diff --git a/willie/bot.py b/willie/bot.py
index afaf5ebf52..97016792ef 100644
--- a/willie/bot.py
+++ b/willie/bot.py
@@ -601,10 +601,7 @@ def __new__(cls, text, origin, bytes, match, event, args, self):
             s = unicode.__new__(cls, text)
 
             """Is trigger from a channel or in PM"""
-            s.is_privmsg = False
-            if (origin.sender is not None
-                    and not origin.sender.startswith(('#', '&', '+', '!'))):
-                s.is_privmsg = True
+            s.is_privmsg = origin.sender.is_nick()
 
             s.sender = origin.sender
             """
@@ -753,7 +750,7 @@ def call(self, func, origin, willie, trigger):
             self.times[nick][func] = time.time()
 
     def limit(self, origin, func):
-        if origin.sender and origin.sender.startswith('#'):
+        if origin.sender and not origin.sender.is_nick():
             if self.config.has_section('limit'):
                 limits = self.config.limit.get(origin.sender)
                 if limits and (func.__module__ not in limits):
diff --git a/willie/coretasks.py b/willie/coretasks.py
index 32b8913f1e..f63a7d7701 100644
--- a/willie/coretasks.py
+++ b/willie/coretasks.py
@@ -162,7 +162,7 @@ def track_modes(bot, trigger):
 
     # If the first character of where the mode is being set isn't a #
     # then it's a user mode, not a channel mode, so we'll ignore it.
-    if channel[0] != '#':
+    if channel.is_nick():
         return
 
     def handle_old_modes(nick, mode):
diff --git a/willie/modules/adminchannel.py b/willie/modules/adminchannel.py
index 269987d08a..ec4b206705 100644
--- a/willie/modules/adminchannel.py
+++ b/willie/modules/adminchannel.py
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 
 import re
 from willie.module import commands, priority, OP
+from willie.tools import Nick
 
 
 def setup(bot):
@@ -87,11 +88,11 @@ def kick(bot, trigger):
     argc = len(text)
     if argc < 2:
         return
-    opt = text[1]
+    opt = Nick(text[1])
     nick = opt
     channel = trigger.sender
     reasonidx = 2
-    if opt.startswith('#'):
+    if not opt.is_nick():
         if argc < 3:
             return
         nick = text[2]
@@ -137,10 +138,10 @@ def ban(bot, trigger):
     argc = len(text)
     if argc < 2:
         return
-    opt = text[1]
+    opt = Nick(text[1])
     banmask = opt
     channel = trigger.sender
-    if opt.startswith('#'):
+    if not opt.is_nick():
         if argc < 3:
             return
         channel = opt
@@ -163,10 +164,10 @@ def unban(bot, trigger):
     argc = len(text)
     if argc < 2:
         return
-    opt = text[1]
+    opt = Nick(text[1])
     banmask = opt
     channel = trigger.sender
-    if opt.startswith('#'):
+    if not opt.is_nick():
         if argc < 3:
             return
         channel = opt
@@ -189,10 +190,10 @@ def quiet(bot, trigger):
     argc = len(text)
     if argc < 2:
         return
-    opt = text[1]
+    opt = Nick(text[1])
     quietmask = opt
     channel = trigger.sender
-    if opt.startswith('#'):
+    if not opt.is_nick():
         if argc < 3:
             return
         quietmask = text[2]
@@ -215,10 +216,10 @@ def unquiet(bot, trigger):
     argc = len(text)
     if argc < 2:
         return
-    opt = text[1]
+    opt = Nick(text[1])
     quietmask = opt
     channel = trigger.sender
-    if opt.startswith('#'):
+    if not opt.is_nick():
         if argc < 3:
             return
         quietmask = text[2]
@@ -243,11 +244,11 @@ def kickban(bot, trigger):
     argc = len(text)
     if argc < 4:
         return
-    opt = text[1]
+    opt = Nick(text[1])
     nick = opt
     mask = text[2]
     reasonidx = 3
-    if opt.startswith('#'):
+    if not opt.is_nick():
         if argc < 5:
             return
         channel = opt
diff --git a/willie/modules/chanlogs.py b/willie/modules/chanlogs.py
index 44cabddc91..521f2f08ee 100644
--- a/willie/modules/chanlogs.py
+++ b/willie/modules/chanlogs.py
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ def setup(bot):
 def log_message(bot, message):
     "Log every message in a channel"
     # if this is a private message and we're not logging those, return early
-    if not bot.origin.sender.startswith("#") and not bot.config.chanlogs.privmsg:
+    if message.sender.is_nick() and not bot.config.chanlogs.privmsg:
         return
 
     # determine which template we want, message or action
diff --git a/willie/modules/meetbot.py b/willie/modules/meetbot.py
index 025ff51e0f..f1e330c7ca 100644
--- a/willie/modules/meetbot.py
+++ b/willie/modules/meetbot.py
@@ -377,7 +377,7 @@ def take_comment(bot, trigger):
     """
     target, message = trigger.group(2).split(None, 1)
     target = Nick(target)
-    if trigger.sender[0] in '#&+!':
+    if not trigger.sender.is_nick():
         return
     if not ismeetingrunning(target):
         bot.say("There's not currently a meeting in that channel.")
diff --git a/willie/modules/wikipedia.py b/willie/modules/wikipedia.py
index 30110e352d..94699e3528 100644
--- a/willie/modules/wikipedia.py
+++ b/willie/modules/wikipedia.py
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ def wikipedia(bot, trigger):
     #change lang if channel has custom language set
     if (
         trigger.sender and
-        trigger.sender.startswith('#') and
+        not trigger.sender.is_nick() and
         bot.config.has_option('wikipedia', 'lang_per_channel')
        ):
         customlang = re.search(
diff --git a/willie/tools.py b/willie/tools.py
index 50cf93f300..40f93c7a7e 100644
--- a/willie/tools.py
+++ b/willie/tools.py
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@
     itervalues = dict.itervalues
     iterkeys   = dict.iterkeys
 
+_channel_prefixes = ('#', '&', '+', '!')
 
 class ExpressionEvaluator:
 
@@ -228,8 +229,7 @@ def __getitem__(self, key):
 
 
 class Nick(unicode):
-
-    """A `unicode` subclass which acts appropriately for an IRC nickname.
+    """A `unicode` subclass which acts appropriately for IRC identifiers.
 
     When used as normal `unicode` objects, case will be preserved.
     However, when comparing two Nick objects, or comparing a Nick object with a
@@ -299,6 +299,11 @@ def __eq__(self, other):
     def __ne__(self, other):
         return not (self == other)
 
+    def is_nick(self):
+        """Returns True if the Identifier is a nickname (as opposed to channel)
+        """
+        return self and not self.startswith(_channel_prefixes)
+
 
 class OutputRedirect: