diff --git a/client/client.go b/client/client.go
index d8d591f..64545b3 100644
--- a/client/client.go
+++ b/client/client.go
@@ -18,6 +18,8 @@ import (
 	"github.com/goshuirc/irc-go/ircmsg"
 )
 
+var basicCmdPrefixes = []byte{'!', '@', '~', '.', '$'}
+
 // ServerConnection is a connection to a single server.
 type ServerConnection struct {
 	Name        string
@@ -176,6 +178,10 @@ func (sc *ServerConnection) ProcessIncomingLine(line string) {
 
 	// IRC commands are case-insensitive
 	sc.dispatchIn(strings.ToUpper(cmd), info)
+        if strings.ToUpper(cmd) == "PRIVMSG" {
+            sc.dispatchBasicCmd(info)
+        }
+
 }
 
 // Disconnect closes the IRC socket.
@@ -273,6 +279,18 @@ func (sc *ServerConnection) Send(tags map[string]string, prefix string, command
 	return nil
 }
 
+// dispatchCommand dispatches an event based on simple commands (e.g !help)
+func (sc *ServerConnection) dispatchBasicCmd(info eventmgr.InfoMap) {
+    cmd := info["params"].([]string)
+    pfx := cmd[1][0]
+
+    for _, p := range basicCmdPrefixes {
+        if pfx == p {
+            sc.eventsIn.Dispatch("cmd"+cmd[1], info)
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 // dispatchRawIn dispatches raw inbound messages.
 func (sc *ServerConnection) dispatchRawIn(info eventmgr.InfoMap) {
 	sc.eventsIn.Dispatch("raw", info)