diff --git a/Irpg/Main.pm b/Irpg/Main.pm
index 9fccd84391940082dc55e61bbd18ad19809b8c8b..99d77c582526397e43d00feee4b951612261dc68 100644
--- a/Irpg/Main.pm
+++ b/Irpg/Main.pm
@@ -580,7 +580,7 @@ sub parse {
             } else {
                 Irpg::Irc::notice("You don't have access to ".uc($arg[3]).".", $usernick);
             }
-        } else {
+        } elsif ($msgtype eq 'pub') {
             # the message is not a command
             penalize($username,"privmsg",length("@arg[3..$#arg]"));
         }