diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index a601ef8..dec4f74 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ First, copy config.json.example to config.json. Then fill in the fields:
 * `hosts.bare`: Just the (sub)domain of the server.
 * `user_id_format`: A Python `str.format`-style string to format user IDs as
 * `db_url`: A SQLAlchemy URL for the database. See the [SQLAlchemy docs](http://docs.sqlalchemy.org/en/latest/core/engines.html).
+* `bot_owners`: A list of matrix users the bot won't use a `<username>` prefix for. Can be left blank to print a prefix for all matrix users. Useful if you would like the bridge to replace Telegram for yourself, but also want to allow others to use the Matrix room.
 
 **Synapse configuration**
 
diff --git a/config.json.example b/config.json.example
index 67378e0..9f7280b 100644
--- a/config.json.example
+++ b/config.json.example
@@ -12,6 +12,12 @@
         "bare": "DOMAIN.TLD"
     },
 
+    "bot_owners": [
+      "@youruser:DOMAIN.TLD",
+      "@youruser:matrix.org",
+      "@youruser:example.com"
+    ],
+
     "user_id_format": "@telegram_{}:DOMAIN.TLD",
     "db_url": "sqlite:///database.db",
 
diff --git a/telematrix/__init__.py b/telematrix/__init__.py
index 653de8c..eceb8ca 100644
--- a/telematrix/__init__.py
+++ b/telematrix/__init__.py
@@ -38,6 +38,11 @@ try:
         MATRIX_HOST_EXT = CONFIG['hosts']['external']
         MATRIX_HOST_BARE = CONFIG['hosts']['bare']
 
+        try:
+            MATRIX_BOT_OWNERS = CONFIG['bot-owners']
+        except KeyError:
+            MATRIX_BOT_OWNERS = {}
+
         MATRIX_PREFIX = MATRIX_HOST + '_matrix/client/r0/'
         MATRIX_MEDIA_PREFIX = MATRIX_HOST + '_matrix/media/r0/'
 
@@ -205,37 +210,43 @@ async def matrix_transaction(request):
 
             if event['type'] == 'm.room.message':
                 user_id = event['user_id']
-                if matrix_is_telegram(user_id):
-                    continue
-
-
-                sender = db.session.query(db.MatrixUser)\
-                           .filter_by(matrix_id=user_id).first()
-
-                if not sender:
-                    response = await matrix_get('client', 'profile/{}/displayname'
-                                                          .format(user_id), None)
-                    try:
-                        displayname = response['displayname']
-                    except KeyError:
-                        displayname = get_username(user_id)
-                    sender = db.MatrixUser(user_id, displayname)
-                    db.session.add(sender)
+                if user_id in MATRIX_BOT_OWNERS:
+                    displayname = ''
                 else:
-                    displayname = sender.name or get_username(user_id)
+                    if matrix_is_telegram(user_id):
+                        continue
+
+
+                    sender = db.session.query(db.MatrixUser)\
+                               .filter_by(matrix_id=user_id).first()
+
+                    if not sender:
+                        response = await matrix_get('client', 'profile/{}/displayname'
+                                                              .format(user_id), None)
+                        try:
+                            displayname = response['displayname']
+                        except KeyError:
+                            displayname = get_username(user_id)
+                        sender = db.MatrixUser(user_id, displayname)
+                        db.session.add(sender)
+                    else:
+                        displayname = sender.name or get_username(user_id)
                 content = event['content']
 
                 if 'msgtype' not in content:
                     continue
 
                 if content['msgtype'] == 'm.text':
-                    msg, mode = format_matrix_msg('<{}> {}', displayname, content)
+                    prefix = '<' + displayname + '> ' if displayname != ''
+                    msg, mode = format_matrix_msg('{}{}', prefix, content)
                     response = await group.send_text(msg, parse_mode=mode)
                 elif content['msgtype'] == 'm.notice':
-                    msg, mode = format_matrix_msg('[{}] {}', displayname, content)
+                    prefix = '[' + displayname + '] ' if displayname != ''
+                    msg, mode = format_matrix_msg('{}{}', prefix, content)
                     response = await group.send_text(msg, parse_mode=mode)
                 elif content['msgtype'] == 'm.emote':
-                    msg, mode = format_matrix_msg('* {} {}', displayname, content)
+                    prefix = '* ' + displayname + ' ' if displayname != ''
+                    msg, mode = format_matrix_msg('{}{}', prefix, content)
                     response = await group.send_text(msg, parse_mode=mode)
                 elif content['msgtype'] == 'm.image':
                     try:
@@ -255,7 +266,8 @@ async def matrix_transaction(request):
                                       .format(url.netloc, quote(url.path))
                             url_str = await shorten_url(url_str)
 
-                            caption = '<{}> {} ({})'.format(displayname,
+                            prefix = '<' + displayname + '> ' if displayname != ''
+                            caption = '{}{} ({})'.format(prefix,
                                                             content['body'], url_str)
                             response = await group.send_photo(img_file, caption=caption)
                     except: