diff --git a/lib/robot.js b/lib/robot.js
index 4eb9752..a527847 100644
--- a/lib/robot.js
+++ b/lib/robot.js
@@ -78,8 +78,8 @@ var Robot = module.exports = function Robot(opts) {
     this.work =  function() { Logger.debug("No work yet."); };
   }
 
-  this.initConnections(opts.connection || opts.connections);
-  this.initDevices(opts.device || opts.devices);
+  this.initConnections(opts);
+  this.initDevices(opts);
 
   for (var n in opts) {
     var opt = opts[n];
@@ -156,19 +156,15 @@ Robot.prototype.toJSON = function() {
 
 // Public: Initializes all connections for the robot
 //
-// connections - connections to initialize
+// opts - options array passed to constructor
 //
 // Returns initialized connections
-Robot.prototype.initConnections = function(connections) {
+Robot.prototype.initConnections = function(opts) {
   Logger.info("Initializing connections.");
 
-  if (connections == null) {
-    return;
-  }
+  var isArray = Array.isArray;
 
-  connections = [].concat(connections);
-
-  connections.forEach(function(conn) {
+  var addConnection = function(conn) {
     conn.robot = this;
 
     if (this.connections[conn.name]) {
@@ -177,34 +173,47 @@ Robot.prototype.initConnections = function(connections) {
       Logger.warn("Connection names must be unique. Renaming '" + original + "' to '" + conn.name + "'");
     }
 
-    Logger.info("Initializing connection '" + conn.name + "'.");
-
     this.connections[conn.name] = new Connection(conn);
-  }.bind(this));
+  }.bind(this);
+
+  if (opts.connection == null && opts.connections == null) {
+    return this.connections;
+  }
+
+  if (opts.connection) {
+    addConnection(opts.connection);
+    return this.connections;
+  }
+
+  if (typeof opts.connections == 'object' && !isArray(opts.connections)) {
+    for (var name in opts.connections) {
+      var conn = opts.connections[name];
+      conn.name = name;
+      addConnection(conn);
+    }
+  }
+
+  if (isArray(opts.connections)) {
+    Logger.warn("Specifying connections as an array is deprecated, and will be removed in 1.0.0.");
+    opts.connections.forEach(function(conn) {
+      addConnection(conn);
+    });
+  }
 
   return this.connections;
 };
 
 // Public: Initializes all devices for the robot
 //
-// devices - devices to initialize
+// opts - options array passed to constructor
 //
 // Returns initialized devices
-Robot.prototype.initDevices = function(devices) {
+Robot.prototype.initDevices = function(opts) {
   Logger.info("Initializing devices.");
 
-  if (devices == null) {
-    return;
-  }
+  var isArray = Array.isArray;
 
-  // check that there are connections to use
-  if (!Object.keys(this.connections).length) {
-    throw new Error("No connections specified")
-  }
-
-  devices = [].concat(devices);
-
-  devices.forEach(function(device) {
+  var addDevice = function(device) {
     device.robot = this;
 
     if (this.devices[device.name]) {
@@ -228,11 +237,37 @@ Robot.prototype.initDevices = function(devices) {
       }
     }
 
-    device.adaptor = device.connection.adaptor;
-
-    Logger.info("Initializing device '" + device.name + "'.");
     this.devices[device.name] = new Device(device);
-  }.bind(this));
+  }.bind(this);
+
+  if (opts.device == null && opts.devices == null) {
+    return this.devices;
+  }
+
+  // check that there are connections to use
+  if (!Object.keys(this.connections).length) {
+    throw new Error("No connections specified")
+  }
+
+  if (opts.device) {
+    addDevice(opts.device);
+    return this.devices;
+  }
+
+  if (typeof opts.devices == 'object' && !isArray(opts.devices)) {
+    for (var name in opts.devices) {
+      var device = opts.devices[name];
+      device.name = name;
+      addDevice(device);
+    }
+  }
+
+  if (isArray(opts.devices)) {
+    Logger.warn("Specifying devices as an array is deprecated, and will be removed in 1.0.0.");
+    opts.devices.forEach(function(device) {
+      addDevice(device);
+    });
+  }
 
   return this.devices;
 };
diff --git a/spec/lib/robot.spec.js b/spec/lib/robot.spec.js
index 6057812..24e5814 100644
--- a/spec/lib/robot.spec.js
+++ b/spec/lib/robot.spec.js
@@ -233,15 +233,16 @@ describe("Robot", function() {
     });
 
     context("when not passed anything", function() {
-      it("returns immediately", function() {
-        expect(bot.initConnections()).to.be.eql(undefined);
+      it("does not modify the bot's connections", function() {
+        bot.initConnections({});
+        expect(bot.connections).to.be.eql({});
       });
     });
 
     context("when passed a connection object", function() {
       it("instantiates a new connection with the provided object", function() {
         var connection = { name: 'loopback', adaptor: 'loopback' };
-        bot.initConnections(connection);
+        bot.initConnections({ connection: connection });
         expect(bot.connections['loopback']).to.be.instanceOf(Connection);
       });
     });
@@ -249,15 +250,19 @@ describe("Robot", function() {
     context("when passed an array of connection objects", function() {
       it("instantiates a new connection with each of the provided objects", function() {
         var connections = [{ name: 'loopback', adaptor: 'loopback' }]
-        bot.initConnections(connections);
+        bot.initConnections({ connections: connections });
         expect(bot.connections['loopback']).to.be.instanceOf(Connection);
       });
 
-      it("avoids name collisions collisions", function() {
-        bot.initConnections([
-          { name: 'loopback', adaptor: 'loopback' },
-          { name: 'loopback', adaptor: 'loopback' }
-        ]);
+      it("avoids name collisions", function() {
+        var opts = {
+          connections: [
+            { name: 'loopback', adaptor: 'loopback' },
+            { name: 'loopback', adaptor: 'loopback' }
+          ]
+        };
+
+        bot.initConnections(opts);
 
         var keys = Object.keys(bot.connections);
         expect(keys).to.be.eql(["loopback", "loopback-1"]);
@@ -275,36 +280,35 @@ describe("Robot", function() {
     });
 
     context("when not passed anything", function() {
-      it("returns immediately", function() {
-        expect(bot.initDevices()).to.be.eql(undefined);
+      it("does not modify the bot's devices", function() {
+        bot.initDevices({});
+        expect(bot.devices).to.be.eql({});
       });
     });
 
-    context("when passed a connection object", function() {
-      afterEach(function() { bot.devices = {}; });
-
+    context("when passed a devicw object", function() {
       it("instantiates a new device with the provided object", function() {
         var device = { name: 'ping', driver: 'ping' };
-        bot.initDevices(device);
+        bot.initDevices({ device: device });
         expect(bot.devices['ping']).to.be.instanceOf(Device);
       });
     });
 
     context("when passed an array of device objects", function() {
-      afterEach(function() { bot.devices = {}; });
-
       it("instantiates a new device with each of the provided objects", function() {
         var devices = [{ name: 'ping', driver: 'ping' }]
-        bot.initDevices(devices);
+        bot.initDevices({ devices: devices});
 
         expect(bot.devices['ping']).to.be.instanceOf(Device);
       });
 
       it("avoids name collisions collisions", function() {
-        bot.initDevices([
-          { name: 'ping', driver: 'ping' },
-          { name: 'ping', driver: 'ping' }
-        ]);
+        bot.initDevices({
+          devices: [
+            { name: 'ping', driver: 'ping' },
+            { name: 'ping', driver: 'ping' }
+          ]
+        });
 
         var keys = Object.keys(bot.devices);
         expect(keys).to.be.eql(["ping", "ping-1"]);
@@ -353,10 +357,10 @@ describe("Robot", function() {
 
     beforeEach(function() {
       bot = new Robot({
-        connections: [
-          { name: 'alpha', adaptor: 'loopback' },
-          { name: 'bravo', adaptor: 'loopback' }
-        ]
+        connections: {
+          alpha: { adaptor: 'loopback' },
+          bravo: { adaptor: 'loopback' }
+        }
       });
 
       stub(bot.connections.alpha, 'connect').returns(true);
@@ -376,11 +380,11 @@ describe("Robot", function() {
 
     beforeEach(function() {
       bot = new Robot({
-        connection: [{ name: 'loopback', adaptor: 'loopback' }],
-        devices: [
-          { name: 'alpha', driver: 'ping' },
-          { name: 'bravo', driver: 'ping' }
-        ]
+        connection: { name: 'loopback', adaptor: 'loopback' },
+        devices: {
+          alpha: { driver: 'ping' },
+          bravo: { driver: 'ping' }
+        }
       });
 
       stub(bot.devices.alpha, 'start').returns(true);