diff --git a/pkg/channels/telegram/command_registration.go b/pkg/channels/telegram/command_registration.go
index 41f4dedce..d0befc537 100644
--- a/pkg/channels/telegram/command_registration.go
+++ b/pkg/channels/telegram/command_registration.go
@@ -53,6 +53,14 @@ func (c *TelegramChannel) startCommandRegistration(ctx context.Context, defs []c
 	// by temporary upstream API failures. Retry stops on success or channel shutdown.
 	go func() {
 		attempt := 0
+		timer := time.NewTimer(0)
+		if !timer.Stop() {
+			select {
+			case <-timer.C:
+			default:
+			}
+		}
+		defer timer.Stop()
 		for {
 			err := register(regCtx, defs)
 			if err == nil {
@@ -64,15 +72,23 @@ func (c *TelegramChannel) startCommandRegistration(ctx context.Context, defs []c
 
 			delay := commandRegistrationBackoff[min(attempt, len(commandRegistrationBackoff)-1)]
 			logger.WarnCF("telegram", "Telegram command registration failed; will retry", map[string]any{
-				"error":      err.Error(),
+				"error":       err.Error(),
 				"retry_after": delay.String(),
 			})
 			attempt++
 
+			if !timer.Stop() {
+				select {
+				case <-timer.C:
+				default:
+				}
+			}
+			timer.Reset(delay)
+
 			select {
 			case <-regCtx.Done():
 				return
-			case <-time.After(delay):
+			case <-timer.C:
 			}
 		}
 	}()
diff --git a/pkg/channels/telegram/telegram_dispatch.go b/pkg/channels/telegram/telegram_dispatch.go
index 4df0f28dd..d1221acff 100644
--- a/pkg/channels/telegram/telegram_dispatch.go
+++ b/pkg/channels/telegram/telegram_dispatch.go
@@ -53,6 +53,11 @@ func (c *TelegramChannel) dispatchCommand(ctx context.Context, message telego.Me
 			"error":   res.Err.Error(),
 		})
 	}
+	if res.Matched && !res.Handled {
+		logger.DebugCF("telegram", "Command matched without handler; passing to normal flow", map[string]any{
+			"command": res.Command,
+		})
+	}
 
 	return true
 }
diff --git a/pkg/channels/whatsapp/whatsapp.go b/pkg/channels/whatsapp/whatsapp.go
index c1a95eb5f..c22d69cd3 100644
--- a/pkg/channels/whatsapp/whatsapp.go
+++ b/pkg/channels/whatsapp/whatsapp.go
@@ -278,6 +278,11 @@ func (c *WhatsAppChannel) tryHandleCommand(
 			"error":   res.Err.Error(),
 		})
 	}
+	if res.Matched && !res.Handled {
+		logger.DebugCF("whatsapp", "Command matched without handler; passing to normal flow", map[string]any{
+			"command": res.Command,
+		})
+	}
 	return res.Matched
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/channels/whatsapp_native/whatsapp_native.go b/pkg/channels/whatsapp_native/whatsapp_native.go
index 0f093775f..3e579dea5 100644
--- a/pkg/channels/whatsapp_native/whatsapp_native.go
+++ b/pkg/channels/whatsapp_native/whatsapp_native.go
@@ -422,6 +422,11 @@ func (c *WhatsAppNativeChannel) tryHandleCommand(
 			"error":   res.Err.Error(),
 		})
 	}
+	if res.Matched && !res.Handled {
+		logger.DebugCF("whatsapp", "Command matched without handler; passing to normal flow", map[string]any{
+			"command": res.Command,
+		})
+	}
 	return res.Matched
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/commands/dispatcher.go b/pkg/commands/dispatcher.go
index 4670def4a..177419415 100644
--- a/pkg/commands/dispatcher.go
+++ b/pkg/commands/dispatcher.go
@@ -37,6 +37,8 @@ func (f DispatchFunc) Dispatch(ctx context.Context, req Request) Result {
 	return f(ctx, req)
 }
 
+var commandPrefixes = []string{"/", "!"}
+
 // NewDispatcher binds the unified parser/executor flow to one command registry.
 func NewDispatcher(reg *Registry) *Dispatcher {
 	return &Dispatcher{reg: reg}
@@ -52,7 +54,7 @@ func (d *Dispatcher) Dispatch(ctx context.Context, req Request) Result {
 	}
 
 	for _, def := range d.reg.Definitions() {
-		if def.Name != cmdName && !contains(def.Aliases, cmdName) {
+		if !matchesCommand(def, cmdName) {
 			continue
 		}
 		if def.Handler == nil {
@@ -73,24 +75,53 @@ 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 matchesCommand(def Definition, cmdName string) bool {
+	if normalizeCommandName(def.Name) == cmdName {
+		return true
+	}
+	for _, alias := range def.Aliases {
+		if normalizeCommandName(alias) == cmdName {
+			return true
+		}
+	}
+	return false
+}
+
 func contains(items []string, target string) bool {
 	for _, item := range items {
 		if item == target {
diff --git a/pkg/commands/dispatcher_test.go b/pkg/commands/dispatcher_test.go
index 44626d323..d4877f5b7 100644
--- a/pkg/commands/dispatcher_test.go
+++ b/pkg/commands/dispatcher_test.go
@@ -59,3 +59,45 @@ func TestDispatcher_MatchTelegramMentionSyntax(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("dispatch result = %+v, called=%v", res, called)
 	}
 }
+
+func TestDispatcher_MatchBangPrefix(t *testing.T) {
+	called := false
+	d := NewDispatcher(NewRegistry([]Definition{
+		{
+			Name: "help",
+			Handler: func(context.Context, Request) error {
+				called = true
+				return nil
+			},
+		},
+	}))
+
+	res := d.Dispatch(context.Background(), Request{
+		Channel: "telegram",
+		Text:    "!help",
+	})
+	if !res.Matched || !res.Handled || !called || res.Err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("dispatch result = %+v, called=%v", res, called)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestDispatcher_CommandMatchingIsCaseInsensitive(t *testing.T) {
+	called := false
+	d := NewDispatcher(NewRegistry([]Definition{
+		{
+			Name: "show",
+			Handler: func(context.Context, Request) error {
+				called = true
+				return nil
+			},
+		},
+	}))
+
+	res := d.Dispatch(context.Background(), Request{
+		Channel: "telegram",
+		Text:    "/SHOW",
+	})
+	if !res.Matched || !res.Handled || !called || res.Err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("dispatch result = %+v, called=%v", res, called)
+	}
+}