diff --git a/zulip_botserver/tests/server_test_lib.py b/zulip_botserver/tests/server_test_lib.py
index 8823772..97edca6 100644
--- a/zulip_botserver/tests/server_test_lib.py
+++ b/zulip_botserver/tests/server_test_lib.py
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ class BotServerTestCase(TestCase):
             server.app.config["BOT_HANDLERS"] = bot_handlers
             server.app.config["MESSAGE_HANDLERS"] = message_handlers
 
+        mock_ExternalBotHandler.return_value.full_name = "test"
         response = self.app.post(data=json.dumps(event))
 
         # NOTE: Currently, assert_bot_server_response can only check the expected_response
diff --git a/zulip_botserver/tests/test_server.py b/zulip_botserver/tests/test_server.py
index 558f201..29c117e 100644
--- a/zulip_botserver/tests/test_server.py
+++ b/zulip_botserver/tests/test_server.py
@@ -30,8 +30,9 @@ class BotServerTests(BotServerTestCase):
         }
         self.assert_bot_server_response(available_bots=available_bots,
                                         bots_config=bots_config,
-                                        event=dict(message={'content': "test message"},
-                                                   bot_email='helloworld-bot@zulip.com'),
+                                        event=dict(message={'content': "@**test** test message"},
+                                                   bot_email='helloworld-bot@zulip.com',
+                                                   trigger='mention'),
                                         expected_response="beep boop",
                                         check_success=True)
 
@@ -50,8 +51,9 @@ class BotServerTests(BotServerTestCase):
             }
         }
         self.assert_bot_server_response(available_bots=available_bots,
-                                        event=dict(message={'content': "test message"},
-                                                   bot_email='helloworld-bot@zulip.com'),
+                                        event=dict(message={'content': "@**test** test message"},
+                                                   bot_email='helloworld-bot@zulip.com',
+                                                   trigger='mention'),
                                         expected_response="beep boop",
                                         bots_config=bots_config,
                                         check_success=True)
@@ -89,8 +91,9 @@ class BotServerTests(BotServerTestCase):
                               "make sure you have set up the flaskbotrc file correctly.",
                               lambda: self.assert_bot_server_response(
                                   available_bots=available_bots,
-                                  event=dict(message={'content': "test message"},
-                                             bot_email='helloworld-bot@zulip.com'),
+                                  event=dict(message={'content': "@**test** test message"},
+                                             bot_email='helloworld-bot@zulip.com',
+                                             trigger='mention'),
                                   bots_config=bots_config))
 
     @mock.patch('sys.argv', ['zulip-bot-server', '--config-file', '/foo/bar/baz.conf'])
diff --git a/zulip_botserver/zulip_botserver/server.py b/zulip_botserver/zulip_botserver/server.py
index 0c3634c..680de18 100644
--- a/zulip_botserver/zulip_botserver/server.py
+++ b/zulip_botserver/zulip_botserver/server.py
@@ -113,12 +113,24 @@ def handle_bot() -> Union[str, BadRequest]:
                           "configuration file. Do the emails in your flaskbotrc "
                           "match the bot emails on the server?".format(event['bot_email']))
     else:
-        lib_module = app.config.get("BOTS_LIB_MODULES", {}).get(bot)
-        bot_handler = app.config.get("BOT_HANDLERS", {}).get(bot)
-        message_handler = app.config.get("MESSAGE_HANDLERS", {}).get(bot)
+        lib_module = app.config.get("BOTS_LIB_MODULES", {})[bot]
+        bot_handler = app.config.get("BOT_HANDLERS", {})[bot]
+        message_handler = app.config.get("MESSAGE_HANDLERS", {})[bot]
+        is_mentioned = event['trigger'] == "mention"
+        is_private_message = event['trigger'] == "private_message"
+        message = event["message"]
+        message['full_content'] = message['content']
+        # Strip at-mention botname from the message
+        if is_mentioned:
+            # message['content'] will be None when the bot's @-mention is not at the beginning.
+            # In that case, the message shall not be handled.
+            message['content'] = lib.extract_query_without_mention(message=message, client=bot_handler)
+            if message['content'] is None:
+                return json.dumps("")
 
-    message_handler.handle_message(message=event["message"], bot_handler=bot_handler)
-    return json.dumps("")
+        if is_private_message or is_mentioned:
+            message_handler.handle_message(message=message, bot_handler=bot_handler)
+        return json.dumps("")
 
 
 def main() -> None: