diff --git a/ircbot/bot.py b/ircbot/bot.py
index 2afd1d5..4c3f225 100644
--- a/ircbot/bot.py
+++ b/ircbot/bot.py
@@ -148,12 +148,33 @@ class DrReactor(irc.client.Reactor):
             log.debug("EVENT: e[%s] s[%s] t[%s] a[%s]", event.type, event.source,
                       event.target, event.arguments)
 
+            # set up some default stuff
             event._recursing = False
+            event.addressed = False
+            event.original_msg = None
+            event.addressed_msg = None
+
+            sender_nick = irc.client.NickMask(event.source).nick
+            sent_location = ircbotlib.reply_destination_for_event(event)
+            event.sender_nick = sender_nick
+            event.sent_location = sent_location
+            event.in_privmsg = sender_nick == sent_location
+
             self.try_recursion(connection, event)
 
-            # only do aliasing for pubmsg/privmsg
             if event.type in ['pubmsg', 'privmsg']:
                 what = event.arguments[0]
+                event.original_msg = what
+
+                # check if we were addressed or not
+                my_nick = connection.get_nickname()
+                addressed_pattern = r'^{0:s}[:,]\s+(?P<addressed_msg>.*)'.format(my_nick)
+                match = re.match(addressed_pattern, what, re.IGNORECASE)
+                if match:
+                    event.addressed = True
+                    event.addressed_msg = match.group('addressed_msg')
+
+                # only do aliasing for pubmsg/privmsg
                 log.debug("checking for alias for %s", what)
 
                 for alias in Alias.objects.all():