diff --git a/auth.go b/auth.go
index 0eccc59..f06f8fc 100644
--- a/auth.go
+++ b/auth.go
@@ -88,25 +88,48 @@ func removeUser(conn *irc.Conn, channel, nick string) (string, bool) {
 	return n.Host, true
 }
 
+// this allows target to be a channel or a privmsg in which the channel is the first argument
 // passing a flag of "" will check if the user has any access
-func hasAccess(conn *irc.Conn, channel, nick, flag string) bool {
+// returns the channel the user has access on and remaining args
+// or a blank channel if the user doesn't have access on that channel
+func hasAccess(conn *irc.Conn, nick, target, args, flag string) (string, string) {
 	n := conn.GetNick(nick)
 	if n == nil {
-		return false
+		return "", args
 	}
 
-	if owner, _ := auth.String(conn.Network, "owner"); owner == n.Host {
-		return true
+	// figure out what the channel and args are
+	var channel string
+	if isChannel(target) {
+		channel = target
+	} else {
+		split := strings.Split(args, " ", 2)
+		if isChannel(split[0]) {
+			channel = split[0]
+			if len(split) == 2 {
+				args = split[1]
+			} else {
+				args = ""
+			}
+		} else {
+			return "", args
+		}
 	}
 
+	// actually check access
+	if owner, _ := auth.String(conn.Network, "owner"); owner == n.Host {
+		return channel, args
+	}
+
+
 	flags, err := auth.String(conn.Network + " " + channel, n.Host)
 	if err != nil {
-		return false
+		return "", args
 	}
 	if strings.Index(flags, flag) > -1 {
-		return true
+		return channel, args
 	}
-	return false
+	return "", args
 }
 
 func updateAuth() os.Error {
diff --git a/handler.go b/handler.go
index 4bbe6c0..1bdac2c 100644
--- a/handler.go
+++ b/handler.go
@@ -199,8 +199,9 @@ func sayTr(conn *irc.Conn, target string, data interface{}) {
 	}
 }
 
-func add(conn *irc.Conn, nick, args, channel string) {
-	if !isChannel(channel) || !hasAccess(conn, channel, nick, "a") {
+func add(conn *irc.Conn, nick, args, target string) {
+	channel, args := hasAccess(conn, nick, target, args, "a")
+	if channel == "" {
 		return
 	}
 	split := strings.Fields(args)
@@ -209,13 +210,14 @@ func add(conn *irc.Conn, nick, args, channel string) {
 	}
 	host, nflags := addAccess(conn, channel, split[0], strings.TrimSpace(split[1]))
 	if host == "" {
-		say(conn, channel, "Could not find nick %s", split[0])
+		say(conn, target, "Could not find nick %s", split[0])
 	} else {
-		say(conn, channel, "%s now has flags %s", host, nflags)
+		say(conn, target, "%s now has flags %s", host, nflags)
 	}
 }
-func remove(conn *irc.Conn, nick, args, channel string) {
-	if !isChannel(channel) || !hasAccess(conn, channel, nick, "a") {
+func remove(conn *irc.Conn, nick, args, target string) {
+	channel, args := hasAccess(conn, nick, target, args, "a")
+	if channel == "" {
 		return
 	}
 	split := strings.Fields(args)
@@ -223,24 +225,25 @@ func remove(conn *irc.Conn, nick, args, channel string) {
 	if len(split) == 2 {
 		host, nflags := removeAccess(conn, channel, split[0], strings.TrimSpace(split[1]))
 		if host == "" {
-			say(conn, channel, "Could not find nick %s", split[0])
+			say(conn, target, "Could not find nick %s", split[0])
 		} else {
-			say(conn, channel, "%s now has flags %s", host, nflags)
+			say(conn, target, "%s now has flags %s", host, nflags)
 		}
 	} else if len(split) == 1 {
 		host, removed := removeUser(conn, channel, split[0])
 		if host == "" {
-			say(conn, channel, "Could not find nick %s", split[0])
+			say(conn, target, "Could not find nick %s", split[0])
 		} else if removed {
-			say(conn, channel, "Removed %s", host)
+			say(conn, target, "Removed %s", host)
 		} else {
-			say(conn, channel, "%s did not have any flags", host)
+			say(conn, target, "%s did not have any flags", host)
 		}
 	}
 }
 
-func flags(conn *irc.Conn, nick, args, channel string) {
-	if !isChannel(channel) || !hasAccess(conn, channel, nick, "") {
+func flags(conn *irc.Conn, nick, args, target string) {
+	channel, args := hasAccess(conn, nick, target, args, "")
+	if channel == "" {
 		return
 	}
 
@@ -250,25 +253,26 @@ func flags(conn *irc.Conn, nick, args, channel string) {
 	}
 	n := conn.GetNick(query)
 	if n == nil {
-		say(conn, channel, "Could not find nick %s", query)
+		say(conn, target, "Could not find nick %s", query)
 		return
 	}
 
 	if owner, _ := auth.String(conn.Network, "owner"); owner == n.Host {
-		say(conn, channel, "%s is the owner", query)
+		say(conn, target, "%s is the owner", query)
 		return
 	}
 
 	flags, _ := auth.String(conn.Network + " " + channel, n.Host)
 	if flags == "" {
-		say(conn, channel, "%s has no flags", n.Host)
+		say(conn, target, "%s has no flags", n.Host)
 	} else {
-		say(conn, channel, "%s: %s", n.Host, flags)
+		say(conn, target, "%s: %s", n.Host, flags)
 	}
 }
 
-func topic(conn *irc.Conn, nick, args, channel string) {
-	if !isChannel(channel) || !hasAccess(conn, channel, nick, "t") {
+func topic(conn *irc.Conn, nick, args, target string) {
+	channel, args := hasAccess(conn, nick, target, args, "t")
+	if channel == "" {
 		return
 	}
 	section := conn.Network + " " + channel
@@ -280,13 +284,14 @@ func topic(conn *irc.Conn, nick, args, channel string) {
 		say(conn, nick, "Basetopic: %s", basetopic)
 	}
 }
-func appendtopic(conn *irc.Conn, nick, args, channel string) {
-	if !isChannel(channel) || !hasAccess(conn, channel, nick, "t") {
+func appendtopic(conn *irc.Conn, nick, args, target string) {
+	channel, args := hasAccess(conn, nick, target, args, "t")
+	if channel == "" {
 		return
 	}
 	c := conn.GetChannel(channel)
 	if c == nil {
-		say(conn, channel, "Error while getting channel information for %s", channel)
+		say(conn, target, "Error while getting channel information for %s", channel)
 		return
 	}
 
@@ -301,7 +306,8 @@ func appendtopic(conn *irc.Conn, nick, args, channel string) {
 }
 
 func csay(conn *irc.Conn, nick, args, target string) {
-	if isChannel(target) && hasAccess(conn, target, nick, "t") {
-		say(conn, target, args)
+	channel, args := hasAccess(conn, nick, target, args, "t")
+	if channel != "" {
+		say(conn, channel, args)
 	}
 }