diff --git a/app/bot/spam.go b/app/bot/spam.go
index cf1098b3..6ec470a2 100644
--- a/app/bot/spam.go
+++ b/app/bot/spam.go
@@ -147,15 +147,13 @@ func (s *SpamFilter) OnMessage(msg Message) (response Response) {
 
 	if similaritySpam || isEmojiSpam || stopWordsSpam || s.isCasSpam(msg.From.ID) || classifiedSpam {
 		log.Printf("[INFO] user %s detected as spammer, msg: %q", displayUsername, msg.Text)
+		msgPrefix := s.SpamMsg
 		if s.Dry {
-			return Response{
-				Text: s.SpamDryMsg + fmt.Sprintf(": %q (%d)", displayUsername, msg.From.ID),
-				Send: true, ReplyTo: msg.ID,
-			}
+			msgPrefix = s.SpamDryMsg
 		}
-		return Response{Text: s.SpamMsg + fmt.Sprintf(": %q (%d)", displayUsername, msg.From.ID),
-			Send: true, ReplyTo: msg.ID, BanInterval: permanentBanDuration, DeleteReplyTo: true,
-			User: User{Username: msg.From.Username, ID: msg.From.ID, DisplayName: msg.From.DisplayName},
+		spamRespMsg := fmt.Sprintf("%s: %q (%d)", msgPrefix, displayUsername, msg.From.ID)
+		return Response{Text: spamRespMsg, Send: true, ReplyTo: msg.ID, BanInterval: permanentBanDuration,
+			DeleteReplyTo: true, User: User{Username: msg.From.Username, ID: msg.From.ID, DisplayName: msg.From.DisplayName},
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/app/events/telegram.go b/app/events/telegram.go
index 83d43122..3443a562 100644
--- a/app/events/telegram.go
+++ b/app/events/telegram.go
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ type TelegramListener struct {
 	SuperUsers   SuperUser
 	StartupMsg   string
 	NoSpamReply  bool
+	Dry          bool
 
 	AdminURL        string
 	AdminSecret     string
@@ -171,7 +172,7 @@ func (l *TelegramListener) procEvents(update tbapi.Update) error {
 
 	errs := new(multierror.Error)
 	isBanInvoked := resp.Send && resp.BanInterval > 0
-	// some bots may request direct ban for given duration
+	// some bots may request a direct ban for given duration
 	if isBanInvoked {
 		log.Printf("[DEBUG] ban initiated for %+v", resp)
 		l.SpamLogger.Save(msg, &resp)
@@ -292,6 +293,12 @@ func (l *TelegramListener) banUserOrChannel(duration time.Duration, chatID, user
 	// you do not want to accidentally get into this 30-second window of a lifetime ban.
 	// In practice BanDuration is equal to ten minutes,
 	// so this `if` statement is unlikely to be evaluated to true.
+
+	if l.Dry {
+		log.Printf("[INFO] dry run: ban %d for %v", userID, duration)
+		return nil
+	}
+
 	if duration < 30*time.Second {
 		duration = 1 * time.Minute
 	}
diff --git a/app/main.go b/app/main.go
index 89835529..0f314d00 100644
--- a/app/main.go
+++ b/app/main.go
@@ -102,6 +102,10 @@ func main() {
 }
 
 func execute(ctx context.Context) error {
+	if opts.Dry {
+		log.Print("[WARN] dry mode, no actual bans")
+	}
+
 	tbAPI, err := tbapi.NewBotAPI(opts.Telegram.Token)
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("can't make telegram bot, %w", err)
@@ -142,6 +146,7 @@ func execute(ctx context.Context) error {
 		AdminGroup:      opts.Admin.Group,
 		AdminURL:        opts.Admin.URL,
 		AdminListenAddr: opts.Admin.Address,
+		Dry:             opts.Dry,
 	}
 
 	if err := tgListener.Do(ctx); err != nil {