diff --git a/config.ini.example b/config.ini.example
index 83d6a09..83fa31d 100644
--- a/config.ini.example
+++ b/config.ini.example
@@ -65,7 +65,17 @@ node_id =
 # If set, all commands must start with this prefix (e.g., "!", ".", "b", "abc")
 # Examples: "!" for !ping, "." for .ping, "b" for bping, "abc" for abcping
 # Leave empty or unset to allow commands without prefix (backward compatible)
-#command_prefix = 
+#command_prefix =
+
+# Respond to channel messages when the bot is mentioned via @[bot_name]
+# Controls how the bot handles @[bot_name] mentions in channel messages:
+#   also   - Default. Mention is stripped when present, but commands also work without a mention.
+#            Lets "@[BotName] ping" and "ping" both work.
+#   only   - Bot only responds to channel messages that include @[bot_name].
+#            Messages without a mention are silently ignored.
+#   false  - Mentions not handled; bot responds to all matching commands as before.
+# DMs are always processed normally regardless of this setting.
+respond_to_mentions = also
 
 # Enable/disable bot responses
 # true: Bot will respond to keywords and commands
diff --git a/config.ini.minimal-example b/config.ini.minimal-example
index 6bedf56..1fb2f28 100644
--- a/config.ini.minimal-example
+++ b/config.ini.minimal-example
@@ -65,6 +65,16 @@ enable_enhanced_correlation = true
 # Bot node ID (leave empty for auto-assignment)
 node_id = 
 
+# Respond to channel messages when the bot is mentioned via @[bot_name]
+# Controls how the bot handles @[bot_name] mentions in channel messages:
+#   also   - Default. Mention is stripped when present, but commands also work without a mention.
+#            Lets "@[BotName] ping" and "ping" both work.
+#   only   - Bot only responds to channel messages that include @[bot_name].
+#            Messages without a mention are silently ignored.
+#   false  - Mentions not handled; bot responds to all matching commands as before.
+# DMs are always processed normally regardless of this setting.
+respond_to_mentions = also
+
 # Enable/disable bot responses
 # true: Bot will respond to keywords and commands
 # false: Bot will only listen and log messages
diff --git a/modules/commands/alternatives/wx_international.py b/modules/commands/alternatives/wx_international.py
index 5695cb4..ba2cfe6 100644
--- a/modules/commands/alternatives/wx_international.py
+++ b/modules/commands/alternatives/wx_international.py
@@ -148,10 +148,7 @@ class GlobalWxCommand(BaseCommand):
         Returns:
             bool: True if message matches a keyword, False otherwise.
         """
-        content = message.content.strip()
-        if content.startswith('!'):
-            content = content[1:].strip()
-        content_lower = content.lower()
+        content_lower = self.cleanup_message_for_matching(message)
         return any(content_lower.startswith(keyword + ' ') or content_lower == keyword for keyword in self.keywords)
 
     def _get_companion_location(self, message: MeshMessage) -> Optional[tuple[float, float]]:
diff --git a/modules/commands/base_command.py b/modules/commands/base_command.py
index d6782a7..a66aca7 100644
--- a/modules/commands/base_command.py
+++ b/modules/commands/base_command.py
@@ -802,6 +802,42 @@ class BaseCommand(ABC):
         cleaned = re.sub(r'\s+', ' ', cleaned).strip()
         return cleaned
 
+    def cleanup_message_for_matching(self, message: MeshMessage) -> str:
+        """Clean up message text before keyword checking.
+
+        Strips the command prefix and, when respond_to_mentions is not 'false',
+        validates mention rules and strips all @[...] mentions. Also updates
+        message.content and message.content_lower with the cleaned text so that
+        downstream processing (the execute step) sees the same clean content.
+
+        Args:
+            message: The incoming message.
+
+        Returns:
+            str: Cleaned, lowercased content ready for keyword comparison,
+                 or empty string if the message should be ignored (wrong prefix,
+                 or mentions present but bot not among them).
+        """
+        content = message.content.strip()
+
+        if self._command_prefix:
+            if not content.startswith(self._command_prefix):
+                return ""
+            content = content[len(self._command_prefix):].strip()
+        else:
+            if content.startswith('!'):
+                content = content[1:].strip()
+
+        mention_mode = self.bot.config.get('Bot', 'respond_to_mentions', fallback='also').strip().lower()
+        if mention_mode != 'false':
+            if not self._check_mentions_ok(content):
+                return ""
+            content = self._strip_mentions(content)
+
+        message.content = content
+        message.content_lower = content.lower()
+        return message.content_lower
+
     def matches_keyword(self, message: MeshMessage) -> bool:
         """Check if this command matches the message content based on keywords.
 
@@ -819,28 +855,10 @@ class BaseCommand(ABC):
         if not self.keywords:
             return False
 
-        content = message.content.strip()
-
-        # Check for command prefix if configured
-        if self._command_prefix:
-            # If prefix is configured, message must start with it
-            if not content.startswith(self._command_prefix):
-                return False
-            # Strip the prefix
-            content = content[len(self._command_prefix):].strip()
-        else:
-            # If no prefix configured, strip legacy "!" prefix for backward compatibility
-            if content.startswith('!'):
-                content = content[1:].strip()
-
-        # Check if mentions are valid (bot must be mentioned if any mentions exist)
-        if not self._check_mentions_ok(content):
+        content_lower = self.cleanup_message_for_matching(message)
+        if not content_lower:
             return False
 
-        # Strip @[username] mentions before checking keywords
-        content = self._strip_mentions(content)
-        content_lower = content.lower()
-
         for keyword in self.keywords:
             keyword_lower = keyword.lower()
 
diff --git a/modules/commands/channels_command.py b/modules/commands/channels_command.py
index 67ebde3..56474ae 100644
--- a/modules/commands/channels_command.py
+++ b/modules/commands/channels_command.py
@@ -72,11 +72,7 @@ class ChannelsCommand(BaseCommand):
         if not self.keywords:
             return False
 
-        # Strip exclamation mark if present (for command-style messages)
-        content = message.content.strip()
-        if content.startswith('!'):
-            content = content[1:].strip()
-        content_lower = content.lower()
+        content_lower = self.cleanup_message_for_matching(message)
 
         # Don't match if this looks like a subcommand of another command
         # (e.g., "stats channels" should not match "channels" command)
diff --git a/modules/commands/dadjoke_command.py b/modules/commands/dadjoke_command.py
index 6d13045..0876db3 100644
--- a/modules/commands/dadjoke_command.py
+++ b/modules/commands/dadjoke_command.py
@@ -66,10 +66,7 @@ class DadJokeCommand(BaseCommand):
         Returns:
             bool: True if message matches a keyword, False otherwise.
         """
-        content = message.content.strip()
-        if content.startswith('!'):
-            content = content[1:].strip()
-        content_lower = content.lower()
+        content_lower = self.cleanup_message_for_matching(message)
         return any(content_lower == keyword or content_lower.startswith(keyword + ' ') for keyword in self.keywords)
 
     def can_execute(self, message: MeshMessage, skip_channel_check: bool = False) -> bool:
diff --git a/modules/commands/dice_command.py b/modules/commands/dice_command.py
index 04953a4..37e6fa9 100644
--- a/modules/commands/dice_command.py
+++ b/modules/commands/dice_command.py
@@ -83,20 +83,16 @@ class DiceCommand(BaseCommand):
         Returns:
             bool: True if message is a dice command, False otherwise.
         """
-        content = message.content.strip().lower()
-
-        # Handle command-style messages
-        if content.startswith('!'):
-            content = content[1:].strip().lower()
+        content_lower = self.cleanup_message_for_matching(message)
 
         # Check for exact "dice" match
-        if content == "dice":
+        if content_lower == "dice":
             return True
 
         # Check for dice with parameters (dice d20, dice 20, dice d6, etc.)
         # Match any message starting with "dice " - validation happens in execute()
-        if content.startswith("dice "):
-            words = content.split()
+        if content_lower.startswith("dice "):
+            words = content_lower.split()
             if len(words) >= 2 and words[0] == "dice":
                 return True  # Match any dice command, validation in execute()
 
diff --git a/modules/commands/hacker_command.py b/modules/commands/hacker_command.py
index d257b22..416c6b4 100644
--- a/modules/commands/hacker_command.py
+++ b/modules/commands/hacker_command.py
@@ -484,10 +484,7 @@ class HackerCommand(BaseCommand):
         if not self.enabled:
             return False
 
-        content = message.content.strip()
-        if content.startswith('!'):
-            content = content[1:].strip()
-        content_lower = content.lower()
+        content_lower = self.cleanup_message_for_matching(message)
 
         # Commands that should match exactly (no arguments)
         exact_match_commands = ['ls -l', 'ls -la', 'echo $PATH', 'df -h', 'whoami', 'history',
diff --git a/modules/commands/joke_command.py b/modules/commands/joke_command.py
index 2619b38..2e0117c 100644
--- a/modules/commands/joke_command.py
+++ b/modules/commands/joke_command.py
@@ -85,10 +85,7 @@ class JokeCommand(BaseCommand):
         Returns:
             bool: True if a joke keyword matches, False otherwise.
         """
-        content = message.content.strip()
-        if content.startswith('!'):
-            content = content[1:].strip()
-        content_lower = content.lower()
+        content_lower = self.cleanup_message_for_matching(message)
         return any(content_lower == keyword or content_lower.startswith(keyword + ' ') for keyword in self.keywords)
 
     def can_execute(self, message: MeshMessage, skip_channel_check: bool = False) -> bool:
diff --git a/modules/commands/multitest_command.py b/modules/commands/multitest_command.py
index 7772d2c..17dcb5c 100644
--- a/modules/commands/multitest_command.py
+++ b/modules/commands/multitest_command.py
@@ -618,13 +618,7 @@ class MultitestCommand(BaseCommand):
 
     def matches_keyword(self, message: MeshMessage) -> bool:
         """Check if message matches multitest keyword"""
-        content = message.content.strip()
-
-        # Handle exclamation prefix
-        if content.startswith('!'):
-            content = content[1:].strip()
-
-        content_lower = content.lower()
+        content_lower = self.cleanup_message_for_matching(message)
 
         # Check for exact match or keyword followed by space
         for keyword in self.keywords:
diff --git a/modules/commands/path_command.py b/modules/commands/path_command.py
index 6d6b5e4..aad2aec 100644
--- a/modules/commands/path_command.py
+++ b/modules/commands/path_command.py
@@ -180,19 +180,13 @@ class PathCommand(BaseCommand):
 
     def matches_keyword(self, message: MeshMessage) -> bool:
         """Check if message starts with 'path' keyword or 'p' shortcut (if enabled)"""
-        content = message.content.strip()
-
-        # Handle exclamation prefix
-        if content.startswith('!'):
-            content = content[1:].strip()
-
-        content_lower = content.lower()
+        content_lower = self.cleanup_message_for_matching(message)
 
         # Handle "p" shortcut if enabled
         if self.enable_p_shortcut:
             if content_lower == "p":
                 return True  # Just "p" by itself
-            elif (content.startswith('p ') or content.startswith('P ')) and len(content) > 2:
+            elif content_lower.startswith('p ') and len(content_lower) > 2:
                 return True  # "p " followed by path data
 
         # Check if message starts with any of our keywords
diff --git a/modules/commands/prefix_command.py b/modules/commands/prefix_command.py
index 706aefb..ee52bd5 100644
--- a/modules/commands/prefix_command.py
+++ b/modules/commands/prefix_command.py
@@ -134,14 +134,7 @@ class PrefixCommand(BaseCommand):
 
     def matches_keyword(self, message: MeshMessage) -> bool:
         """Check if message starts with 'prefix' keyword"""
-        content = message.content.strip()
-
-        # Handle exclamation prefix
-        if content.startswith('!'):
-            content = content[1:].strip()
-
-        # Check if message starts with 'prefix' (with or without space)
-        content_lower = content.lower()
+        content_lower = self.cleanup_message_for_matching(message)
         return content_lower == 'prefix' or content_lower.startswith('prefix ')
 
     async def _parse_location_to_lat_lon(self, location: str) -> tuple[Optional[float], Optional[float], Optional[str]]:
diff --git a/modules/commands/repeater_command.py b/modules/commands/repeater_command.py
index 64a316e..f245107 100644
--- a/modules/commands/repeater_command.py
+++ b/modules/commands/repeater_command.py
@@ -65,14 +65,9 @@ class RepeaterCommand(BaseCommand):
         Returns:
             bool: True if the message starts with any of the command keywords.
         """
-        content = message.content.strip()
-
-        # Handle exclamation prefix
-        if content.startswith('!'):
-            content = content[1:].strip()
+        content_lower = self.cleanup_message_for_matching(message)
 
         # Check if message starts with any of our keywords
-        content_lower = content.lower()
         return any(content_lower.startswith(keyword + ' ') or content_lower == keyword for keyword in self.keywords)
 
     async def execute(self, message: MeshMessage) -> bool:
diff --git a/modules/commands/roll_command.py b/modules/commands/roll_command.py
index 1aaaca9..2032094 100644
--- a/modules/commands/roll_command.py
+++ b/modules/commands/roll_command.py
@@ -73,22 +73,18 @@ class RollCommand(BaseCommand):
         Returns:
             bool: True if the message matches the roll command syntax, False otherwise.
         """
-        content = message.content.strip().lower()
-
-        # Handle command-style messages
-        if content.startswith('!'):
-            content = content[1:].strip().lower()
+        content_lower = self.cleanup_message_for_matching(message)
 
         # Check for exact "roll" match
-        if content == "roll":
+        if content_lower == "roll":
             return True
 
         # Check for roll with parameters (roll 50, roll 1000, etc.)
         # Ensure "roll" is the first word and followed by valid number
-        if content.startswith("roll "):
-            words = content.split()
+        if content_lower.startswith("roll "):
+            words = content_lower.split()
             if len(words) >= 2 and words[0] == "roll":
-                roll_part = content[5:].strip()  # Get everything after "roll "
+                roll_part = content_lower[5:].strip()  # Get everything after "roll "
                 # Check if the roll part is valid number notation (not just any word)
                 max_num = self.parse_roll_notation(roll_part)
                 return max_num is not None  # Only match if it's valid number notation
diff --git a/modules/commands/sports_command.py b/modules/commands/sports_command.py
index f2eaf1b..037c478 100644
--- a/modules/commands/sports_command.py
+++ b/modules/commands/sports_command.py
@@ -112,17 +112,14 @@ class SportsCommand(BaseCommand):
         if not self.keywords:
             return False
 
-        # Strip exclamation mark if present (for command-style messages)
-        content = message.content.strip()
-        if content.startswith('!'):
-            content = content[1:].strip()
+        content_lower = self.cleanup_message_for_matching(message)
 
         # Split into words and check if first word matches any keyword
-        words = content.split()
+        words = content_lower.split()
         if not words:
             return False
 
-        first_word = words[0].lower()
+        first_word = words[0]
 
         return any(first_word == keyword.lower() for keyword in self.keywords)
 
diff --git a/modules/commands/trace_command.py b/modules/commands/trace_command.py
index e9dd0d1..bc803cf 100644
--- a/modules/commands/trace_command.py
+++ b/modules/commands/trace_command.py
@@ -60,13 +60,10 @@ class TraceCommand(BaseCommand):
         )
 
     def matches_keyword(self, message: MeshMessage) -> bool:
-        content = message.content.strip()
-        if content.startswith("!"):
-            content = content[1:].strip()
-        c = content.lower()
-        if c == "trace" or c == "tracer":
+        content_lower = self.cleanup_message_for_matching(message)
+        if content_lower == "trace" or content_lower == "tracer":
             return True
-        return bool(c.startswith("trace ") or c.startswith("tracer "))
+        return bool(content_lower.startswith("trace ") or content_lower.startswith("tracer "))
 
     def _extract_path_from_message(self, message: MeshMessage) -> list[str]:
         """Extract path node IDs from message.path (supports 1-hop and multi-hop)."""
diff --git a/modules/commands/webviewer_command.py b/modules/commands/webviewer_command.py
index cb20492..0a39a5a 100644
--- a/modules/commands/webviewer_command.py
+++ b/modules/commands/webviewer_command.py
@@ -58,14 +58,7 @@ class WebViewerCommand(BaseCommand):
         Returns:
             bool: True if matches, False otherwise.
         """
-        content = message.content.strip()
-
-        # Handle exclamation prefix
-        if content.startswith('!'):
-            content = content[1:].strip()
-
-        # Check if message starts with any of our keywords
-        content_lower = content.lower()
+        content_lower = self.cleanup_message_for_matching(message)
         return any(content_lower.startswith(keyword + ' ') or content_lower == keyword for keyword in self.keywords)
 
     async def execute(self, message: MeshMessage) -> bool:
diff --git a/modules/commands/wx_command.py b/modules/commands/wx_command.py
index 5213aa3..f234bbf 100644
--- a/modules/commands/wx_command.py
+++ b/modules/commands/wx_command.py
@@ -168,10 +168,7 @@ class WxCommand(BaseCommand):
         if self.delegate_command:
             return self.delegate_command.matches_keyword(message)
 
-        content = message.content.strip()
-        if content.startswith('!'):
-            content = content[1:].strip()
-        content_lower = content.lower()
+        content_lower = self.cleanup_message_for_matching(message)
         return any(content_lower.startswith(keyword + ' ') or content_lower == keyword for keyword in self.keywords)
 
     def can_execute(self, message: MeshMessage, skip_channel_check: bool = False) -> bool:
diff --git a/modules/message_handler.py b/modules/message_handler.py
index 1a7975f..65f5a62 100644
--- a/modules/message_handler.py
+++ b/modules/message_handler.py
@@ -2849,7 +2849,21 @@ class MessageHandler:
         if not self.should_process_message(message):
             return
 
-        self.logger.info(f"Processing message: {message.content}")
+        # Handle respond_to_mentions for channel messages
+        if not message.is_dm:
+            _mention_mode = self.bot.config.get('Bot', 'respond_to_mentions', fallback='also').strip().lower()
+            if _mention_mode in ('also', 'only'):
+                import re
+                _bot_name = self.bot.config.get('Bot', 'bot_name', fallback='Bot')
+                _mention = f'@[{_bot_name}]'
+                _has_mention = _mention.lower() in message.content.lower()
+                if _mention_mode == 'only' and not _has_mention:
+                    self.logger.debug(f"Ignoring channel message (respond_to_mentions=only, no mention of {_mention})")
+                    return
+                if _has_mention:
+                    message.content = re.sub(re.escape(_mention), '', message.content, flags=re.IGNORECASE).strip()
+
+        self.logger.info(f"Processing message: '{message.content}' from {message.sender_id} in {'DM' if message.is_dm else message.channel}")
 
         # Check for advert command (DM only)
         if message.is_dm and message.content.strip().lower() == "advert":
diff --git a/tests/commands/test_base_command.py b/tests/commands/test_base_command.py
index 1b81f1b..4cebf41 100644
--- a/tests/commands/test_base_command.py
+++ b/tests/commands/test_base_command.py
@@ -247,3 +247,194 @@ class TestCanExecute:
         cmd = PingCommand(command_mock_bot)
         msg = mock_message(content="ping", is_dm=True)
         assert cmd.can_execute(msg) is True
+
+
+class TestMentionHelpers:
+    """Tests for BaseCommand mention-detection helper methods."""
+
+    def _cmd(self, bot):
+        bot.meshcore = None  # force bot name from config ("TestBot")
+        return _TestCommand(bot)
+
+    # _extract_mentions
+    def test_extract_no_mentions(self, command_mock_bot):
+        assert self._cmd(command_mock_bot)._extract_mentions("hello world") == []
+
+    def test_extract_single_mention(self, command_mock_bot):
+        assert self._cmd(command_mock_bot)._extract_mentions("@[Alice] hi") == ["Alice"]
+
+    def test_extract_multiple_mentions(self, command_mock_bot):
+        assert self._cmd(command_mock_bot)._extract_mentions("@[Alice] and @[Bob]") == ["Alice", "Bob"]
+
+    def test_extract_mention_with_spaces_in_name(self, command_mock_bot):
+        assert self._cmd(command_mock_bot)._extract_mentions("@[First Last] go") == ["First Last"]
+
+    # _is_bot_mentioned
+    def test_bot_mentioned_exact(self, command_mock_bot):
+        assert self._cmd(command_mock_bot)._is_bot_mentioned("@[TestBot] ping") is True
+
+    def test_bot_mentioned_case_insensitive(self, command_mock_bot):
+        assert self._cmd(command_mock_bot)._is_bot_mentioned("@[testbot] ping") is True
+
+    def test_bot_not_mentioned_other_user(self, command_mock_bot):
+        assert self._cmd(command_mock_bot)._is_bot_mentioned("@[Alice] ping") is False
+
+    def test_bot_not_mentioned_no_mention(self, command_mock_bot):
+        assert self._cmd(command_mock_bot)._is_bot_mentioned("ping") is False
+
+    # _check_mentions_ok
+    def test_ok_no_mentions(self, command_mock_bot):
+        assert self._cmd(command_mock_bot)._check_mentions_ok("ping") is True
+
+    def test_ok_bot_mentioned(self, command_mock_bot):
+        assert self._cmd(command_mock_bot)._check_mentions_ok("@[TestBot] ping") is True
+
+    def test_not_ok_only_other_user(self, command_mock_bot):
+        assert self._cmd(command_mock_bot)._check_mentions_ok("@[Alice] ping") is False
+
+    def test_ok_bot_and_other_user(self, command_mock_bot):
+        # Bot is among mentions — should be OK
+        assert self._cmd(command_mock_bot)._check_mentions_ok("@[TestBot] @[Alice] ping") is True
+
+    # _strip_mentions
+    def test_strip_single_mention(self, command_mock_bot):
+        assert self._cmd(command_mock_bot)._strip_mentions("@[Alice] hello") == "hello"
+
+    def test_strip_multiple_mentions(self, command_mock_bot):
+        assert self._cmd(command_mock_bot)._strip_mentions("@[Alice] hello @[Bob]") == "hello"
+
+    def test_strip_normalizes_whitespace(self, command_mock_bot):
+        assert self._cmd(command_mock_bot)._strip_mentions("@[Alice]   ping") == "ping"
+
+    def test_strip_no_mention_unchanged(self, command_mock_bot):
+        assert self._cmd(command_mock_bot)._strip_mentions("ping") == "ping"
+
+
+class TestCleanupMessageForMatching:
+    """Tests for BaseCommand.cleanup_message_for_matching() across all respond_to_mentions modes."""
+
+    def _cmd(self, bot):
+        bot.meshcore = None  # force bot name from config ("TestBot")
+        return _TestCommand(bot)
+
+    # ------------------------------------------------------------------ also --
+    def test_also_no_mention_returns_content(self, command_mock_bot):
+        """'also' (default): command responds even without a mention."""
+        command_mock_bot.config.set("Bot", "respond_to_mentions", "also")
+        cmd = self._cmd(command_mock_bot)
+        msg = mock_message(content="testcmd")
+        assert cmd.cleanup_message_for_matching(msg) == "testcmd"
+        assert msg.content == "testcmd"
+
+    def test_also_strips_bot_mention(self, command_mock_bot):
+        """'also': @[bot] prefix is stripped before keyword matching."""
+        command_mock_bot.config.set("Bot", "respond_to_mentions", "also")
+        cmd = self._cmd(command_mock_bot)
+        msg = mock_message(content="@[TestBot] testcmd")
+        result = cmd.cleanup_message_for_matching(msg)
+        assert result == "testcmd"
+        assert msg.content == "testcmd"
+
+    def test_also_strips_bot_mention_case_insensitive(self, command_mock_bot):
+        """'also': bot mention matching is case-insensitive."""
+        command_mock_bot.config.set("Bot", "respond_to_mentions", "also")
+        cmd = self._cmd(command_mock_bot)
+        msg = mock_message(content="@[testbot] testcmd")
+        assert cmd.cleanup_message_for_matching(msg) == "testcmd"
+
+    def test_also_blocks_other_user_mention(self, command_mock_bot):
+        """'also': if only someone else is mentioned (not bot), return empty string."""
+        command_mock_bot.config.set("Bot", "respond_to_mentions", "also")
+        cmd = self._cmd(command_mock_bot)
+        msg = mock_message(content="@[Alice] testcmd")
+        assert cmd.cleanup_message_for_matching(msg) == ""
+
+    def test_also_updates_message_content_and_lower(self, command_mock_bot):
+        """'also': message.content and message.content_lower are updated after stripping."""
+        command_mock_bot.config.set("Bot", "respond_to_mentions", "also")
+        cmd = self._cmd(command_mock_bot)
+        msg = mock_message(content="@[TestBot] TESTCMD")
+        cmd.cleanup_message_for_matching(msg)
+        assert msg.content == "TESTCMD"
+        assert msg.content_lower == "testcmd"
+
+    # ------------------------------------------------------------------ only --
+    def test_only_with_mention_strips_and_returns(self, command_mock_bot):
+        """'only': responds when bot is mentioned; strips the mention."""
+        command_mock_bot.config.set("Bot", "respond_to_mentions", "only")
+        cmd = self._cmd(command_mock_bot)
+        msg = mock_message(content="@[TestBot] testcmd")
+        result = cmd.cleanup_message_for_matching(msg)
+        assert result == "testcmd"
+        assert msg.content == "testcmd"
+
+    def test_only_plain_message_not_gated_here(self, command_mock_bot):
+        """'only': cleanup_message_for_matching does NOT gate plain (unmention'd) messages —
+        the 'only' require-mention gate is enforced upstream in process_message."""
+        command_mock_bot.config.set("Bot", "respond_to_mentions", "only")
+        cmd = self._cmd(command_mock_bot)
+        msg = mock_message(content="testcmd")
+        # No mentions present → _check_mentions_ok returns True → content passes through
+        assert cmd.cleanup_message_for_matching(msg) == "testcmd"
+
+    def test_only_other_user_mention_returns_empty(self, command_mock_bot):
+        """'only': another user mentioned but not bot → blocked."""
+        command_mock_bot.config.set("Bot", "respond_to_mentions", "only")
+        cmd = self._cmd(command_mock_bot)
+        msg = mock_message(content="@[Alice] testcmd")
+        assert cmd.cleanup_message_for_matching(msg) == ""
+
+    # ------------------------------------------------------------------ false --
+    def test_false_mention_not_stripped(self, command_mock_bot):
+        """'false': no mention logic; mention is NOT stripped from content."""
+        command_mock_bot.config.set("Bot", "respond_to_mentions", "false")
+        cmd = self._cmd(command_mock_bot)
+        msg = mock_message(content="@[TestBot] testcmd")
+        result = cmd.cleanup_message_for_matching(msg)
+        assert "@[testbot]" in result
+
+    def test_false_other_user_mention_not_blocked(self, command_mock_bot):
+        """'false': another user mentioned — bot still processes (no filtering)."""
+        command_mock_bot.config.set("Bot", "respond_to_mentions", "false")
+        cmd = self._cmd(command_mock_bot)
+        msg = mock_message(content="@[Alice] testcmd")
+        result = cmd.cleanup_message_for_matching(msg)
+        assert "@[alice]" in result
+
+    def test_false_plain_message_works(self, command_mock_bot):
+        """'false': plain messages work normally."""
+        command_mock_bot.config.set("Bot", "respond_to_mentions", "false")
+        cmd = self._cmd(command_mock_bot)
+        msg = mock_message(content="testcmd")
+        assert cmd.cleanup_message_for_matching(msg) == "testcmd"
+
+    # ---------------------------------------------------------------- prefix -
+    def test_strips_legacy_bang_prefix(self, command_mock_bot):
+        """No command_prefix configured: legacy '!' is stripped."""
+        command_mock_bot.config.set("Bot", "respond_to_mentions", "false")
+        cmd = self._cmd(command_mock_bot)
+        msg = mock_message(content="!testcmd")
+        assert cmd.cleanup_message_for_matching(msg) == "testcmd"
+
+    def test_wrong_command_prefix_returns_empty(self, command_mock_bot):
+        """Configured command_prefix mismatch → empty string (no match)."""
+        command_mock_bot.config.set("Bot", "respond_to_mentions", "false")
+        command_mock_bot.config.set("Bot", "command_prefix", "!")
+        cmd = self._cmd(command_mock_bot)
+        msg = mock_message(content="testcmd")  # missing the ! prefix
+        assert cmd.cleanup_message_for_matching(msg) == ""
+
+    # ---------------------------------------------- matches_keyword integration
+    def test_matches_keyword_with_bot_mention(self, command_mock_bot):
+        """matches_keyword uses cleanup_message_for_matching — @[bot] ping matches 'testcmd'."""
+        command_mock_bot.config.set("Bot", "respond_to_mentions", "also")
+        cmd = self._cmd(command_mock_bot)
+        msg = mock_message(content="@[TestBot] testcmd")
+        assert cmd.matches_keyword(msg) is True
+
+    def test_matches_keyword_other_mention_blocked(self, command_mock_bot):
+        """matches_keyword returns False when only another user is mentioned."""
+        command_mock_bot.config.set("Bot", "respond_to_mentions", "also")
+        cmd = self._cmd(command_mock_bot)
+        msg = mock_message(content="@[Alice] testcmd")
+        assert cmd.matches_keyword(msg) is False
diff --git a/tests/test_message_handler.py b/tests/test_message_handler.py
index 09ba217..7cb4652 100644
--- a/tests/test_message_handler.py
+++ b/tests/test_message_handler.py
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import pytest
 
 from modules.message_handler import MessageHandler
 from modules.models import MeshMessage
+from tests.conftest import mock_message as make_message
 
 
 @pytest.fixture
@@ -1694,3 +1695,125 @@ class TestSignalCacheLRUBounds:
         assert len(handler.snr_cache) == 2
         assert handler.snr_cache["a"] == 5.0
         assert handler.snr_cache["b"] == 2.0
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# respond_to_mentions — process_message gate and stripping
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+class TestRespondToMentions:
+    """Tests for the respond_to_mentions config gate in process_message.
+
+    process_message is async; we short-circuit the command execution
+    side-effects by mocking should_process_message to return True and
+    stubbing out check_keywords / execute_commands so only the mention
+    block is exercised.
+    """
+
+    @pytest.fixture
+    def mention_bot(self, mock_logger):
+        """Bot fixture with respond_to_mentions support."""
+        bot = Mock()
+        bot.logger = mock_logger
+        bot.config = configparser.ConfigParser()
+        bot.config.add_section("Bot")
+        bot.config.set("Bot", "enabled", "true")
+        bot.config.set("Bot", "bot_name", "TestBot")
+        bot.config.set("Bot", "rf_data_timeout", "15.0")
+        bot.config.set("Bot", "message_correlation_timeout", "10.0")
+        bot.config.set("Bot", "enable_enhanced_correlation", "true")
+        bot.config.add_section("Channels")
+        bot.config.set("Channels", "respond_to_dms", "true")
+        bot.config.set("Channels", "max_response_hops", "64")
+        bot.connection_time = None
+        bot.prefix_hex_chars = 2
+        bot.channel_responses_enabled = True
+        bot.command_manager = Mock()
+        bot.command_manager.monitor_channels = ["general"]
+        bot.command_manager.is_user_banned = Mock(return_value=False)
+        bot.command_manager.commands = {}
+        bot.command_manager.check_keywords = Mock(return_value=[])
+        bot.command_manager.match_randomline = Mock(return_value=None)
+        bot.command_manager.execute_commands = AsyncMock()
+        return bot
+
+    @pytest.fixture
+    def mention_handler(self, mention_bot):
+        return MessageHandler(mention_bot)
+
+    def _channel_msg(self, content, channel="general"):
+        return make_message(content=content, channel=channel, is_dm=False, sender_id="User")
+
+    def _dm_msg(self, content):
+        return make_message(content=content, channel=None, is_dm=True, sender_id="User")
+
+    # ------------------------------------------------------------------ also --
+    async def test_also_plain_command_processed(self, mention_handler, mention_bot):
+        """'also': plain channel message (no mention) is still processed."""
+        mention_bot.config.set("Bot", "respond_to_mentions", "also")
+        msg = self._channel_msg("ping")
+        await mention_handler.process_message(msg)
+        # Command execution was reached; content unchanged
+        assert msg.content == "ping"
+
+    async def test_also_strips_bot_mention_from_content(self, mention_handler, mention_bot):
+        """'also': @[TestBot] is stripped before command dispatch."""
+        mention_bot.config.set("Bot", "respond_to_mentions", "also")
+        msg = self._channel_msg("@[TestBot] ping")
+        await mention_handler.process_message(msg)
+        assert msg.content == "ping"
+
+    async def test_also_case_insensitive_strip(self, mention_handler, mention_bot):
+        """'also': bot name match is case-insensitive."""
+        mention_bot.config.set("Bot", "respond_to_mentions", "also")
+        msg = self._channel_msg("@[testbot] ping")
+        await mention_handler.process_message(msg)
+        assert msg.content == "ping"
+
+    async def test_also_dm_bypasses_mention_logic(self, mention_handler, mention_bot):
+        """'also': DMs are never subject to mention stripping or gating."""
+        mention_bot.config.set("Bot", "respond_to_mentions", "also")
+        msg = self._dm_msg("@[TestBot] ping")
+        await mention_handler.process_message(msg)
+        # Content should remain as-is — mention logic skipped for DMs
+        assert "@[TestBot]" in msg.content
+
+    # ------------------------------------------------------------------ only --
+    async def test_only_with_mention_processes(self, mention_handler, mention_bot):
+        """'only': message with bot mention is processed (mention stripped)."""
+        mention_bot.config.set("Bot", "respond_to_mentions", "only")
+        msg = self._channel_msg("@[TestBot] ping")
+        await mention_handler.process_message(msg)
+        assert msg.content == "ping"
+        mention_bot.command_manager.execute_commands.assert_called_once()
+
+    async def test_only_without_mention_ignored(self, mention_handler, mention_bot):
+        """'only': plain channel message is silently dropped."""
+        mention_bot.config.set("Bot", "respond_to_mentions", "only")
+        msg = self._channel_msg("ping")
+        await mention_handler.process_message(msg)
+        mention_bot.command_manager.execute_commands.assert_not_called()
+
+    async def test_only_dm_always_processed(self, mention_handler, mention_bot):
+        """'only': DMs bypass the mention gate and are always processed."""
+        mention_bot.config.set("Bot", "respond_to_mentions", "only")
+        msg = self._dm_msg("ping")
+        await mention_handler.process_message(msg)
+        mention_bot.command_manager.execute_commands.assert_called_once()
+
+    # ------------------------------------------------------------------ false --
+    async def test_false_no_stripping(self, mention_handler, mention_bot):
+        """'false': mention is NOT stripped from message content."""
+        mention_bot.config.set("Bot", "respond_to_mentions", "false")
+        msg = self._channel_msg("@[TestBot] ping")
+        await mention_handler.process_message(msg)
+        # Content must still contain the mention — no stripping in false mode
+        assert "@[TestBot]" in msg.content
+
+    async def test_false_plain_command_processed(self, mention_handler, mention_bot):
+        """'false': plain commands work exactly as before."""
+        mention_bot.config.set("Bot", "respond_to_mentions", "false")
+        msg = self._channel_msg("ping")
+        await mention_handler.process_message(msg)
+        assert msg.content == "ping"
+        mention_bot.command_manager.execute_commands.assert_called_once()