Make the location of channels in INSTALLED_APPS not matter

channels/__init__.py

@@ -12,9 +12,7 @@ channel_backends = BackendManager(
     })
 )
 
-# Ensure monkeypatching
-from .hacks import monkeypatch_django
-monkeypatch_django()
+default_app_config = 'channels.apps.ChannelsConfig'
 
 # Promote channel to top-level (down here to avoid circular import errs)
 from .channel import Channel, Group

channels/apps.py

@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+from django.apps import AppConfig
+
+class ChannelsConfig(AppConfig):
+
+    name = "channels"
+    verbose_name = "Channels"
+    
+    def ready(self):
+        # Do django monkeypatches
+        from .hacks import monkeypatch_django
+        monkeypatch_django()

channels/hacks.py

@@ -19,6 +19,11 @@ def monkeypatch_django():
     # Allow ResponseLater to propagate above handler
     BaseHandler.old_handle_uncaught_exception = BaseHandler.handle_uncaught_exception
     BaseHandler.handle_uncaught_exception = new_handle_uncaught_exception
+    # Ensure that the staticfiles version of runserver bows down to us
+    # This one is particularly horrible
+    from django.contrib.staticfiles.management.commands.runserver import Command as StaticRunserverCommand
+    from .management.commands.runserver import Command as RunserverCommand
+    StaticRunserverCommand.__bases__ = (RunserverCommand, )
 
 
 def new_handle_uncaught_exception(self, request, resolver, exc_info):

channels/management/commands/runserver.py

@@ -30,6 +30,10 @@ class Command(RunserverCommand):
         worker = WorkerThread(self.channel_backend)
         worker.daemon = True
         worker.start()
+        # Note that this is the right one on the console
+        self.stdout.write("Worker thread running, channels enabled")
+        if self.channel_backend.local_only:
+            self.stdout.write("Local channel backend detected, no remote channels support")
         # Run the rest
         return super(Command, self).run(*args, **options)