diff --git a/pkg/agent/loop.go b/pkg/agent/loop.go
index d6f5d0b6b..d42c9d700 100644
--- a/pkg/agent/loop.go
+++ b/pkg/agent/loop.go
@@ -58,7 +58,17 @@ type processOptions struct {
 	NoHistory       bool   // If true, don't load session history (for heartbeat)
 }
 
-const defaultResponse = "I've completed processing but have no response to give. Increase `max_tool_iterations` in config.json."
+const (
+	defaultResponse           = "I've completed processing but have no response to give. Increase `max_tool_iterations` in config.json."
+	sessionKeyAgentPrefix     = "agent:"
+	switchCommandToken        = "/switch"
+	commandMentionSeparator   = "@"
+	metadataKeyAccountID      = "account_id"
+	metadataKeyGuildID        = "guild_id"
+	metadataKeyTeamID         = "team_id"
+	metadataKeyParentPeerKind = "parent_peer_kind"
+	metadataKeyParentPeerID   = "parent_peer_id"
+)
 
 func NewAgentLoop(
 	cfg *config.Config,
@@ -498,11 +508,11 @@ func (al *AgentLoop) processMessage(ctx context.Context, msg bus.InboundMessage)
 func (al *AgentLoop) resolveMessageRoute(msg bus.InboundMessage) (routing.ResolvedRoute, *AgentInstance, error) {
 	route := al.registry.ResolveRoute(routing.RouteInput{
 		Channel:    msg.Channel,
-		AccountID:  msg.Metadata["account_id"],
+		AccountID:  inboundMetadata(msg, metadataKeyAccountID),
 		Peer:       extractPeer(msg),
 		ParentPeer: extractParentPeer(msg),
-		GuildID:    msg.Metadata["guild_id"],
-		TeamID:     msg.Metadata["team_id"],
+		GuildID:    inboundMetadata(msg, metadataKeyGuildID),
+		TeamID:     inboundMetadata(msg, metadataKeyTeamID),
 	})
 
 	agent, ok := al.registry.GetAgent(route.AgentID)
@@ -517,7 +527,7 @@ func (al *AgentLoop) resolveMessageRoute(msg bus.InboundMessage) (routing.Resolv
 }
 
 func resolveScopeKey(route routing.ResolvedRoute, msgSessionKey string) string {
-	if msgSessionKey != "" && strings.HasPrefix(msgSessionKey, "agent:") {
+	if msgSessionKey != "" && strings.HasPrefix(msgSessionKey, sessionKeyAgentPrefix) {
 		return msgSessionKey
 	}
 	return route.SessionKey
@@ -1430,10 +1440,10 @@ func (al *AgentLoop) handleCommand(
 			return "", false
 		}
 		cmd := parts[0]
-		if at := strings.Index(cmd, "@"); at > 0 {
+		if at := strings.Index(cmd, commandMentionSeparator); at > 0 {
 			cmd = cmd[:at]
 		}
-		if cmd != "/switch" {
+		if cmd != switchCommandToken {
 			return "", false
 		}
 
@@ -1529,10 +1539,17 @@ func extractPeer(msg bus.InboundMessage) *routing.RoutePeer {
 	return &routing.RoutePeer{Kind: msg.Peer.Kind, ID: peerID}
 }
 
+func inboundMetadata(msg bus.InboundMessage, key string) string {
+	if msg.Metadata == nil {
+		return ""
+	}
+	return msg.Metadata[key]
+}
+
 // extractParentPeer extracts the parent peer (reply-to) from inbound message metadata.
 func extractParentPeer(msg bus.InboundMessage) *routing.RoutePeer {
-	parentKind := msg.Metadata["parent_peer_kind"]
-	parentID := msg.Metadata["parent_peer_id"]
+	parentKind := inboundMetadata(msg, metadataKeyParentPeerKind)
+	parentID := inboundMetadata(msg, metadataKeyParentPeerID)
 	if parentKind == "" || parentID == "" {
 		return nil
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/commands/dispatcher.go b/pkg/commands/dispatcher.go
index 205b10f99..e6596a15c 100644
--- a/pkg/commands/dispatcher.go
+++ b/pkg/commands/dispatcher.go
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@ type Request struct {
 	Reply     func(text string) error
 }
 
+var commandPrefixes = []string{"/", "!"}
+
 func firstToken(input string) string {
 	parts := strings.Fields(strings.TrimSpace(input))
 	if len(parts) == 0 {
@@ -24,24 +26,41 @@ func firstToken(input string) string {
 	return parts[0]
 }
 
-// parseCommandName accepts both "/name" and "/name@bot", then normalizes to "name".
+// parseCommandName accepts "/name", "!name", and Telegram's "/name@bot", then
+// normalizes to lowercase command names.
 func parseCommandName(input string) (string, bool) {
 	token := firstToken(input)
-	if token == "" || !strings.HasPrefix(token, "/") {
+	if token == "" {
 		return "", false
 	}
 
-	name := strings.TrimPrefix(token, "/")
+	name, ok := trimCommandPrefix(token)
+	if !ok {
+		return "", false
+	}
 	if i := strings.Index(name, "@"); i >= 0 {
 		name = name[:i]
 	}
-	name = strings.TrimSpace(name)
+	name = normalizeCommandName(name)
 	if name == "" {
 		return "", false
 	}
 	return name, true
 }
 
+func trimCommandPrefix(token string) (string, bool) {
+	for _, prefix := range commandPrefixes {
+		if strings.HasPrefix(token, prefix) {
+			return strings.TrimPrefix(token, prefix), true
+		}
+	}
+	return "", false
+}
+
+func normalizeCommandName(name string) string {
+	return strings.ToLower(strings.TrimSpace(name))
+}
+
 func contains(items []string, target string) bool {
 	for _, item := range items {
 		if item == target {
diff --git a/pkg/commands/executor.go b/pkg/commands/executor.go
index 69d4a83b0..59e5deaee 100644
--- a/pkg/commands/executor.go
+++ b/pkg/commands/executor.go
@@ -64,8 +64,13 @@ func (e *Executor) Execute(ctx context.Context, req Request) ExecuteResult {
 }
 
 func matchesCommand(def Definition, cmdName string) bool {
-	if def.Name == cmdName {
+	if normalizeCommandName(def.Name) == cmdName {
 		return true
 	}
-	return contains(def.Aliases, cmdName)
+	for _, alias := range def.Aliases {
+		if normalizeCommandName(alias) == cmdName {
+			return true
+		}
+	}
+	return false
 }
diff --git a/pkg/commands/executor_test.go b/pkg/commands/executor_test.go
index ebf091413..1ff46d5ee 100644
--- a/pkg/commands/executor_test.go
+++ b/pkg/commands/executor_test.go
@@ -153,3 +153,25 @@ func TestExecutor_HandlerErrorIsPropagated(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("err=%v, want=%v", res.Err, wantErr)
 	}
 }
+
+func TestExecutor_SupportsBangPrefixAndCaseInsensitiveCommand(t *testing.T) {
+	called := false
+	defs := []Definition{
+		{
+			Name: "help",
+			Handler: func(context.Context, Request) error {
+				called = true
+				return nil
+			},
+		},
+	}
+	ex := NewExecutor(NewRegistry(defs))
+
+	res := ex.Execute(context.Background(), Request{Channel: "telegram", Text: "!HELP"})
+	if res.Outcome != OutcomeHandled {
+		t.Fatalf("outcome=%v, want=%v", res.Outcome, OutcomeHandled)
+	}
+	if !called {
+		t.Fatalf("expected handler to be called")
+	}
+}