diff --git a/irc/config.go b/irc/config.go
index c0d94656..12e47ce0 100644
--- a/irc/config.go
+++ b/irc/config.go
@@ -537,8 +537,7 @@ type Config struct {
 	}
 
 	Roleplay struct {
-		Enabled        *bool
-		enabled        bool
+		Enabled        bool
 		RequireChanops bool  `yaml:"require-chanops"`
 		RequireOper    bool  `yaml:"require-oper"`
 		AddSuffix      *bool `yaml:"add-suffix"`
@@ -1192,7 +1191,6 @@ func LoadConfig(filename string) (config *Config, err error) {
 		config.History.ZNCMax = config.History.ChathistoryMax
 	}
 
-	config.Roleplay.enabled = utils.BoolDefaultTrue(config.Roleplay.Enabled)
 	config.Roleplay.addSuffix = utils.BoolDefaultTrue(config.Roleplay.AddSuffix)
 
 	config.Datastore.MySQL.ExpireTime = time.Duration(config.History.Restrictions.ExpireTime)
@@ -1272,7 +1270,7 @@ func (config *Config) generateISupport() (err error) {
 	isupport.Add("NETWORK", config.Network.Name)
 	isupport.Add("NICKLEN", strconv.Itoa(config.Limits.NickLen))
 	isupport.Add("PREFIX", "(qaohv)~&@%+")
-	if config.Roleplay.enabled {
+	if config.Roleplay.Enabled {
 		isupport.Add("RPCHAN", "E")
 		isupport.Add("RPUSER", "E")
 	}
diff --git a/irc/handlers.go b/irc/handlers.go
index 3db6ee5a..585c2387 100644
--- a/irc/handlers.go
+++ b/irc/handlers.go
@@ -2194,15 +2194,7 @@ func npcHandler(server *Server, client *Client, msg ircmsg.IrcMessage, rb *Respo
 	fakeSource := msg.Params[1]
 	message := msg.Params[2:]
 
-	_, err := CasefoldName(fakeSource)
-	if err != nil {
-		client.Send(nil, client.server.name, ERR_CANNOTSENDRP, target, client.t("Fake source must be a valid nickname"))
-		return false
-	}
-
-	sourceString := fmt.Sprintf(npcNickMask, fakeSource, client.nick)
-
-	sendRoleplayMessage(server, client, sourceString, target, false, message, rb)
+	sendRoleplayMessage(server, client, fakeSource, target, false, false, message, rb)
 
 	return false
 }
@@ -2212,15 +2204,8 @@ func npcaHandler(server *Server, client *Client, msg ircmsg.IrcMessage, rb *Resp
 	target := msg.Params[0]
 	fakeSource := msg.Params[1]
 	message := msg.Params[2:]
-	sourceString := fmt.Sprintf(npcNickMask, fakeSource, client.nick)
 
-	_, err := CasefoldName(fakeSource)
-	if err != nil {
-		client.Send(nil, client.server.name, ERR_CANNOTSENDRP, target, client.t("Fake source must be a valid nickname"))
-		return false
-	}
-
-	sendRoleplayMessage(server, client, sourceString, target, true, message, rb)
+	sendRoleplayMessage(server, client, fakeSource, target, false, true, message, rb)
 
 	return false
 }
@@ -2623,9 +2608,8 @@ func sanickHandler(server *Server, client *Client, msg ircmsg.IrcMessage, rb *Re
 func sceneHandler(server *Server, client *Client, msg ircmsg.IrcMessage, rb *ResponseBuffer) bool {
 	target := msg.Params[0]
 	message := msg.Params[1:]
-	sourceString := fmt.Sprintf(sceneNickMask, client.nick)
 
-	sendRoleplayMessage(server, client, sourceString, target, false, message, rb)
+	sendRoleplayMessage(server, client, "", target, true, false, message, rb)
 
 	return false
 }
diff --git a/irc/roleplay.go b/irc/roleplay.go
index fdd59584..14f9dfe4 100644
--- a/irc/roleplay.go
+++ b/irc/roleplay.go
@@ -4,7 +4,8 @@
 package irc
 
 import (
-	"bytes"
+	"fmt"
+	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/oragono/oragono/irc/history"
 	"github.com/oragono/oragono/irc/modes"
@@ -16,9 +17,9 @@ const (
 	sceneNickMask = "=Scene=!%s@npc.fakeuser.invalid"
 )
 
-func sendRoleplayMessage(server *Server, client *Client, source string, targetString string, isAction bool, messageParts []string, rb *ResponseBuffer) {
+func sendRoleplayMessage(server *Server, client *Client, source string, targetString string, isScene, isAction bool, messageParts []string, rb *ResponseBuffer) {
 	config := server.Config()
-	if !config.Roleplay.enabled {
+	if !config.Roleplay.Enabled {
 		rb.Add(nil, client.server.name, ERR_CANNOTSENDRP, targetString, client.t("Roleplaying has been disabled by the server administrators"))
 		return
 	}
@@ -27,12 +28,26 @@ func sendRoleplayMessage(server *Server, client *Client, source string, targetSt
 		return
 	}
 
+	var sourceMask string
+	if isScene {
+		sourceMask = fmt.Sprintf(sceneNickMask, client.Nick())
+	} else {
+		cfSource, cfSourceErr := CasefoldName(source)
+		skelSource, skelErr := Skeleton(source)
+		if cfSourceErr != nil || skelErr != nil ||
+			restrictedCasefoldedNicks.Has(cfSource) || restrictedSkeletons.Has(skelSource) {
+			rb.Add(nil, client.server.name, ERR_CANNOTSENDRP, targetString, client.t("Invalid roleplay name"))
+			return
+		}
+		sourceMask = fmt.Sprintf(npcNickMask, source, client.Nick())
+	}
+
 	// block attempts to send CTCP messages to Tor clients
 	if len(messageParts) > 0 && len(messageParts[0]) > 0 && messageParts[0][0] == '\x01' {
 		return
 	}
 
-	var buf bytes.Buffer
+	var buf strings.Builder
 	if isAction {
 		buf.WriteString("\x01ACTION ")
 	}
@@ -80,9 +95,9 @@ func sendRoleplayMessage(server *Server, client *Client, source string, targetSt
 				// of roleplay commands, so send them a copy whether they have echo-message
 				// or not
 				if rb.session == session {
-					rb.AddSplitMessageFromClient(source, "", nil, "PRIVMSG", targetString, splitMessage)
+					rb.AddSplitMessageFromClient(sourceMask, "", nil, "PRIVMSG", targetString, splitMessage)
 				} else {
-					session.sendSplitMsgFromClientInternal(false, source, "*", nil, "PRIVMSG", targetString, splitMessage)
+					session.sendSplitMsgFromClientInternal(false, sourceMask, "*", nil, "PRIVMSG", targetString, splitMessage)
 				}
 			}
 		}
@@ -90,7 +105,7 @@ func sendRoleplayMessage(server *Server, client *Client, source string, targetSt
 		channel.AddHistoryItem(history.Item{
 			Type:    history.Privmsg,
 			Message: splitMessage,
-			Nick:    source,
+			Nick:    sourceMask,
 		}, client.Account())
 	} else {
 		target, err := CasefoldName(targetString)
@@ -108,7 +123,7 @@ func sendRoleplayMessage(server *Server, client *Client, source string, targetSt
 		cnick := client.Nick()
 		tnick := user.Nick()
 		for _, session := range user.Sessions() {
-			session.sendSplitMsgFromClientInternal(false, source, "*", nil, "PRIVMSG", tnick, splitMessage)
+			session.sendSplitMsgFromClientInternal(false, sourceMask, "*", nil, "PRIVMSG", tnick, splitMessage)
 		}
 		if away, awayMessage := user.Away(); away {
 			//TODO(dan): possibly implement cooldown of away notifications to users