diff --git a/LinkRelay/plugin.py b/LinkRelay/plugin.py
index ca8216f..b83ac26 100644
--- a/LinkRelay/plugin.py
+++ b/LinkRelay/plugin.py
@@ -394,20 +394,20 @@ class LinkRelay(callbacks.Plugin):
         s = ' | '.join(args)
 
         currentConfig = self.registryValue('relays')
+        config = list(map(ircutils.IrcString, currentConfig.split(' || ')))
         if add == True:
-            if s in currentConfig.split(' || '):
+            if s in config:
                 return False
             if currentConfig == '':
                 self.setRegistryValue('relays', value=s)
             else:
                 self.setRegistryValue('relays',
-                                      value=' || '.join((currentConfig,s)))
+                                      value=' || '.join((currentConfig, s)))
         else:
-            newConfig = currentConfig.split(' || ')
-            if s not in newConfig:
+            if s not in config:
                 return False
-            newConfig.remove(s)
-            self.setRegistryValue('relays', value=' || '.join(newConfig))
+            config.remove(s)
+            self.setRegistryValue('relays', value=' || '.join(config))
         return True
 
     def _parseOptlist(self, irc, msg, tupleOptlist):
diff --git a/LinkRelay/test.py b/LinkRelay/test.py
index 79fdf71..e65691a 100644
--- a/LinkRelay/test.py
+++ b/LinkRelay/test.py
@@ -56,6 +56,9 @@ class LinkRelayTestCase(ChannelPluginTestCase):
         self.assertResponse('config supybot.plugins.LinkRelay.relays',
                             '#test | test | #foo | bar | ')
 
+        self.assertRegexp('linkrelay add --to #foo@bar', 'already exists')
+        self.assertRegexp('linkrelay add --to #FOO@bar', 'already exists')
+
     def testRemove(self):
         self.assertNotError('config supybot.plugins.LinkRelay.relays '
                             '"#foo | bar | #baz | bam | "')