diff --git a/lib/index.js b/lib/index.js
index 06d1411..b95ecae 100644
--- a/lib/index.js
+++ b/lib/index.js
@@ -86,7 +86,9 @@ reloadplugin = (event, filename, pluginpath) => {
 fs.watch('./lib/plugins', reloadplugin)
 
 cfg.bot = bot
-cfg.botAddress = new RegExp(`^${bot.username} (!.+)`)
+// TODO better name, or switch to array
+cfg.botAddressPrefix = '!'
+cfg.botAddressRegex = new RegExp(`^${bot.username} (${cfg.botAddressPrefix}.+)`)
 cfg.quiet = true
 
 
diff --git a/lib/plugins/command.js b/lib/plugins/command.js
index b492e5e..47cd4a1 100644
--- a/lib/plugins/command.js
+++ b/lib/plugins/command.js
@@ -62,6 +62,9 @@ const events = {
 const events_registered = []
 
 function command(username, message) {
+    // TODO better name, maybe an array?
+    cfg.botAddressPrefix = cfg.botAddressPrefix || "!"
+
     function fuzzyRespond(responses, probability = 1, timeout = 1) {
         if (Math.random() < probability) {
             const response = responses[Math.floor(Math.random() * responses.length)]
@@ -76,7 +79,7 @@ function command(username, message) {
         }
     }
 
-    if (username === bot.username && !message.startsWith("!")) return
+    if (username === bot.username && !message.startsWith(cfg.botAddressPrefix)) return
 
     const player = bot.players[username] ? bot.players[username].entity : null
 
@@ -88,11 +91,12 @@ function command(username, message) {
     }
 
 
-    if (message.startsWith("!") || cfg.botAddress.test(message)) {
-        message = cfg.botAddress.test(message) ? cfg.botAddress.exec(message)[1] : message
-
+    if (message.startsWith(cfg.botAddressPrefix) || cfg.botAddressRegex.test(message)) {
+        message = cfg.botAddressRegex.test(message) ? cfg.botAddressRegex.exec(message)[1] : message
         console.log(message)
-        message = message.slice(1) // remove `!`
+        // remove `!`
+        message = message.startsWith(cfg.botAddressPrefix) ? message.slice(cfg.botAddressPrefix.length) : message
+
         // TODO command dispatchEvent, for aliases
         function subcommand(message) {
             const message_parts = message.split(/\s+/)