diff --git a/src/ScTranslations.json b/src/ScTranslations.json
index 07933a45..6d066a2d 100644
--- a/src/ScTranslations.json
+++ b/src/ScTranslations.json
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
     "initial_message": "Hi, I'm ChatGPT with access to your notes via Smart Connections. Ask me a question about your notes and I'll try to answer it."
   },
   "es": {
-    "pronouns": ["mi", "yo", "mí", "tú"],
+    "pronouns": ["mi", "yo", "mí", "tú", "mis"],
     "prompt": "Basándose en sus notas",
     "initial_message": "Hola, soy ChatGPT con acceso a tus apuntes a través de Smart Connections. Hazme una pregunta sobre tus apuntes e intentaré responderte."
   },
diff --git a/src/contains_self_referential_keywords.js b/src/contains_self_referential_keywords.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..11a7cb0a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/contains_self_referential_keywords.js
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+const ScTranslations = require("./ScTranslations");
+const { contains_folder_reference } = require("./contains_folder_reference");
+const { contains_internal_link } = require("./contains_internal_link");
+const { extract_internal_links } = require("./extract_internal_links");
+const { extract_folder_references } = require("./extract_folder_references");
+const { contains_system_prompt_ref, extract_system_prompt_ref } = require("./contains_system_prompt_ref");
+
+// check if includes keywords referring to one's own notes
+async function contains_self_referential_keywords(env, user_input, language) {
+  const language_settings = ScTranslations[language];
+  if (!language_settings) return false;
+  let check_str = `${user_input}`;
+  if(contains_internal_link(check_str)){
+    const extracted_links = extract_internal_links({}, check_str);
+    for(const link of extracted_links){
+      check_str = check_str.replace(link, '');
+    }
+  }
+  if(contains_folder_reference(check_str)){
+    const folders = await env.plugin.get_folders(); // get folder references
+    const extracted_folder_references = extract_folder_references(folders, check_str);
+    for(const folder_reference of extracted_folder_references){
+      check_str = check_str.replace(folder_reference, '');
+    }
+  }
+  if(contains_system_prompt_ref(check_str)){
+    const {mention, mention_pattern} = extract_system_prompt_ref(check_str);
+    check_str = check_str.replace(mention_pattern, '');
+  }
+
+  if (check_str.match(new RegExp(`\\b(${language_settings.pronouns.join("|")})\\b`, "gi"))) return true;
+  return false;
+}
+exports.contains_self_referential_keywords = contains_self_referential_keywords;
diff --git a/src/contains_self_referential_keywords.test.js b/src/contains_self_referential_keywords.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..0ce9b036
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/contains_self_referential_keywords.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,76 @@
+const test = require('ava');
+const { contains_self_referential_keywords } = require('./contains_self_referential_keywords');
+const mock_env = {
+  plugin: {
+    get_folders: () => {
+      return [
+        '/my notes/as context/',
+      ];
+    }
+  }
+};
+
+test('returns true for input containing self-referential pronouns in English', async t => {
+    const user_input = 'I want to review my notes';
+    t.true(await contains_self_referential_keywords(mock_env, user_input, 'en'));
+});
+
+test('returns true for input containing self-referential pronouns in Spanish', async t => {
+    const user_input = 'Quiero revisar mis notas';
+    t.true(await contains_self_referential_keywords(mock_env, user_input, 'es'));
+});
+
+test('returns false for input without self-referential pronouns', async t => {
+    const user_input = 'The sky is blue';
+    t.false(await contains_self_referential_keywords(mock_env, user_input, 'en'));
+});
+
+test('returns true for input with uppercase self-referential pronouns', async t => {
+    const user_input = 'MY notes are important to ME';
+    t.true(await contains_self_referential_keywords(mock_env, user_input, 'en'));
+});
+
+test('returns true for input with mixed case self-referential pronouns', async t => {
+    const user_input = 'Show Me My latest notes';
+    t.true(await contains_self_referential_keywords(mock_env, user_input, 'en'));
+});
+
+test('returns false for input with partial matches of pronouns ("myself" contains "my")', async t => {
+    const user_input = 'The word "myself" is not always self-referential';
+    t.false(await contains_self_referential_keywords(mock_env, user_input, 'en'));
+});
+
+test('returns true for input with pronouns at the beginning or end of sentences', async t => {
+    const user_input = 'My thoughts are clear. These ideas belong to me.';
+    t.true(await contains_self_referential_keywords(mock_env, user_input, 'en'));
+});
+
+test('returns false for empty input', async t => {
+    const user_input = '';
+    t.false(await contains_self_referential_keywords(mock_env, user_input, 'en'));
+});
+
+test('handles unsupported language gracefully', async t => {
+    const user_input = 'This is a test';
+    t.false(await contains_self_referential_keywords(mock_env, user_input, 'unsupported_language'));
+});
+
+test('returns true for input containing multiple self-referential pronouns', async t => {
+    const user_input = 'I need to organize my notes so I can find them easily';
+    t.true(await contains_self_referential_keywords(mock_env, user_input, 'en'));
+});
+
+test('excludes self-referential pronouns that are within links', async t => {
+    const user_input = 'Should use [[my notes]] as context without lookup';
+    t.false(await contains_self_referential_keywords(mock_env, user_input, 'en'));
+});
+
+test('excludes self-referential pronouns that are within /folder/paths/', async t => {
+    const user_input = 'Should not match /my notes/as context/ as self-referential';
+    t.false(await contains_self_referential_keywords(mock_env, user_input, 'en'));
+});
+
+test('excludes self-referential pronouns that are within @"system prompt" refs', async t => {
+    const user_input = 'Should use @"my system prompt" in this query';
+    t.false(await contains_self_referential_keywords(mock_env, user_input, 'en'));
+});
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/contains_system_prompt_ref.js b/src/contains_system_prompt_ref.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8f6e129f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/contains_system_prompt_ref.js
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+function contains_system_prompt_ref(content) {
+  return content.includes("@\"");
+}
+function extract_system_prompt_ref(content) {
+  const mention_pattern = /@\"([^"]+)\"/;
+  const mention = content.match(mention_pattern)[1];
+  return { mention, mention_pattern };
+}
+
+exports.contains_system_prompt_ref = contains_system_prompt_ref;
+exports.extract_system_prompt_ref = extract_system_prompt_ref;
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/extract_internal_links.js b/src/extract_internal_links.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..09710370
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/extract_internal_links.js
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+function extract_internal_links(env, user_input) {
+  const matches = user_input.match(/\[\[(.*?)\]\]/g);
+  console.log(matches);
+  // return array of TFile objects
+  if (matches && env.plugin) return matches.map(match => {
+    const tfile = env.plugin.app.metadataCache.getFirstLinkpathDest(match.replace("[[", "").replace("]]", ""), "/");
+    return tfile;
+  });
+  if (matches) return matches;
+  return [];
+}
+exports.extract_internal_links = extract_internal_links;
diff --git a/src/sc_actions.js b/src/sc_actions.js
index ea92f5f1..2990053a 100644
--- a/src/sc_actions.js
+++ b/src/sc_actions.js
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
-const ScTranslations = require("./ScTranslations");
 const openapi_spec = require('../build/actions_openapi.json');
 const handlers = require('./actions/_actions');
 const { lookup } = require('./actions/lookup');
 const { json_ref_resolve } = require('./json_ref_resolve');
+const { contains_self_referential_keywords } = require("./contains_self_referential_keywords");
 
 class ScActions {
   constructor(env, opts = {}) {
@@ -47,8 +47,9 @@ class ScActions {
       }
       return;
     }
+    const should_trigger_lookup = await this.should_trigger_retrieval(user_input);
     // if contains self referential keywords or folder reference
-    if (this.should_trigger_retrieval(user_input)) {
+    if (should_trigger_lookup) {
       console.log("should trigger retrieval");
       if(this.actions.lookup && this.env.chat_model.config.actions){
         // sets current.tool_choice to lookup
@@ -59,17 +60,12 @@ class ScActions {
       }
     }
   }
-  should_trigger_retrieval(user_input) {
+  async should_trigger_retrieval(user_input) {
     // if(!this.plugin?.brain?.smart_blocks?.keys.length) return false; // if no smart blocks, return false
-    if (this.contains_self_referential_keywords(user_input)) return true;
+    if (await contains_self_referential_keywords(this.env, user_input, this.config.language)) return true;
     if (this.env.chats.current.scope.key_starts_with_any) return true; // if scope.key_starts_with_any is set, return true (has folder reference)
     return false;
   }
-  // check if includes keywords referring to one's own notes
-  contains_self_referential_keywords(user_input) {
-    if (user_input.match(new RegExp(`\\b(${ScTranslations[this.config.language].pronouns.join("|")})\\b`, "gi"))) return true;
-    return false;
-  }
   // BACKWARD COMPATIBILITY for non-function-calling models (DEPRECATED)
   async get_context_hyde(user_input) {
     console.log("get_context_hyde");
diff --git a/src/sc_chat.js b/src/sc_chat.js
index fcdca155..30a712d0 100644
--- a/src/sc_chat.js
+++ b/src/sc_chat.js
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@ const { SmartChat } = require('smart-chats/smart_chat');
 const { extract_folder_references } = require("./extract_folder_references");
 const { contains_internal_link } = require("./contains_internal_link");
 const { contains_folder_reference } = require('./contains_folder_reference');
+const { extract_internal_links } = require('./extract_internal_links');
+const { contains_system_prompt_ref, extract_system_prompt_ref } = require('./contains_system_prompt_ref');
 
 class ScChat extends SmartChat {
   async new_user_message(content){
@@ -23,9 +25,8 @@ class ScChat extends SmartChat {
   async parse_user_message(content) {
     this.env.chats.current.scope = {}; // reset scope
     // DO: decided: should this be moved to new_user_message()??? Partially as sc-context???
-    if (content.includes("@\"")) {
-      const mention_pattern = /@\"([^"]+)\"/;
-      const mention = content.match(mention_pattern)[1];
+    if (contains_system_prompt_ref(content)) {
+      const { mention, mention_pattern } = extract_system_prompt_ref(content);
       const sys_msg = {
         role: "system",
         content: "```sc-system\n" + mention + "\n```"
@@ -67,14 +68,4 @@ class ScChat extends SmartChat {
 }
 exports.ScChat = ScChat;
 
-function extract_internal_links(env, user_input) {
-  const matches = user_input.match(/\[\[(.*?)\]\]/g);
-  console.log(matches);
-  // return array of TFile objects
-  if (matches) return matches.map(match => {
-    const tfile = env.plugin.app.metadataCache.getFirstLinkpathDest(match.replace("[[", "").replace("]]", ""), "/");
-    return tfile;
-  });
-  return [];
-}
-exports.extract_internal_links = extract_internal_links;
\ No newline at end of file
+