diff --git a/src/auto-reply/reply/inbound-sender-meta.ts b/src/auto-reply/reply/inbound-sender-meta.ts
index 7895942ab..1417cb767 100644
--- a/src/auto-reply/reply/inbound-sender-meta.ts
+++ b/src/auto-reply/reply/inbound-sender-meta.ts
@@ -33,7 +33,8 @@ function hasSenderMetaLine(body: string, ctx: MsgContext): boolean {
   if (candidates.length === 0) return false;
   return candidates.some((candidate) => {
     const escaped = escapeRegExp(candidate);
-    const pattern = new RegExp(`(^|\\n)${escaped}:\\s`, "i");
+    // Check for sender at start of line OR after envelope header bracket
+    const pattern = new RegExp(`(^|\\n|\\]\\s*)${escaped}:\\s`, "i");
     return pattern.test(body);
   });
 }
diff --git a/src/imessage/monitor.skips-group-messages-without-mention-by-default.test.ts b/src/imessage/monitor.skips-group-messages-without-mention-by-default.test.ts
index 1a385ff5d..13486e188 100644
--- a/src/imessage/monitor.skips-group-messages-without-mention-by-default.test.ts
+++ b/src/imessage/monitor.skips-group-messages-without-mention-by-default.test.ts
@@ -381,8 +381,9 @@ describe("monitorIMessageProvider", () => {
     expect(replyMock).toHaveBeenCalledOnce();
     const ctx = replyMock.mock.calls[0]?.[0] as { Body?: string; ChatType?: string };
     expect(ctx.ChatType).toBe("group");
-    expect(String(ctx.Body ?? "")).toContain("[from:");
-    expect(String(ctx.Body ?? "")).toContain("+15550002222");
+    // Sender should appear as prefix in group messages (no redundant [from:] suffix)
+    expect(String(ctx.Body ?? "")).toContain("+15550002222:");
+    expect(String(ctx.Body ?? "")).not.toContain("[from:");
 
     expect(sendMock).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
       "chat_id:42",
diff --git a/src/imessage/monitor/monitor-provider.ts b/src/imessage/monitor/monitor-provider.ts
index 3e84e4e10..3970cd1b2 100644
--- a/src/imessage/monitor/monitor-provider.ts
+++ b/src/imessage/monitor/monitor-provider.ts
@@ -165,16 +165,8 @@ export async function monitorIMessageProvider(opts: MonitorIMessageOpts = {}): P
   async function handleMessageNow(message: IMessagePayload) {
     const senderRaw = message.sender ?? "";
     const sender = senderRaw.trim();
-    if (!sender) {
-      logVerbose(`imessage: skipping message (no sender), chat_id=${message.chat_id}`);
-      return;
-    }
+    if (!sender) return;
     const senderNormalized = normalizeIMessageHandle(sender);
-    if (!senderNormalized) {
-      logVerbose(
-        `imessage: sender normalized to empty, raw="${sender}", chat_id=${message.chat_id}`,
-      );
-    }
     if (message.is_from_me) return;
 
     const chatId = message.chat_id ?? undefined;
@@ -391,14 +383,13 @@ export async function monitorIMessageProvider(opts: MonitorIMessageOpts = {}): P
     }
 
     const chatTarget = formatIMessageChatTarget(chatId);
+    // For groups: use chat name or just "Group" (channel "iMessage" is already shown)
+    // For DMs: show sender, only add id: suffix if raw differs from normalized
     const fromLabel = isGroup
-      ? `${message.chat_name || "iMessage Group"} id:${chatId ?? "unknown"}`
-      : `${senderNormalized} id:${sender}`;
-    if (isGroup && !senderNormalized) {
-      logVerbose(
-        `imessage: group message missing normalized sender, raw="${sender}", chat_id=${chatId}`,
-      );
-    }
+      ? `${message.chat_name || "Group"} id:${chatId ?? "unknown"}`
+      : senderNormalized === sender
+        ? senderNormalized
+        : `${senderNormalized} id:${sender}`;
     const body = formatInboundEnvelope({
       channel: "iMessage",
       from: fromLabel,
diff --git a/src/signal/monitor/event-handler.inbound-contract.test.ts b/src/signal/monitor/event-handler.inbound-contract.test.ts
index 2e8dff16a..a91106b3c 100644
--- a/src/signal/monitor/event-handler.inbound-contract.test.ts
+++ b/src/signal/monitor/event-handler.inbound-contract.test.ts
@@ -60,7 +60,9 @@ describe("signal createSignalEventHandler inbound contract", () => {
 
     expect(capturedCtx).toBeTruthy();
     expectInboundContextContract(capturedCtx!);
-    expect(String(capturedCtx?.Body ?? "")).toContain("[from:");
+    // Sender should appear as prefix in group messages (no redundant [from:] suffix)
     expect(String(capturedCtx?.Body ?? "")).toContain("Alice");
+    expect(String(capturedCtx?.Body ?? "")).toMatch(/Alice.*:/);
+    expect(String(capturedCtx?.Body ?? "")).not.toContain("[from:");
   });
 });
diff --git a/src/signal/monitor/event-handler.ts b/src/signal/monitor/event-handler.ts
index 8a86ef945..42a0f2dab 100644
--- a/src/signal/monitor/event-handler.ts
+++ b/src/signal/monitor/event-handler.ts
@@ -65,9 +65,13 @@ export function createSignalEventHandler(deps: SignalEventHandlerDeps) {
   };
 
   async function handleSignalInboundMessage(entry: SignalInboundEntry) {
+    // For groups: use group name or just "Group" (channel "Signal" is already shown)
+    // For DMs: show sender, only add id: suffix if display differs from name
     const fromLabel = entry.isGroup
-      ? `${entry.groupName ?? "Signal Group"} id:${entry.groupId}`
-      : `${entry.senderName} id:${entry.senderDisplay}`;
+      ? `${entry.groupName || "Group"} id:${entry.groupId}`
+      : entry.senderName === entry.senderDisplay
+        ? entry.senderName
+        : `${entry.senderName} id:${entry.senderDisplay}`;
     const body = formatInboundEnvelope({
       channel: "Signal",
       from: fromLabel,