diff --git a/modules/api/src/test/ModTimelineTest.scala b/modules/api/src/test/ModTimelineTest.scala
index 866e62a8372c7..71175c6622993 100644
--- a/modules/api/src/test/ModTimelineTest.scala
+++ b/modules/api/src/test/ModTimelineTest.scala
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import lila.playban.TempBan
 class ModTimelineTest extends munit.FunSuite:
 
   import ModTimeline.*
+  import PublicLine.merge.sep
 
   val now = nowInstant
 
@@ -24,18 +25,21 @@ class ModTimelineTest extends munit.FunSuite:
     assertEquals(aggregateEvents(Nil), Nil)
 
   test("public line merge"):
-    assertEquals(PublicLine.merge(l1, l1), l1.copy(text = "linguine|linguine").some)
-    assertEquals(PublicLine.merge(l1, l2), l1.copy(text = "linguine|fusilli").some)
+    assertEquals(PublicLine.merge(l1, l1), l1.some)
+    assertEquals(PublicLine.merge(l1, l2), l1.copy(text = s"linguine${sep}fusilli").some)
     assertEquals(PublicLine.merge(l2, l3), none)
 
   test("merge same line"):
     assertEquals(aggregateEvents(List(l1)), List(l1))
-    assertEquals(aggregateEvents(List(l1, l1)), List(l1.copy(text = "linguine|linguine")))
+    assertEquals(aggregateEvents(List(l1, l1)), List(l1))
 
   test("merge same source lines"):
-    assertEquals(aggregateEvents(List(l1, l2)), List(l1.copy(text = "linguine|fusilli")))
-    assertEquals(aggregateEvents(List(l2, l1)), List(l1.copy(text = "fusilli|linguine")))
-    assertEquals(aggregateEvents(List(l1, l2, l1)), List(l1.copy(text = "linguine|fusilli|linguine")))
+    assertEquals(aggregateEvents(List(l1, l2)), List(l1.copy(text = s"linguine${sep}fusilli")))
+    assertEquals(aggregateEvents(List(l2, l1)), List(l1.copy(text = s"fusilli${sep}linguine")))
+    assertEquals(
+      aggregateEvents(List(l1, l2, l1)),
+      List(l1.copy(text = s"linguine${sep}fusilli"))
+    )
 
   test("merge different source lines"):
     assertEquals(aggregateEvents(List(l1, l3)), List(l1, l3))
@@ -44,21 +48,21 @@ class ModTimelineTest extends munit.FunSuite:
   test("merge consecutive lines"):
     assertEquals(
       aggregateEvents(List(l4, l1, l1, l2, l3)),
-      List(l4, l1.copy(text = "linguine|linguine|fusilli"), l3)
+      List(l4, l1.copy(text = s"linguine${sep}fusilli"), l3)
     )
     assertEquals(
       aggregateEvents(List(l4, l5, l1, l2, l1, l3)),
-      List(l4.copy(text = "bucatini|rigatoni"), l1.copy(text = "linguine|fusilli|linguine"), l3)
+      List(l4.copy(text = s"bucatini${sep}rigatoni"), l1.copy(text = s"linguine${sep}fusilli"), l3)
     )
 
   test("merge mixed lines"):
     assertEquals(
       aggregateEvents(List(l1, l4, l1)),
-      List(l1.copy(text = "linguine|linguine"), l4)
+      List(l1, l4)
     )
     assertEquals(
       aggregateEvents(List(l1, l4, l2, l3, l5)),
-      List(l1.copy(text = "linguine|fusilli"), l4.copy(text = "bucatini|rigatoni"), l3)
+      List(l1.copy(text = s"linguine${sep}fusilli"), l4.copy(text = s"bucatini${sep}rigatoni"), l3)
     )
 
   test("merge mixed events"):
@@ -72,22 +76,22 @@ class ModTimelineTest extends munit.FunSuite:
     )
     assertEquals(
       aggregateEvents(List(ban1, l1, l1)),
-      List(ban1, l1.copy(text = "linguine|linguine"))
+      List(ban1, l1)
     )
     assertEquals(
       aggregateEvents(List(ban1, l1, l1, ban2)),
-      List(ban1, l1.copy(text = "linguine|linguine"), ban2)
+      List(ban1, l1, ban2)
     )
     assertEquals(
       aggregateEvents(List(ban1, l1, l4, l1, ban2)),
-      List(ban1, l1.copy(text = "linguine|linguine"), l4, ban2)
+      List(ban1, l1, l4, ban2)
     )
     assertEquals(
       aggregateEvents(List(l1, ban1, l4, ban2, l2, l3, l5, ban3, ban3)),
       List(
-        l1.copy(text = "linguine|fusilli"),
+        l1.copy(text = s"linguine${sep}fusilli"),
         ban1,
-        l4.copy(text = "bucatini|rigatoni"),
+        l4.copy(text = s"bucatini${sep}rigatoni"),
         ban2,
         l3,
         ban3,
diff --git a/modules/shutup/src/main/PublicLine.scala b/modules/shutup/src/main/PublicLine.scala
index c2a5bfd802c86..f983274ecf690 100644
--- a/modules/shutup/src/main/PublicLine.scala
+++ b/modules/shutup/src/main/PublicLine.scala
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ object PublicLine:
   given BSONHandler[PublicLine] = Macros.handler
 
   object merge:
-    private val sep = "_@_"
+    val sep = "_@_"
     def apply(prev: PublicLine, next: PublicLine): Option[PublicLine] =
       if prev.from != next.from then none
       else if split(prev.text).contains(next.text) then prev.some