())
-        channel, message = Channel.receive_many([request.response_channel])
+        channel, message = channel_layers[DEFAULT_CHANNEL_LAYER].receive_many([request.response_channel])
         return HttpResponse.channel_decode(message)
 
 
@@ -54,5 +54,5 @@ class WorkerThread(threading.Thread):
     def run(self):
         Worker(
             consumer_registry = coreg,
-            channel_class = Channel,
+            channel_layer = channel_layers[DEFAULT_CHANNEL_LAYER],
         ).run()
diff --git a/channels/utils.py b/channels/utils.py
index 35f56d6..b110e7a 100644
--- a/channels/utils.py
+++ b/channels/utils.py
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import types
 from django.apps import apps
 
 
@@ -6,9 +7,23 @@ def auto_import_consumers():
     Auto-import consumers modules in apps
     """
     for app_config in apps.get_app_configs():
-        consumer_module_name = "%s.consumers" % (app_config.name,)
-        try:
-            __import__(consumer_module_name)
-        except ImportError as e:
-            if "no module named consumers" not in str(e).lower():
-                raise
+        for submodule in ["consumers", "views"]:
+            module_name = "%s.%s" % (app_config.name, submodule)
+            try:
+                __import__(module_name)
+            except ImportError as e:
+                if "no module named %s" % submodule not in str(e).lower():
+                    raise
+
+
+def name_that_thing(thing):
+    """
+    Returns either the function/class path or just the object's repr
+    """
+    if hasattr(thing, "__name__"):
+        if hasattr(thing, "__class__") and not isinstance(thing, types.FunctionType):
+            if thing.__class__ is not type:
+                return name_that_thing(thing.__class__)
+        if hasattr(thing, "__module__"):
+            return "%s.%s" % (thing.__module__, thing.__name__)
+    return repr(thing)
diff --git a/channels/worker.py b/channels/worker.py
index 73a2c1f..4f4d129 100644
--- a/channels/worker.py
+++ b/channels/worker.py
@@ -4,16 +4,18 @@ class Worker(object):
     and runs their consumers.
     """
 
-    def __init__(self, consumer_registry, channel_class):
+    def __init__(self, consumer_registry, channel_layer):
+        from channels import channel_layers, DEFAULT_CHANNEL_LAYER
         self.consumer_registry = consumer_registry
-        self.channel_class = channel_class
+        self.channel_layer = channel_layer
 
     def run(self):
         """
         Tries to continually dispatch messages to consumers.
         """
+
         channels = self.consumer_registry.all_channel_names()
         while True:
-            channel, message = self.channel_class.receive_many(channels)
+            channel, message = self.channel_layer.receive_many(channels)
             consumer = self.consumer_registry.consumer_for_channel(channel)
             consumer(**message)