diff --git a/src/Mjolnir.ts b/src/Mjolnir.ts
index c5a5ab23..c1541c28 100644
--- a/src/Mjolnir.ts
+++ b/src/Mjolnir.ts
@@ -200,40 +200,46 @@ export class Mjolnir {
         matrixEmitter.on("room.event", this.handleEvent.bind(this));
 
         matrixEmitter.on("room.message", async (roomId, event) => {
+            const eventContent = event.content;
             if (roomId !== this.managementRoomId) return;
-            if (!event["content"]) return;
-
-            const content = event["content"];
-            if (content["msgtype"] === "m.text" && content["body"]) {
-                const prefixes = [
-                    COMMAND_PREFIX,
-                    this.localpart + ":",
-                    this.displayName + ":",
-                    (await client.getUserId()) + ":",
-                    this.localpart + " ",
-                    this.displayName + " ",
-                    (await client.getUserId()) + " ",
-                    ...config.commands.additionalPrefixes.map((p) => `!${p}`),
-                    ...config.commands.additionalPrefixes.map((p) => `${p}:`),
-                    ...config.commands.additionalPrefixes.map((p) => `${p} `),
-                    ...config.commands.additionalPrefixes,
-                ];
-                if (config.commands.allowNoPrefix) prefixes.push("!");
-
-                const prefixUsed = prefixes.find((p) => content["body"].toLowerCase().startsWith(p.toLowerCase()));
-                if (!prefixUsed) return;
-
-                // rewrite the event body to make the prefix uniform (in case the bot has spaces in its display name)
-                let restOfBody = content["body"].substring(prefixUsed.length);
-                if (!restOfBody.startsWith(" ")) restOfBody = ` ${restOfBody}`;
-                event["content"]["body"] = COMMAND_PREFIX + restOfBody;
-                LogService.info("Mjolnir", `Command being run by ${event["sender"]}: ${event["content"]["body"]}`);
-
-                client.sendReadReceipt(roomId, event["event_id"]).catch((e: any) => {
-                    LogService.warn("Mjolnir", "Error sending read receipt: ", e);
-                });
-                return handleCommand(roomId, event, this);
+            if (typeof eventContent !== "object") return;
+
+            const { msgtype, body: originalBody, sender, event_id } = eventContent;
+            if (msgtype !== "m.text" || typeof originalBody !== "string") {
+                return;
             }
+
+            const prefixes = [
+                COMMAND_PREFIX,
+                this.localpart + ":",
+                this.displayName + ":",
+                (await client.getUserId()) + ":",
+                this.localpart + " ",
+                this.displayName + " ",
+                (await client.getUserId()) + " ",
+                ...config.commands.additionalPrefixes.map((p) => `!${p}`),
+                ...config.commands.additionalPrefixes.map((p) => `${p}:`),
+                ...config.commands.additionalPrefixes.map((p) => `${p} `),
+                ...config.commands.additionalPrefixes,
+            ];
+            if (config.commands.allowNoPrefix) prefixes.push("!");
+
+            const sanitizedBody = originalBody.toLowerCase().trim();
+
+            const prefixUsed = prefixes.find((p) => sanitizedBody.startsWith(p.toLowerCase()));
+            if (!prefixUsed) return;
+
+            // rewrite the event body to make the prefix uniform (in case the bot has spaces in its display name)
+            let restOfBody = originalBody.trim().substring(prefixUsed.length);
+            if (!restOfBody.startsWith(" ")) restOfBody = ` ${restOfBody}`;
+
+            eventContent.body = COMMAND_PREFIX + restOfBody;
+            LogService.info("Mjolnir", `Command being run by ${sender}: ${eventContent.body}`);
+
+            client.sendReadReceipt(roomId, event_id).catch((e: any) => {
+                LogService.warn("Mjolnir", "Error sending read receipt: ", e);
+            });
+            return handleCommand(roomId, event, this);
         });
 
         matrixEmitter.on("room.join", (roomId: string, event: any) => {
diff --git a/test/integration/helloTest.ts b/test/integration/helloTest.ts
index 0ebc050a..ac3f0072 100644
--- a/test/integration/helloTest.ts
+++ b/test/integration/helloTest.ts
@@ -30,4 +30,22 @@ describe("Test: !help command", function () {
         await client.sendMessage(this.mjolnir.managementRoomId, { msgtype: "m.text", body: "!mjolnir help" });
         await reply;
     });
+    it("Mjolnir responded to !mjolnir help with extra spaces", async function () {
+        this.timeout(30000);
+        // send a messgage
+        await client.joinRoom(this.config.managementRoom);
+        // listener for getting the event reply
+        let reply = new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+            client.on(
+                "room.message",
+                noticeListener(this.mjolnir.managementRoomId, (event) => {
+                    if (event.content.body.includes("Print status information")) {
+                        resolve(event);
+                    }
+                }),
+            );
+        });
+        await client.sendMessage(this.mjolnir.managementRoomId, { msgtype: "m.text", body: "   !mjolnir    help   " });
+        await reply;
+    });
 });