diff --git a/cmd/automod/rules.go b/cmd/automod/rules.go
index cadfd6b..6878e77 100644
--- a/cmd/automod/rules.go
+++ b/cmd/automod/rules.go
@@ -16,16 +16,21 @@ var BLADERUNNER_THRESHOLD = 2
 var JABRONI_THRESHOLD = 2
 
 func GoodbotBadbotRule(c *automod.RecordContext, post *appbsky.FeedPost) error {
-	if post.Reply == nil || IsSelfThread(c, post) {
-		return nil
-	}
-
 	botType := GetBotResponseType(post.Text)
 
 	if botType == -1 {
 		return nil
 	}
 
+	authorDID := c.Account.Identity.DID
+
+	if post.Reply == nil || IsSelfThread(c, post) {
+		mentionedDids := mentionedDids(post)
+		for _, botDID := range mentionedDids {
+			handleBotSignal(c, botDID, authorDID, botType)
+		}
+		return nil
+	}
 	parentURI, err := syntax.ParseATURI(post.Reply.Parent.Uri)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil
@@ -35,11 +40,14 @@ func GoodbotBadbotRule(c *automod.RecordContext, post *appbsky.FeedPost) error {
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	authorDID := c.Account.Identity.DID
+	handleBotSignal(c, botDID, authorDID, botType)
+	return nil
+}
 
+func handleBotSignal(c *automod.RecordContext, botDID string, authorDID string, botType int) {
 	if botType == 1 {
-		c.IncrementDistinct("goodbot", botDID.String(), authorDID.String())
-		c.IncrementDistinct("bladerunner", authorDID.String(), botDID.String())
+		c.IncrementDistinct("goodbot", botDID, authorDID)
+		c.IncrementDistinct("bladerunner", authorDID, botDID)
 		c.Logger.Error("good bot reply")
 
 		// XXX: bypass counts for early testing
@@ -47,55 +55,83 @@ func GoodbotBadbotRule(c *automod.RecordContext, post *appbsky.FeedPost) error {
 			return err
 		}
 
-		if c.GetCountDistinct("goodbot", botDID.String(), countstore.PeriodTotal) > GOOD_BOT_REPLY_THRESHOLD-1 {
+		if c.GetCountDistinct("goodbot", botDID, countstore.PeriodTotal) > GOOD_BOT_REPLY_THRESHOLD-1 {
 			c.Logger.Error("good bot")
 			// c.AddAccountLabel("good-bot")
 			// c.Notify("slack")
 		}
 
-		if c.GetCountDistinct("bladerunner", authorDID.String(), countstore.PeriodTotal) > BLADERUNNER_THRESHOLD-1 {
+		if c.GetCountDistinct("bladerunner", authorDID, countstore.PeriodTotal) > BLADERUNNER_THRESHOLD-1 {
 			c.Logger.Error("bladerunner")
 			// c.AddAccountLabel("bladerunner")
 			// c.Notify("slack")
 		}
 
-		return nil
+		return
 	}
 
-	c.IncrementDistinct("badbot", botDID.String(), authorDID.String())
-	c.IncrementDistinct("jabroni", authorDID.String(), botDID.String())
+	c.IncrementDistinct("badbot", botDID, authorDID)
+	c.IncrementDistinct("jabroni", authorDID, botDID)
 	c.Logger.Error("bad bot reply")
 
-	if c.GetCountDistinct("badbot", botDID.String(), countstore.PeriodTotal) > BAD_BOT_REPLY_THRESHOLD-1 {
+	if c.GetCountDistinct("badbot", botDID, countstore.PeriodTotal) > BAD_BOT_REPLY_THRESHOLD-1 {
 		// @TODO: this would add label to the reply author's account not the parent/bot's account
 		// c.AddAccountLabel("bad-bot")
 		c.Logger.Error("bad bot")
 		// c.Notify("slack")
 	}
 
-	if c.GetCountDistinct("jabroni", authorDID.String(), countstore.PeriodTotal) > JABRONI_THRESHOLD-1 {
+	if c.GetCountDistinct("jabroni", authorDID, countstore.PeriodTotal) > JABRONI_THRESHOLD-1 {
 		// c.AddAccountLabel("jabroni")
 		c.Logger.Error("jabroni")
 		// c.Notify("slack")
 	}
+}
 
-	return nil
+func mentionedDids(post *appbsky.FeedPost) []string {
+	mentionedDids := []string{}
+	for _, facet := range post.Facets {
+		for _, feature := range facet.Features {
+			mention := feature.RichtextFacet_Mention
+			if mention == nil {
+				continue
+			}
+			mentionedDids = append(mentionedDids, mention.Did)
+		}
+	}
+
+	return mentionedDids
 }
 
-// @TODO: this isn't a clean check and doing some duplicate regex checks that can be avoided
+// @TODO: this is a dumb check that only matches text exactly, could be improved
 func GetBotResponseType(s string) int {
 	// Normalize the string by converting to lowercase and trimming spaces
-	s = strings.TrimSpace(strings.ToLower(s))
+	tokens := TokenizeText(strings.TrimSpace(strings.ToLower(s)))
+	hasGoodBot := false
+	hasBadBot := false
 
-	if s == "good bot" {
+	for i, token := range tokens {
+		if token != "good" && token != "bad" && token != "bot" && !strings.HasPrefix(token, "@") {
+			return -1
+		}
+
+		if (token == "good" || token == "bad") && i+1 < len(tokens) && tokens[i+1] == "bot" {
+			if token == "good" {
+				hasGoodBot = true
+			} else {
+				hasBadBot = true
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	if hasGoodBot {
 		return 1
 	}
 
-	if s == "bad bot" {
+	if hasBadBot {
 		return 0
 	}
 
-	// If neither pattern matches
 	return -1
 }
 
@@ -119,3 +155,7 @@ func IsSelfThread(c *automod.RecordContext, post *appbsky.FeedPost) bool {
 	}
 	return false
 }
+
+func TokenizeText(text string) []string {
+	return strings.Fields(text)
+}
diff --git a/cmd/automod/rules_test.go b/cmd/automod/rules_test.go
index 0b1a6eb..1860aee 100644
--- a/cmd/automod/rules_test.go
+++ b/cmd/automod/rules_test.go
@@ -12,4 +12,8 @@ func TestGetBotResponseType(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(GetBotResponseType("bad bot"), 0)
 	assert.Equal(GetBotResponseType("good bot"), 1)
 	assert.Equal(GetBotResponseType("good bot beahvior is punished"), -1)
+	assert.Equal(GetBotResponseType("testing good bot one"), -1)
+	assert.Equal(GetBotResponseType("testing good bot"), -1)
+	assert.Equal(GetBotResponseType("@test.bsky.social good bot"), 1)
+	assert.Equal(GetBotResponseType("bad bot @one.bsky.social"), 0)
 }