diff --git a/src/listeners/common/help.ts b/src/listeners/common/help.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1ad365b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/listeners/common/help.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+import { version, name as packageName } from "package.json";
+
+
+const handleHelpCommand = async (
+  threadTs: string,
+  say:Function,
+) => {
+  // we have to handle the MessageChangedEvent case so we need to do some type
+  // hackery to make sure we get the message text out.
+    await say({
+      text: `You can @ me with the following commands:
+  - version
+  - ls`,
+      thread_ts: threadTs,
+    });
+};
+
+export default handleHelpCommand;
diff --git a/src/listeners/common/ls.ts b/src/listeners/common/ls.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1517eff
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/listeners/common/ls.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+import { getOncallSlackMembers } from "@api/oncall";
+import { makeOncallMappingMessage } from "@api/pd";
+
+
+const handleLsCommand = async (
+  threadTs: string,
+  say:Function,
+) => {
+    const slackMembers = await getOncallSlackMembers();
+    const usersMessage = makeOncallMappingMessage(slackMembers);
+    await say({
+      text: `Current oncall listing:\n ${usersMessage}`,
+      thread_ts: threadTs,
+    });
+};
+
+export default handleLsCommand;
diff --git a/src/listeners/common/version.ts b/src/listeners/common/version.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1125a41
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/listeners/common/version.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+import { version, name as packageName } from "package.json";
+
+
+const handleVersionCommand = async (
+  threadTs: string,
+  say:Function,
+) => {
+  // we have to handle the MessageChangedEvent case so we need to do some type
+  // hackery to make sure we get the message text out.
+    await say({
+      text: `I am *${packageName}* and running version ${version}.`,
+      thread_ts: threadTs,
+    });
+};
+
+export default handleVersionCommand;
diff --git a/src/listeners/events/app-mentioned.ts b/src/listeners/events/app-mentioned.ts
index 3df3ab8..2e666da 100644
--- a/src/listeners/events/app-mentioned.ts
+++ b/src/listeners/events/app-mentioned.ts
@@ -2,9 +2,9 @@ import {
   type AllMiddlewareArgs,
   type SlackEventMiddlewareArgs,
 } from "@slack/bolt";
-import { getOncallSlackMembers } from "@api/oncall";
-import { version, name as packageName } from "package.json";
-import { makeOncallMappingMessage } from "@api/pd";
+import handleVersionCommand from "@srclisteners/common/version";
+import handleLsCommand from "@srclisteners/common/ls";
+import handleHelpCommand from "@srclisteners/common/help";
 
 const USER_MENTION_REGEX = "^<@U[A-Z0-9]{8,10}>";
 const VERSION_REGEX = new RegExp(`${USER_MENTION_REGEX} version`);
@@ -13,27 +13,17 @@ const LS_REGEX = new RegExp(`${USER_MENTION_REGEX} ls`);
 const appMentionedCallback = async ({
   event,
   say,
-}: AllMiddlewareArgs & SlackEventMiddlewareArgs<"app_mention">): Promise<void> => {
+}: AllMiddlewareArgs &
+  SlackEventMiddlewareArgs<"app_mention">): Promise<void> => {
   console.log(`**** bot mentioned ${event.text}`);
   const threadTs = event.ts;
   if (event.text.match(VERSION_REGEX) !== null) {
-    await say({
-      text: `I am *${packageName}* and running version ${version}.`,
-      thread_ts: threadTs,
-    });
+    await handleVersionCommand(threadTs, say);
   } else if (event.text.match(LS_REGEX) !== null) {
-    const slackMembers = await getOncallSlackMembers();
-    const usersMessage = makeOncallMappingMessage(slackMembers);
-    await say({
-      text: `Current oncall listing:\n ${usersMessage}`,
-      thread_ts: threadTs,
-    });
+    await handleLsCommand(threadTs, say);
   } else {
     // list available commands
-    await say({
-      text: "You can @ me with the following commands:\n- version\n- ls",
-      thread_ts: threadTs,
-    });
+    handleHelpCommand(threadTs, say);
   }
 };
 
diff --git a/src/listeners/index.ts b/src/listeners/index.ts
index b22f103..4ca9f13 100644
--- a/src/listeners/index.ts
+++ b/src/listeners/index.ts
@@ -2,9 +2,9 @@ import { type App } from "@slack/bolt";
 import events from "./events/index";
 import messages from "./messages/index";
 
-const registerListeners = (app: App): void => {
+const registerListeners = async (app: App): Promise<void> => {
   events.register(app);
-  messages.register(app);
+  await messages.register(app);
 };
 
 export default registerListeners;
diff --git a/src/listeners/messages/app-mentioned-dm.ts b/src/listeners/messages/app-mentioned-dm.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e33faf0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/listeners/messages/app-mentioned-dm.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+import {
+  type AllMiddlewareArgs,
+  type SlackEventMiddlewareArgs,
+} from "@slack/bolt";
+import handleVersionCommand from "@srclisteners/common/version";
+import handleHelpCommand from "@srclisteners/common/help";
+import handleLsCommand from "@srclisteners/common/ls";
+
+export const appMentionedDmVersionCallback = async ({
+  event,
+  say,
+}: AllMiddlewareArgs & SlackEventMiddlewareArgs<"message">): Promise<void> => {
+  console.log("channel is ", event.channel_type);
+  handleVersionCommand(event.ts, say);
+};
+
+export const appMentionedDmHelpCallback = async ({
+  event,
+  say,
+}: AllMiddlewareArgs & SlackEventMiddlewareArgs<"message">): Promise<void> => {
+  handleHelpCommand(event.ts, say);
+};
+
+export const appMentionedDmLsCallback = async ({
+  event,
+  say,
+}: AllMiddlewareArgs & SlackEventMiddlewareArgs<"message">): Promise<void> => {
+  handleLsCommand(event.ts, say);
+};
diff --git a/src/listeners/messages/index.ts b/src/listeners/messages/index.ts
index 76e9eec..8144f75 100644
--- a/src/listeners/messages/index.ts
+++ b/src/listeners/messages/index.ts
@@ -1,8 +1,20 @@
 import { type App } from "@slack/bolt";
 import oncallMentionedCallback from "./oncall-mentioned";
+import {
+  appMentionedDmHelpCallback,
+  appMentionedDmLsCallback,
+  appMentionedDmVersionCallback,
+} from "@src/listeners/messages/app-mentioned-dm";
 import { oncallMap } from "@api/pd";
 
-const register = (app: App): void => {
+const USER_MENTION_REGEX = "<@U[A-Z0-9]{8,10}>";
+// These regexes optionally include the bot user mention, allowing for
+// DM messages to the bot without the mention
+const VERSION_REGEX = new RegExp(`(${USER_MENTION_REGEX} )?version`);
+const LS_REGEX = new RegExp(`(${USER_MENTION_REGEX} )?ls`);
+const HELP_REGEX = new RegExp(`(${USER_MENTION_REGEX} )?help`);
+
+const register = async (app: App): Promise<void> => {
   // This regex matches any string that contains a mention of any of the oncall shortnames.
   // Updating the config requires a restart of the service.
   const allShortnamesRegex = new RegExp(
@@ -10,6 +22,12 @@ const register = (app: App): void => {
   );
   console.log("**** allShortnamesRegex", allShortnamesRegex);
   app.message(allShortnamesRegex, oncallMentionedCallback);
+
+  const result = await app.client.auth.test();
+  let bot_id = result.user_id;
+  app.message(VERSION_REGEX, appMentionedDmVersionCallback);
+  app.message(LS_REGEX, appMentionedDmLsCallback);
+  app.message(HELP_REGEX, appMentionedDmHelpCallback);
 };
 
 export default { register };