diff --git a/src/main/java/land/chipmunk/chipmunkmod/modules/CustomChat.java b/src/main/java/land/chipmunk/chipmunkmod/modules/CustomChat.java
index 9731ffc..1983853 100644
--- a/src/main/java/land/chipmunk/chipmunkmod/modules/CustomChat.java
+++ b/src/main/java/land/chipmunk/chipmunkmod/modules/CustomChat.java
@@ -56,16 +56,21 @@ public class CustomChat {
 //            final String displayName = GsonComponentSerializer.gson().serialize(Component.join(JoinConfiguration.separator(Component.empty()), displayNameComponent.children().get(1)));
 
             // TODO: make this code not ohio code.,.,
-            final String sanitizedFormat = format
+            String sanitizedFormat = format
 //                        .replace("\"PREFIX\"", prefix)
 //                        .replace("\"DISPLAYNAME\"", displayName)
-                    .replace("USERNAME", username)
-
-                    // these 2 lines are toooooo ohio code
-                    .replace("{\"text\":\"MESSAGE\"}", messageWithColor)
-                    .replace("\"extra\":[\"MESSAGE\"],\"color\":", "\"extra\":[" + messageWithColor + "],\"color\":")
-
-                    .replace("MESSAGE", sanitizedMessage.replaceAll("&.", "")); // TODO: make this not use regex
+                    .replace("USERNAME", username);
+            // these 4 lines are toooooo ohio code
+            if (
+                    sanitizedFormat.contains("{\"text\":\"MESSAGE\"}") ||
+                            sanitizedFormat.contains("\"extra\":[\"MESSAGE\"],\"color\":")
+            ) {
+                sanitizedFormat = sanitizedFormat
+                        .replace("{\"text\":\"MESSAGE\"}", messageWithColor)
+                        .replace("\"extra\":[\"MESSAGE\"],\"color\":", "\"extra\":[" + messageWithColor + "],\"color\":");
+            } else {
+                sanitizedFormat = sanitizedFormat.replace("MESSAGE", sanitizedMessage.replaceAll("&.", "")); // TODO: make this not use regex
+            }
 
             CommandCore.INSTANCE.run("minecraft:tellraw @a " + sanitizedFormat);
         } catch (Exception e) {