diff --git a/lorebot/botfunc.go b/lorebot/botfunc.go
index 4f5ae6f..82e249e 100644
--- a/lorebot/botfunc.go
+++ b/lorebot/botfunc.go
@@ -34,6 +34,12 @@ func loreNewString(nick, newString, newType string, redisClient *redis.Client) e
 	stripContent := strings.Replace(fmt.Sprintf("%s", content), "<", "", -1)
 	stripLinks := strings.Replace(stripContent, ">", "", -1)
 
+	// dont allow certain chars
+	if strings.ContainsAny(command, ";:,.'\"!$%^*()/\\") {
+		// reject user input, it has unwanted chars
+		return errors.New("error: entry contains unwanted characters")
+	}
+
 	t := time.Now()
 
 	// create a timestamp to use
diff --git a/lorebot/lorebot.go b/lorebot/lorebot.go
index 66e3d6c..1c57eda 100644
--- a/lorebot/lorebot.go
+++ b/lorebot/lorebot.go
@@ -319,13 +319,6 @@ func lorestatus(rtm *slack.RTM, ev *slack.MessageEvent, redisClient *redis.Clien
 }
 
 func newhandler(rtm *slack.RTM, ev *slack.MessageEvent, message, newType string, redisClient *redis.Client) {
-	// dont allow certain chars
-	//if strings.ContainsAny(message, ";:,.'\"!$%^*()/\\") {
-	//	// reject user input, it has unwanted chars
-	//	rtm.SendMessage(rtm.NewOutgoingMessage("entry could not be created, unwanted characters", ev.Channel))
-	//	return
-	//}
-
 	// get nick from slack api
 	user, err := rtm.GetUserInfo(ev.User)
 	if err != nil {