diff --git a/bot/bot.ts b/bot/bot.ts
index 6b5605d..e87bb1c 100644
--- a/bot/bot.ts
+++ b/bot/bot.ts
@@ -1138,6 +1138,11 @@ function startTypingLoop(ctx: Context, chatId: number): () => void {
   return () => { stopped = true; };
 }
 
+// Persona names Redstone answers to in groups when @-mention is missing.
+// Word-boundary match; case-insensitive. Lets "hey steve, …" land without
+// requiring users to remember the bot's @handle.
+const PERSONA_NAME_RE = /\b(redstone|steve)\b/i;
+
 function botAddressed(ctx: Context, botId: number, botUsername: string): boolean {
   const m = ctx.message;
   if (!m || !m.text) return false;
@@ -1150,6 +1155,7 @@ function botAddressed(ctx: Context, botId: number, botUsername: string): boolean
       if (slice.toLowerCase() === `@${botUsername.toLowerCase()}`) return true;
     } else if (e.type === "text_mention" && e.user?.id === botId) return true;
   }
+  if (PERSONA_NAME_RE.test(text)) return true;
   return false;
 }
 
@@ -1306,6 +1312,47 @@ async function callOpenRouterOnce(messages: ORMessage[]): Promise<ORResponse | n
   }
 }
 
+// Wiki calls can be slow when minecraft.wiki rate-limits or just lags. For
+// tools that match WIKI_TOOL_RE, show a visible "I'm working on it" message
+// in the chat with a word rotation — but only if the tool actually takes
+// longer than SLOW_TOOL_THRESHOLD_MS. Fast calls stay invisible.
+const WIKI_TOOL_RE = /^wiki_/;
+const SLOW_TOOL_THRESHOLD_MS = 1500;
+const SLOW_TOOL_ROTATE_MS = 900;
+const SLOW_TOOL_PHRASES = [
+  "🔍 looking it up…",
+  "📖 reading the wiki…",
+  "🔎 searching…",
+  "🧭 cross-referencing…",
+];
+
+async function withSlowToolIndicator<T>(chatId: number, toolName: string, fn: () => Promise<T>): Promise<T> {
+  if (!WIKI_TOOL_RE.test(toolName)) return fn();
+  let placeholderId: number | null = null;
+  let rotateTimer: ReturnType<typeof setInterval> | null = null;
+  let phraseIdx = 0;
+  const showTimer = setTimeout(async () => {
+    try {
+      const m = await bot.api.sendMessage(chatId, SLOW_TOOL_PHRASES[0]);
+      placeholderId = m.message_id;
+      rotateTimer = setInterval(async () => {
+        phraseIdx = (phraseIdx + 1) % SLOW_TOOL_PHRASES.length;
+        try { await bot.api.editMessageText(chatId, placeholderId!, SLOW_TOOL_PHRASES[phraseIdx]); }
+        catch { /* edit failures (rate-limit / deleted) are fine */ }
+      }, SLOW_TOOL_ROTATE_MS);
+    } catch { /* send failure → just no indicator */ }
+  }, SLOW_TOOL_THRESHOLD_MS);
+  try {
+    return await fn();
+  } finally {
+    clearTimeout(showTimer);
+    if (rotateTimer) clearInterval(rotateTimer);
+    if (placeholderId != null) {
+      try { await bot.api.deleteMessage(chatId, placeholderId); } catch { /* ignore */ }
+    }
+  }
+}
+
 // History is plain text-only (see recentTurns); either provider can render it.
 function historyToOpenRouter(history: GeminiContent[]): ORMessage[] {
   return history.map((c) => ({
@@ -1315,7 +1362,7 @@ function historyToOpenRouter(history: GeminiContent[]): ORMessage[] {
 }
 
 async function runRedstoneTurnViaOpenRouter(
-  systemPrompt: string, history: GeminiContent[], userText: string, callerRole: Role,
+  systemPrompt: string, history: GeminiContent[], userText: string, callerRole: Role, chatId: number,
 ): Promise<TurnResult | null> {
   if (!OPENROUTER_API_KEY) return null;
   const messages: ORMessage[] = [
@@ -1352,7 +1399,7 @@ async function runRedstoneTurnViaOpenRouter(
           continue;
         }
         try {
-          const result = await tool.handler(args, toolCtx);
+          const result = await withSlowToolIndicator(chatId, tc.function.name, () => tool.handler(args, toolCtx));
           response = { result };
           ranTool = true;
         } catch (e) {
@@ -1366,7 +1413,7 @@ async function runRedstoneTurnViaOpenRouter(
 }
 
 async function runRedstoneTurnViaGemini(
-  systemPrompt: string, history: GeminiContent[], userText: string, callerRole: Role,
+  systemPrompt: string, history: GeminiContent[], userText: string, callerRole: Role, chatId: number,
 ): Promise<TurnResult> {
   const contents: GeminiContent[] = [...history, { role: "user", parts: [{ text: userText }] }];
   let ranTool = false;
@@ -1398,7 +1445,7 @@ async function runRedstoneTurnViaGemini(
         response = { error: `tool '${fc.functionCall.name}' requires admin role; the calling user is '${callerRole}'. Inform the user, do not retry.` };
       } else {
         try {
-          const result = await tool.handler(fc.functionCall.args, toolCtx);
+          const result = await withSlowToolIndicator(chatId, fc.functionCall.name, () => tool.handler(fc.functionCall.args, toolCtx));
           response = { result };
           ranTool = true;
         } catch (e) {
@@ -1412,13 +1459,13 @@ async function runRedstoneTurnViaGemini(
   return { text: null, ranTool };
 }
 
-async function runRedstoneTurn(systemPrompt: string, history: GeminiContent[], userText: string, callerRole: Role): Promise<TurnResult> {
+async function runRedstoneTurn(systemPrompt: string, history: GeminiContent[], userText: string, callerRole: Role, chatId: number): Promise<TurnResult> {
   // OpenRouter `openrouter/free` is the primary path — picks the best free
   // tool-calling model automatically. Falls through to Gemini on null (no key,
   // network error, upstream rejected tool use).
-  const orResult = await runRedstoneTurnViaOpenRouter(systemPrompt, history, userText, callerRole);
+  const orResult = await runRedstoneTurnViaOpenRouter(systemPrompt, history, userText, callerRole, chatId);
   if (orResult !== null) return orResult;
-  return runRedstoneTurnViaGemini(systemPrompt, history, userText, callerRole);
+  return runRedstoneTurnViaGemini(systemPrompt, history, userText, callerRole, chatId);
 }
 
 bot.on("message:text", async (ctx) => {
@@ -1457,7 +1504,7 @@ bot.on("message:text", async (ctx) => {
     const sys = redstonePersona(user, chatType, chatId, srv);
     const latest = Q_latestMsgId.get(chatId)?.id ?? 0;
     const history = recentTurns(chatId, latest, 6);
-    const result = await runRedstoneTurn(sys, history, text, user.role);
+    const result = await runRedstoneTurn(sys, history, text, user.role, chatId);
     reply = result.text;
     ranTool = result.ranTool;
   } finally {