diff --git a/src/main/java/hudson/plugins/im/GroupChatIMMessageTarget.java b/src/main/java/hudson/plugins/im/GroupChatIMMessageTarget.java
index 934937ed..7e3b73d7 100644
--- a/src/main/java/hudson/plugins/im/GroupChatIMMessageTarget.java
+++ b/src/main/java/hudson/plugins/im/GroupChatIMMessageTarget.java
@@ -18,15 +18,21 @@ public class GroupChatIMMessageTarget implements IMMessageTarget {
     
     private String name;
 	private String password;
+	private boolean notificationOnly;
 
+	/**
+	 * @deprecated use {@link GroupChatIMMessageTarget#GroupChatIMMessageTarget(String, String, boolean)}!
+	 */
+	@Deprecated
     public GroupChatIMMessageTarget(final String name) {
-        this(name, null);
+        this(name, null, false);
     }
     
-    public GroupChatIMMessageTarget(String name, String password) {
+    public GroupChatIMMessageTarget(String name, String password, boolean notificationOnly) {
     	Assert.notNull(name, "Parameter 'name' must not be null.");
     	this.name = name;
     	this.password = password;
+    	this.notificationOnly = notificationOnly;
     }
     
     public String getName() {
@@ -40,40 +46,47 @@ public String getPassword() {
 	public boolean hasPassword() {
 		return Util.fixEmpty(this.password) != null;
 	}
-
-    @Override
-	public int hashCode() {
-		final int prime = 31;
-		int result = 1;
-		result = prime * result + ((name == null) ? 0 : name.hashCode());
-		result = prime * result
-				+ ((password == null) ? 0 : password.hashCode());
-		return result;
+	
+	public boolean isNotificationOnly() {
+	    return this.notificationOnly;
 	}
-
+	
 	@Override
-	public boolean equals(Object obj) {
-		if (this == obj)
-			return true;
-		if (obj == null)
-			return false;
-		if (getClass() != obj.getClass())
-			return false;
-		GroupChatIMMessageTarget other = (GroupChatIMMessageTarget) obj;
-		if (name == null) {
-			if (other.name != null)
-				return false;
-		} else if (!name.equals(other.name))
-			return false;
-		if (password == null) {
-			if (other.password != null)
-				return false;
-		} else if (!password.equals(other.password))
-			return false;
-		return true;
-	}
+    public int hashCode() {
+        final int prime = 31;
+        int result = 1;
+        result = prime * result + ((name == null) ? 0 : name.hashCode());
+        result = prime * result + (notificationOnly ? 1231 : 1237);
+        result = prime * result
+                + ((password == null) ? 0 : password.hashCode());
+        return result;
+    }
 
-	@Override
+    @Override
+    public boolean equals(Object obj) {
+        if (this == obj)
+            return true;
+        if (obj == null)
+            return false;
+        if (getClass() != obj.getClass())
+            return false;
+        GroupChatIMMessageTarget other = (GroupChatIMMessageTarget) obj;
+        if (name == null) {
+            if (other.name != null)
+                return false;
+        } else if (!name.equals(other.name))
+            return false;
+        if (notificationOnly != other.notificationOnly)
+            return false;
+        if (password == null) {
+            if (other.password != null)
+                return false;
+        } else if (!password.equals(other.password))
+            return false;
+        return true;
+    }
+
+    @Override
     public String toString() {
         return this.name;
     }
diff --git a/src/main/java/hudson/plugins/im/IMChat.java b/src/main/java/hudson/plugins/im/IMChat.java
index 94aa881d..e918923e 100644
--- a/src/main/java/hudson/plugins/im/IMChat.java
+++ b/src/main/java/hudson/plugins/im/IMChat.java
@@ -39,6 +39,14 @@ public interface IMChat {
      * as opposed to a single user chat (IRC private message exchange).
      */
     public boolean isMultiUserChat();
+
+    /**
+     * Returns if commands for Jenkins are accepted via this chat.
+     * Otherwise this chat only acts as a notification target.
+     * 
+     * @since 1.21
+     */
+    public boolean isCommandsAccepted();
     
     /**
      * Adds a new {@link IMMessageListener} to this chat.
diff --git a/src/main/java/hudson/plugins/im/bot/Bot.java b/src/main/java/hudson/plugins/im/bot/Bot.java
index 505686a5..e7bf6500 100644
--- a/src/main/java/hudson/plugins/im/bot/Bot.java
+++ b/src/main/java/hudson/plugins/im/bot/Bot.java
@@ -71,6 +71,7 @@ public String getHelp() {
 	private final String nick;
 	private final String imServer;
 	private final String commandPrefix;
+	private boolean commandsAccepted;
 	private String helpCache = null;
 
 	private final AuthenticationHolder authentication;
@@ -83,6 +84,7 @@ public Bot(IMChat chat, String nick, String imServer,
 		this.imServer = imServer;
 		this.commandPrefix = commandPrefix;
 		this.authentication = authentication;
+        this.commandsAccepted = chat.isCommandsAccepted();
 
         for (BotCommand cmd : BotCommand.all()) {
             for (String name : cmd.getCommandNames())
@@ -104,15 +106,20 @@ public void onMessage(IMMessage msg) {
         // is it a command for me ? (returns null if not, the payload if so)
         String payload = retrieveMessagePayLoad(msg.getBody());
         if (payload != null) {
-        	String sender = msg.getFrom();
-        	if (!msg.isAuthorized()) {
-        		try {
-					this.chat.sendMessage(sender + " you're not a buddy of me. I won't take any commands from you.");
-				} catch (IMException e) {
-					LOGGER.warning(ExceptionHelper.dump(e));
-				}
-				return;
-        	}
+            Sender s = getSender(msg);
+        	
+        	try {
+            	if (!this.commandsAccepted) {
+            	    this.chat.sendMessage(s.getNickname() + " you may not issue bot commands in this chat!");
+            	    return;
+            	} else if (!msg.isAuthorized()) {
+    				this.chat.sendMessage(s.getNickname() + " you're not a buddy of me. I won't take any commands from you!");
+    				return;
+            	}
+        	} catch (IMException e) {
+                LOGGER.warning(ExceptionHelper.dump(e));
+                return;
+            }
         	
             // split words
             String[] args = MessageHelper.extractCommandLine(payload);
@@ -120,15 +127,6 @@ public void onMessage(IMMessage msg) {
                 // first word is the command name
                 String cmd = args[0];
                 
-                String id = this.chat.getIMId(sender);
-                
-                final Sender s;
-                if (id != null) {
-                    s = new Sender(this.chat.getNickName(sender), id);
-                } else {
-                    s = new Sender(this.chat.getNickName(sender));
-                }
-                
                 try {
                 	BotCommand command = this.cmdsAndAliases.get(cmd);
                     if (command != null) {
@@ -144,7 +142,7 @@ public void onMessage(IMMessage msg) {
                     	    }
                 	    }
                     } else {
-                        this.chat.sendMessage(sender + " did you mean me? Unknown command '" + cmd
+                        this.chat.sendMessage(s.getNickname() + " did you mean me? Unknown command '" + cmd
                                 + "'\nUse '" + this.commandPrefix + " help' to get help!");
                     }
                 } catch (IMException e) {
@@ -154,7 +152,20 @@ public void onMessage(IMMessage msg) {
         }
 	}
 
-	private static boolean isNickSeparator(final String candidate) {
+	private Sender getSender(IMMessage msg) {
+	    String sender = msg.getFrom();
+	    String id = this.chat.getIMId(sender);
+        
+        final Sender s;
+        if (id != null) {
+            s = new Sender(this.chat.getNickName(sender), id);
+        } else {
+            s = new Sender(this.chat.getNickName(sender));
+        }
+        return s;
+    }
+
+    private static boolean isNickSeparator(final String candidate) {
 		return ":".equals(candidate) || ",".equals(candidate);
 	}