diff --git a/src/api.rs b/src/api.rs
index 0f1ff40..10c04e3 100644
--- a/src/api.rs
+++ b/src/api.rs
@@ -50,3 +50,4 @@ impl<'de> Deserialize<'de> for Event {
         deserializer.deserialize_str(EventVisitor)
     }
 }
+
diff --git a/src/config.rs b/src/config.rs
index 3da391a..41c2977 100644
--- a/src/config.rs
+++ b/src/config.rs
@@ -1,14 +1,15 @@
 use anyhow::{Context, Result};
 use once_cell::sync::OnceCell;
-use serde::Deserialize;
-use std::{collections::HashMap, path::PathBuf};
+use serde::{Deserialize, de::{Deserializer, MapAccess, Visitor}};
+use std::{collections::HashMap, path::PathBuf, marker::PhantomData};
+use std::fmt;
 
 #[derive(Deserialize)]
 pub struct Config {
     pub nickname: String,
     pub gateways: Vec<String>,
     pub api: String,
-    pub memes: HashMap<String, String>,
+    pub memes: LowerCaseMap<String>,
 }
 
 static CONFIG: OnceCell<Config> = OnceCell::new();
@@ -35,3 +36,36 @@ pub async fn try_get_config<'a>() -> Result<&'a Config> {
         Some(c) => Ok(c),
     }
 }
+
+pub struct LowerCaseMap<T> {
+    pub map: HashMap<String, T>
+}
+
+impl<'de, T: Deserialize<'de>> Deserialize<'de> for LowerCaseMap<T> {
+    fn deserialize<D>(deserializer: D) -> Result<LowerCaseMap<T>, D::Error>
+    where
+        D: Deserializer<'de>,
+    {
+        struct LowerCaseMapVisitor<T>(PhantomData<T>);
+
+        impl<'de, T: Deserialize<'de>> Visitor<'de> for LowerCaseMapVisitor<T> {
+            type Value = LowerCaseMap<T>;
+
+            fn expecting(&self, formatter: &mut fmt::Formatter) -> fmt::Result {
+                formatter.write_str("a key-value pair with a string key")
+            }
+
+            fn visit_map<A: MapAccess<'de>>(self, mut access: A) -> Result<Self::Value, A::Error> {
+                let mut map = HashMap::new();
+                while let Some((k, v)) = access.next_entry::<String, T>()? {
+                    map.insert(k.to_lowercase(), v);
+                }
+
+                Ok(LowerCaseMap { map })
+            }
+        }
+
+        deserializer.deserialize_map(LowerCaseMapVisitor(PhantomData))
+    }
+}
+
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index c70471e..49ca1d1 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ async fn process_message(client: &Client, message: Message) -> Result<()> {
                     return Ok(());
                 }
                 
-                if let Some(meme) = config.memes.get(&lower) {
+                if let Some(meme) = config.memes.map.get(&lower) {
                     log::info!(
                         r#"found meme matching message "{}". responding with "{}""#,
                         text,