diff --git a/itte.lua b/itte.lua
index 113f987..64b348b 100644
--- a/itte.lua
+++ b/itte.lua
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ itte.config = {
   debug = false,
   admin_handlers = { "connect", "quit", "reload", "servers", "join", "part" },
   task_handler_prefix = "th_",
+  target_handler = "target",
   messages = {
     connect_success = "Connected to {{server}}.",
     help = "Service codes available: {{codes}}",
@@ -249,6 +250,18 @@ function itte.get_commands(svr)
       check = nil,
       resp = "QUIT :",
     },
+    target_private = {
+      -- Like privmsg but targets bot nick in a direct message
+      -- Escape magic character "-"
+      check = "PRIVMSG(.*)" .. string.gsub(svr.nick, "-", "%%-") .. ":",
+      resp = "PRIVMSG ",
+    },
+    target_public = {
+      -- Like privmsg but targets bot nick in a channel
+      -- Escape magic character "-"
+      check = "PRIVMSG(.*)#(.*):" .. string.gsub(svr.nick, "-", "%%-"),
+      resp = "PRIVMSG ",
+    },
     user = {
       check = "NOTICE",
       resp = "USER " .. svr.auth_user .. " 0 * " .. svr.auth_user,
@@ -585,58 +598,91 @@ function itte.traverse_channels(cxt, mode, chans)
 end
 
 
-itte.docs.parse_privmsg = [[  (context_table, data_str)
-  Given the context table and a PRIVMSG data string, parse the string and
-  return an associative table of values.
+itte.docs.parse_privmsg = [[  (context_table, data_str [, mode_str])
+  Given the context table, a PRIVMSG data string and mode, parse the string and
+  return an associative table of values. If "code" mode is specified, it will
+  check the body for a service code. If "target" mode is specified, it will
+  extract the message body excluding the bot nick, but will not look for a
+  service code. The default mode is "code" if no mode is specified.
   ]]
-function itte.parse_privmsg(cxt, str)
-  local code_full = ""
+function itte.parse_privmsg(cxt, str, mode)
+  local msg = {}
   -- Separator marks the start of the message body
   body_sep, _ = string.find(str, ":", 2)
-  -- Service code found with specified prefix
-  if util.is_substr(str, ":" .. cxt.code_prefix) then
-    code_full = string.sub(str, string.find(str, ":" ..
-      cxt.code_prefix) + 1 + string.len(cxt.code_prefix))
-  end
-  local msg = {
-    sender = string.sub(str, string.find(str, "!") + 2,
-      string.find(str, "@") - 1),
-    recipient = string.sub(str, string.find(str, "PRIVMSG") + 8,
-      string.find(str, ":" .. cxt.code_prefix) - 2),
-    reply_to = string.sub(str, string.find(str, "!") + 2,
-      string.find(str, "@") - 1),
-    body = string.sub(str, body_sep + 1),
-  }
-  if util.is_substr(code_full, " ") then
-    msg.code = string.sub(code_full, 0, string.find(code_full, " ") - 1)
-    msg.code_params = util.split_str(string.sub(code_full,
-      string.find(code_full, " ") + 1))
 
+  -- Message in the format `[nick]: [body]`
+  if mode == "target" then
+    msg = {
+      sender = string.sub(str, string.find(str, "!") + 2,
+        string.find(str, "@") - 1),
+      -- Escape magic character "-" in the nick
+      recipient = string.sub(str, string.find(str, "PRIVMSG") + 8,
+        string.find(str, ":" .. string.gsub(cxt.nick, "-", "%%-")) - 2),
+      reply_to = string.sub(str, string.find(str, "!") + 2,
+        string.find(str, "@") - 1),
+      body = string.gsub(string.sub(str, body_sep + 2 +
+        string.len(cxt.nick)), "^%s", ""),
+    }
+    -- Reply to sender by default (private message), or reply in a channel if
+    -- original message recipient is a channel.
+    if util.is_substr(msg.recipient, "#") then
+      msg.reply_to = msg.recipient
+    end
+    util.debug(itte.config.debugs.privmsg[1], "{ " ..
+      itte.config.debugs.privmsg[2] .. ": " .. msg.sender ..
+      ", " .. itte.config.debugs.privmsg[3] .. ": " .. msg.recipient ..
+      ", " .. itte.config.debugs.privmsg[4] .. ": " .. msg.reply_to ..
+      ", " .. itte.config.debugs.privmsg[7] .. ": " .. msg.body ..
+      " }", itte.config.debug)
+
+  -- Message in the format `[code] [params]`
   else
-    msg.code = code_full
-    msg.code_params = {}
-  end
-  -- Reply to sender by default (private message), or reply in a channel if
-  -- original message recipient is a channel.
-  if util.is_substr(msg.recipient, "#") then
-    msg.reply_to = msg.recipient
-  end
+    local code_full = ""
+    -- Service code found with specified prefix
+    if util.is_substr(str, ":" .. cxt.code_prefix) then
+      code_full = string.sub(str, string.find(str, ":" ..
+        cxt.code_prefix) + 1 + string.len(cxt.code_prefix))
+    end
+    msg = {
+      sender = string.sub(str, string.find(str, "!") + 2,
+        string.find(str, "@") - 1),
+      recipient = string.sub(str, string.find(str, "PRIVMSG") + 8,
+        string.find(str, ":" .. cxt.code_prefix) - 2),
+      reply_to = string.sub(str, string.find(str, "!") + 2,
+        string.find(str, "@") - 1),
+      body = string.sub(str, body_sep + 1),
+    }
+    if util.is_substr(code_full, " ") then
+      msg.code = string.sub(code_full, 0, string.find(code_full, " ") - 1)
+      msg.code_params = util.split_str(string.sub(code_full,
+        string.find(code_full, " ") + 1))
 
-  -- Redact debug output for admin-only handlers to avoid logging passwords.
-  local body = msg.body
-  local code_params = table.concat(msg.code_params, " ")
-  if util.has_key(itte.config.admin_handlers, msg.code) then
-    body = itte.config.debugs.redact[1]
-    code_params = itte.config.debugs.redact[1]
+    else
+      msg.code = code_full
+      msg.code_params = {}
+    end
+    -- Reply to sender by default (private message), or reply in a channel if
+    -- original message recipient is a channel.
+    if util.is_substr(msg.recipient, "#") then
+      msg.reply_to = msg.recipient
+    end
+
+    -- Redact debug output for admin-only handlers to avoid logging passwords.
+    local body = msg.body
+    local code_params = table.concat(msg.code_params, " ")
+    if util.has_key(itte.config.admin_handlers, msg.code) then
+      body = itte.config.debugs.redact[1]
+      code_params = itte.config.debugs.redact[1]
+    end
+    util.debug(itte.config.debugs.privmsg[1], "{ " ..
+      itte.config.debugs.privmsg[2] .. ": " .. msg.sender ..
+      ", " .. itte.config.debugs.privmsg[3] .. ": " .. msg.recipient ..
+      ", " .. itte.config.debugs.privmsg[4] .. ": " .. msg.reply_to ..
+      ", " .. itte.config.debugs.privmsg[5] .. ": " .. msg.code ..
+      ", " .. itte.config.debugs.privmsg[6] .. ": " .. code_params ..
+      ", " .. itte.config.debugs.privmsg[7] .. ": " .. body ..
+      " }", itte.config.debug)
   end
-  util.debug(itte.config.debugs.privmsg[1], "{ " ..
-    itte.config.debugs.privmsg[2] .. ": " .. msg.sender ..
-    ", " .. itte.config.debugs.privmsg[3] .. ": " .. msg.recipient ..
-    ", " .. itte.config.debugs.privmsg[4] .. ": " .. msg.reply_to ..
-    ", " .. itte.config.debugs.privmsg[5] .. ": " .. msg.code ..
-    ", " .. itte.config.debugs.privmsg[6] .. ": " .. code_params ..
-    ", " .. itte.config.debugs.privmsg[7] .. ": " .. body ..
-    " }", itte.config.debug)
   return msg
 end
 
@@ -818,9 +864,10 @@ function itte._h.help(cxt, msg)
   end
 
   local custom_h = util.table_keys(itte.handlers)
-  -- Remove task handlers
+  -- Remove target and task handlers
   for h = 1, #custom_h do
-    if string.find(custom_h[h], itte.config.task_handler_prefix) == 1 then
+    if (string.find(custom_h[h], itte.config.target_handler) == 1) or
+      (string.find(custom_h[h], itte.config.task_handler_prefix) == 1) then
       custom_h[h] = nil
     end
   end
@@ -902,8 +949,9 @@ function itte.listen(name, str)
       util.debug(itte.config.debugs.listen[1], str, itte.config.debug)
     end
 
-    -- Ignore calls to task handlers
-    if (string.find(msg.code, itte.config.task_handler_prefix) == 1) then
+    -- Ignore calls to the target and task handlers
+    if (string.find(msg.code, itte.config.target_handler) == 1) or
+      (string.find(msg.code, itte.config.task_handler_prefix) == 1) then
       do return end
     -- Check for the service code in the functions table before attempting to
     -- call the function.
@@ -920,6 +968,17 @@ function itte.listen(name, str)
       end
     end
 
+  -- Respond to direct address in a channel
+  elseif (util.is_substr(str, cxt.cmds.target_public.check)) or
+    (util.is_substr(str, cxt.cmds.target_private.check)) then
+    util.debug(itte.config.debugs.listen[1], str, itte.config.debug)
+    local msg = itte.parse_privmsg(cxt, str, "target")
+
+    -- Check for the target handler function before attempting to call it.
+    if util.has_key(itte.handlers, itte.config.target_handler) then
+      itte.handlers[itte.config.target_handler](cxt, msg)
+    end
+
   -- Output to stdout anyway if debug is enabled
   else
     util.debug(itte.config.debugs.listen[1], str, itte.config.debug)