diff --git a/src/channels/targets.ts b/src/channels/targets.ts
index 7c9d9cf60f..dcf9012fdc 100644
--- a/src/channels/targets.ts
+++ b/src/channels/targets.ts
@@ -43,6 +43,30 @@ export function ensureTargetId(params: {
   return params.candidate;
 }
 
+export function parseTargetMention(params: {
+  raw: string;
+  mentionPattern: RegExp;
+  kind: MessagingTargetKind;
+}): MessagingTarget | undefined {
+  const match = params.raw.match(params.mentionPattern);
+  if (!match?.[1]) {
+    return undefined;
+  }
+  return buildMessagingTarget(params.kind, match[1], params.raw);
+}
+
+export function parseTargetPrefix(params: {
+  raw: string;
+  prefix: string;
+  kind: MessagingTargetKind;
+}): MessagingTarget | undefined {
+  if (!params.raw.startsWith(params.prefix)) {
+    return undefined;
+  }
+  const id = params.raw.slice(params.prefix.length).trim();
+  return id ? buildMessagingTarget(params.kind, id, params.raw) : undefined;
+}
+
 export function requireTargetKind(params: {
   platform: string;
   target: MessagingTarget | undefined;
diff --git a/src/discord/targets.ts b/src/discord/targets.ts
index 4807bec50b..eabed546a2 100644
--- a/src/discord/targets.ts
+++ b/src/discord/targets.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@ import type { DirectoryConfigParams } from "../channels/plugins/directory-config
 import {
   buildMessagingTarget,
   ensureTargetId,
+  parseTargetMention,
+  parseTargetPrefix,
   requireTargetKind,
   type MessagingTarget,
   type MessagingTargetKind,
@@ -23,21 +25,32 @@ export function parseDiscordTarget(
   if (!trimmed) {
     return undefined;
   }
-  const mentionMatch = trimmed.match(/^<@!?(\d+)>$/);
-  if (mentionMatch) {
-    return buildMessagingTarget("user", mentionMatch[1], trimmed);
+  const mentionTarget = parseTargetMention({
+    raw: trimmed,
+    mentionPattern: /^<@!?(\d+)>$/,
+    kind: "user",
+  });
+  if (mentionTarget) {
+    return mentionTarget;
   }
-  if (trimmed.startsWith("user:")) {
-    const id = trimmed.slice("user:".length).trim();
-    return id ? buildMessagingTarget("user", id, trimmed) : undefined;
-  }
-  if (trimmed.startsWith("channel:")) {
-    const id = trimmed.slice("channel:".length).trim();
-    return id ? buildMessagingTarget("channel", id, trimmed) : undefined;
-  }
-  if (trimmed.startsWith("discord:")) {
-    const id = trimmed.slice("discord:".length).trim();
-    return id ? buildMessagingTarget("user", id, trimmed) : undefined;
+  const prefixedTarget =
+    parseTargetPrefix({
+      raw: trimmed,
+      prefix: "user:",
+      kind: "user",
+    }) ??
+    parseTargetPrefix({
+      raw: trimmed,
+      prefix: "channel:",
+      kind: "channel",
+    }) ??
+    parseTargetPrefix({
+      raw: trimmed,
+      prefix: "discord:",
+      kind: "user",
+    });
+  if (prefixedTarget) {
+    return prefixedTarget;
   }
   if (trimmed.startsWith("@")) {
     const candidate = trimmed.slice(1).trim();
diff --git a/src/slack/targets.ts b/src/slack/targets.ts
index 7f66a1d5c8..2d93198493 100644
--- a/src/slack/targets.ts
+++ b/src/slack/targets.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 import {
   buildMessagingTarget,
   ensureTargetId,
+  parseTargetMention,
+  parseTargetPrefix,
   requireTargetKind,
   type MessagingTarget,
   type MessagingTargetKind,
@@ -21,21 +23,32 @@ export function parseSlackTarget(
   if (!trimmed) {
     return undefined;
   }
-  const mentionMatch = trimmed.match(/^<@([A-Z0-9]+)>$/i);
-  if (mentionMatch) {
-    return buildMessagingTarget("user", mentionMatch[1], trimmed);
+  const mentionTarget = parseTargetMention({
+    raw: trimmed,
+    mentionPattern: /^<@([A-Z0-9]+)>$/i,
+    kind: "user",
+  });
+  if (mentionTarget) {
+    return mentionTarget;
   }
-  if (trimmed.startsWith("user:")) {
-    const id = trimmed.slice("user:".length).trim();
-    return id ? buildMessagingTarget("user", id, trimmed) : undefined;
-  }
-  if (trimmed.startsWith("channel:")) {
-    const id = trimmed.slice("channel:".length).trim();
-    return id ? buildMessagingTarget("channel", id, trimmed) : undefined;
-  }
-  if (trimmed.startsWith("slack:")) {
-    const id = trimmed.slice("slack:".length).trim();
-    return id ? buildMessagingTarget("user", id, trimmed) : undefined;
+  const prefixedTarget =
+    parseTargetPrefix({
+      raw: trimmed,
+      prefix: "user:",
+      kind: "user",
+    }) ??
+    parseTargetPrefix({
+      raw: trimmed,
+      prefix: "channel:",
+      kind: "channel",
+    }) ??
+    parseTargetPrefix({
+      raw: trimmed,
+      prefix: "slack:",
+      kind: "user",
+    });
+  if (prefixedTarget) {
+    return prefixedTarget;
   }
   if (trimmed.startsWith("@")) {
     const candidate = trimmed.slice(1).trim();