diff --git a/lib/bot.js b/lib/bot.js
index 2a08f6d..340c601 100644
--- a/lib/bot.js
+++ b/lib/bot.js
@@ -51,7 +51,11 @@ class Bot {
     this.formatURLAttachment = this.format.urlAttachment || '<{$displayUsername}> {$attachmentURL}';
     // "{$keyName}" => "variableValue"
     // side: "Discord" or "IRC"
-    this.formatCommandPrelude = this.format.commandPrelude || 'Command sent from {$side} by {$nickname}:';
+    if ('commandPrelude' in this.format) {
+      this.formatCommandPrelude = this.format.commandPrelude;
+    } else {
+      this.formatCommandPrelude = 'Command sent from {$side} by {$nickname}:';
+    }
 
     // "{$keyName}" => "variableValue"
     // withMentions: text with appropriate mentions reformatted
@@ -282,9 +286,12 @@ class Bot {
 
       if (this.isCommandMessage(text)) {
         patternMap.side = 'Discord';
-        const prelude = Bot.substitutePattern(this.formatCommandPrelude, patternMap);
         logger.debug('Sending command message to IRC', ircChannel, text);
-        this.ircClient.say(ircChannel, prelude);
+        // if (prelude) this.ircClient.say(ircChannel, prelude);
+        if (this.formatCommandPrelude) {
+          const prelude = Bot.substitutePattern(this.formatCommandPrelude, patternMap);
+          this.ircClient.say(ircChannel, prelude);
+        }
         this.ircClient.say(ircChannel, text);
       } else {
         if (text !== '') {
@@ -345,9 +352,11 @@ class Bot {
 
     if (this.isCommandMessage(text)) {
       patternMap.side = 'IRC';
-      const prelude = Bot.substitutePattern(this.formatCommandPrelude, patternMap);
       logger.debug('Sending command message to Discord', `#${discordChannel.name}`, text);
-      discordChannel.sendMessage(prelude);
+      if (this.formatCommandPrelude) {
+        const prelude = Bot.substitutePattern(this.formatCommandPrelude, patternMap);
+        discordChannel.sendMessage(prelude);
+      }
       discordChannel.sendMessage(text);
       return;
     }
diff --git a/test/bot.test.js b/test/bot.test.js
index e05b262..1415e49 100644
--- a/test/bot.test.js
+++ b/test/bot.test.js
@@ -811,4 +811,35 @@ describe('Bot', function () {
     const expected = `<otherauthor> #discord => #irc, attachment: ${attachmentUrl}`;
     ClientStub.prototype.say.should.have.been.calledWith('#irc', expected);
   });
+
+  it('should not bother with command prelude if falsy', function () {
+    const format = { commandPrelude: null };
+    this.bot = new Bot({ ...configMsgFormatDefault, format });
+    this.bot.connect();
+
+    const text = '!testcmd';
+    const guild = createGuildStub();
+    const message = {
+      content: text,
+      mentions: { users: [] },
+      channel: {
+        name: 'discord'
+      },
+      author: {
+        username: 'testauthor',
+        id: 'not bot id'
+      },
+      guild
+    };
+
+    this.bot.sendToIRC(message);
+    ClientStub.prototype.say.should.have.been.calledOnce;
+    ClientStub.prototype.say.getCall(0).args.should.deep.equal(['#irc', text]);
+
+    const username = 'test';
+    const msg = '!testcmd';
+    this.bot.sendToDiscord(username, '#irc', msg);
+    this.sendMessageStub.should.have.been.calledOnce;
+    this.sendMessageStub.getCall(0).args.should.deep.equal([msg]);
+  });
 });