diff --git a/warzone/crates/warzone-server/src/routes/web.rs b/warzone/crates/warzone-server/src/routes/web.rs
index ca42e43..35695a2 100644
--- a/warzone/crates/warzone-server/src/routes/web.rs
+++ b/warzone/crates/warzone-server/src/routes/web.rs
@@ -1207,11 +1207,20 @@ async function doSend() {
 
   // Check if peer is a bot — send plaintext instead of E2E
   let isBotPeer = false;
-  try {
-    const wr = await fetch(SERVER + '/v1/alias/whois/' + normFP(peer));
-    const wd = await wr.json();
-    if (wd.alias && (wd.alias.endsWith('bot') || wd.alias.endsWith('Bot') || wd.alias.endsWith('_bot') || wd.alias === 'botfather')) isBotPeer = true;
-  } catch(e) {}
+  const peerRaw = $peerInput.value.trim();
+  // Check by alias name if peer was set via @alias
+  if (peerRaw.startsWith('@')) {
+    const aname = peerRaw.slice(1).toLowerCase();
+    isBotPeer = aname.endsWith('bot') || aname.endsWith('_bot') || aname === 'botfather';
+  }
+  // Also check by fingerprint reverse-lookup
+  if (!isBotPeer) {
+    try {
+      const wr = await fetch(SERVER + '/v1/alias/whois/' + peer);
+      const wd = await wr.json();
+      if (wd.alias && (wd.alias.endsWith('bot') || wd.alias.endsWith('Bot') || wd.alias.endsWith('_bot') || wd.alias === 'botfather')) isBotPeer = true;
+    } catch(e) {}
+  }
 
   if (isBotPeer) {
     const msgId = crypto.randomUUID ? crypto.randomUUID() : Date.now().toString();