diff --git a/code/chat.js b/code/chat.js
index 928092a7..d554984f 100644
--- a/code/chat.js
+++ b/code/chat.js
@@ -213,7 +213,7 @@ window.chat.handlePublic = function(data, olderMsgs) {
   if(data.success.length === 0) return;
 
   var old = chat._public.oldestTimestamp;
-  chat.writeDataToHash(data, chat._public, true, olderMsgs);
+  chat.writeDataToHash(data, chat._public, undefined, olderMsgs);   //NOTE: isPublic passed as undefined - this is the 'all' channel, so not really public or private
   var oldMsgsWereAdded = old !== chat._public.oldestTimestamp;
 
   runHooks('publicChatDataAvailable', {raw: data, processed: chat._public.data});
@@ -373,9 +373,9 @@ window.chat.writeDataToHash = function(newData, storageHash, isPublicChannel, is
     //both the public and private channels
     //we don't include this '[secure]' text above, as it's redundant in the faction-only channel
     //let's add it here though if we have a secure message in the public channel, or the reverse if a non-secure in the faction one
-    if (!systemNarrowcast && !(isPublicChannel===false) && isSecureMessage) msg = '<span style="color: #f88; background-color: #500;">[faction]</span> ' + msg;
+    if (!auto && !(isPublicChannel===false) && isSecureMessage) msg = '<span style="color: #f88; background-color: #500;">[faction]</span> ' + msg;
     //and, add the reverse - a 'public' marker to messages in the private channel
-    if (!systemNarrowcast && !(isPublicChannel===true) && (!isSecureMessage)) msg = '<span style="color: #ff6; background-color: #550">[public]</span> ' + msg;
+    if (!auto && !(isPublicChannel===true) && (!isSecureMessage)) msg = '<span style="color: #ff6; background-color: #550">[public]</span> ' + msg;
 
 
     // format: timestamp, autogenerated, HTML message