diff --git a/src/main/java/com/wynntils/modules/chat/configs/ChatConfig.java b/src/main/java/com/wynntils/modules/chat/configs/ChatConfig.java
index ae84989cb..6bbe08605 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/wynntils/modules/chat/configs/ChatConfig.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/wynntils/modules/chat/configs/ChatConfig.java
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ public class ChatConfig extends SettingsClass {
     @Setting(displayName = "Chat Mentions", description = "Should a sound play when your username is mentioned in a message?", order = 3)
     public boolean allowChatMentions = true;
 
-    @Setting(displayName = "Chat Mentions Nicknames", description = "Besides your username, what other names should trigger Chat Mentions?\n\n§8Multiple nicknames can be added by using commas as separators.", order = 4)
+    @Setting(displayName = "Chat Mentions Nicknames", description = "Besides your username, what other names should trigger Chat Mentions?\n\n§8Multiple nicknames can be added by using commas as separators. This is a wrapped RegEx field.", order = 4)
     public String mentionNames = "";
 
     @Setting(displayName = "Chat Spam Filter", description = "Should repeating messages stack?", order = 7)
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/wynntils/modules/chat/managers/ChatManager.java b/src/main/java/com/wynntils/modules/chat/managers/ChatManager.java
index 222b2b67d..926a8b373 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/wynntils/modules/chat/managers/ChatManager.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/wynntils/modules/chat/managers/ChatManager.java
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@
 import java.util.function.Supplier;
 import java.util.regex.Matcher;
 import java.util.regex.Pattern;
+import java.util.regex.PatternSyntaxException;
 import java.util.stream.Collectors;
 
 public class ChatManager {
@@ -88,6 +89,8 @@ public class ChatManager {
 
     private static boolean discoveriesLoaded = false;
 
+    private static String failedRegex = "";
+
     public static Pair<ITextComponent, Pair<Supplier<Boolean>, Function<ITextComponent, ITextComponent>>> processRealMessage(ITextComponent in) {
         if (in == null) return new Pair<>(in, null);
         ITextComponent original = in.createCopy();
@@ -625,7 +628,23 @@ public static ITextComponent renderMessage(ITextComponent in) {
     public static boolean processUserMention(ITextComponent in, ITextComponent original) {
         if (ChatConfig.INSTANCE.allowChatMentions && in != null && McIf.player() != null) {
             String match = "\\b(" + McIf.player().getName() + (ChatConfig.INSTANCE.mentionNames.length() > 0 ? "|" + ChatConfig.INSTANCE.mentionNames.replace(",", "|") : "") + ")\\b";
-            Pattern pattern = Pattern.compile(match, Pattern.CASE_INSENSITIVE);
+            Pattern pattern;
+            try {
+                pattern = Pattern.compile(match, Pattern.CASE_INSENSITIVE);
+                if (!failedRegex.equals("")) {
+                    failedRegex = "";
+                }
+            } catch (PatternSyntaxException e) {
+                if (failedRegex.equals("") || !ChatConfig.INSTANCE.mentionNames.equals(failedRegex)) {
+                    // only run these once per config change
+                    failedRegex = ChatConfig.INSTANCE.mentionNames;
+                    // Also maybe notify the player
+                    McIf.player().sendMessage(new TextComponentString("Wynntils custom mention regex failed, check your config! Reverting to default username mentions."));
+                    McIf.player().sendMessage(new TextComponentString(e.getMessage()));
+                }
+                // Failed manual regexes will be ignored, only check the playername
+                pattern = Pattern.compile("\\b(" + McIf.player().getName() + ")\\b", Pattern.CASE_INSENSITIVE);
+            }
 
             Matcher looseMatcher = pattern.matcher(McIf.getUnformattedText(in));