diff --git a/src/commands/moderation/ban.ts b/src/commands/moderation/ban.ts
index 96302ab..00d4254 100644
--- a/src/commands/moderation/ban.ts
+++ b/src/commands/moderation/ban.ts
@@ -6,27 +6,53 @@ import { fmt } from "@/utils/format"
 import { ephemeral } from "@/utils/messages"
 import { getTelegramId } from "@/utils/telegram-id"
 import { numberOrString, type Role } from "@/utils/types"
-import { getUser } from "@/utils/users"
+import { getOverloadUser, getUser } from "@/utils/users"
 
 export const ban = new CommandsCollection<Role>("Banning")
   .createCommand({
     trigger: "ban",
-    args: [{ key: "reason", optional: true, description: "Optional reason to ban the user" }],
+    args: [
+      {
+        key: "reasonOrUser",
+        optional: true,
+        description:
+          "If the message is a reply, this argument is the reason. Otherwise, it's the username or user id of the user to ban",
+        type: numberOrString,
+      },
+      { key: "reason", optional: true, description: "Optional reason to ban the user" },
+    ],
     description: "Permanently ban a user from a group",
     scope: "group",
-    reply: "required",
+    reply: "optional",
     permissions: {
       allowedRoles: ["owner", "direttivo"],
       excludedRoles: ["creator"],
       allowGroupAdmins: true,
     },
     handler: async ({ args, context, repliedTo }) => {
-      if (!repliedTo.from) {
-        logger.error("ban: no repliedTo.from field (the msg was sent in a channel)")
+      const userOverload = await getOverloadUser(context, repliedTo, args.reasonOrUser, args.reason)
+      if (userOverload.isErr()) {
+        await ephemeral(
+          context.reply(
+            repliedTo
+              ? fmt(({ n }) => n`There was an error`)
+              : fmt(({ n }) => n`Target user not found, please try replying to their message`)
+          )
+        )
+        logger.error({ args, repliedTo }, `BAN: ${userOverload.error}`)
         return
       }
 
-      const res = await Moderation.ban(repliedTo.from, context.chat, context.from, null, [repliedTo], args.reason)
+      const { user, reason } = userOverload.value
+
+      const res = await Moderation.ban(
+        user,
+        context.chat,
+        context.from,
+        null,
+        repliedTo ? [repliedTo] : undefined,
+        reason
+      )
       if (res.isErr()) await ephemeral(context.reply(res.error.fmtError))
     },
   })
diff --git a/src/commands/moderation/mute.ts b/src/commands/moderation/mute.ts
index 837d662..00ac7f1 100644
--- a/src/commands/moderation/mute.ts
+++ b/src/commands/moderation/mute.ts
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ import { fmt } from "@/utils/format"
 import { ephemeral } from "@/utils/messages"
 import { getTelegramId } from "@/utils/telegram-id"
 import { numberOrString, type Role } from "@/utils/types"
-import { getUser } from "@/utils/users"
+import { getOverloadUser, getUser } from "@/utils/users"
 
 export const mute = new CommandsCollection<Role>("Muting")
   .createCommand({
@@ -47,22 +47,48 @@ export const mute = new CommandsCollection<Role>("Muting")
   })
   .createCommand({
     trigger: "mute",
-    args: [{ key: "reason", optional: true, description: "Optional reason to mute the user" }],
+    args: [
+      {
+        key: "reasonOrUser",
+        optional: true,
+        description:
+          "If the message is a reply, this argument is the reason. Otherwise, it's the username or user id of the user to mute",
+        type: numberOrString,
+      },
+      { key: "reason", optional: true, description: "Optional reason to mute the user" },
+    ],
     description: "Permanently mute a user from a group",
     scope: "group",
-    reply: "required",
+    reply: "optional",
     permissions: {
       allowedRoles: ["owner", "direttivo"],
       excludedRoles: ["creator"],
       allowGroupAdmins: true,
     },
     handler: async ({ args, context, repliedTo }) => {
-      if (!repliedTo.from) {
-        logger.error("mute: no repliedTo.from field (the msg was sent in a channel)")
+      const userOverload = await getOverloadUser(context, repliedTo, args.reasonOrUser, args.reason)
+      if (userOverload.isErr()) {
+        await ephemeral(
+          context.reply(
+            repliedTo
+              ? fmt(({ n }) => n`There was an error`)
+              : fmt(({ n }) => n`Target user not found, please try replying to their message`)
+          )
+        )
+        logger.error({ args, repliedTo }, `MUTE: ${userOverload.error}`)
         return
       }
 
-      const res = await Moderation.mute(repliedTo.from, context.chat, context.from, null, [repliedTo], args.reason)
+      const { user, reason } = userOverload.value
+
+      const res = await Moderation.mute(
+        user,
+        context.chat,
+        context.from,
+        null,
+        repliedTo ? [repliedTo] : undefined,
+        reason
+      )
       if (res.isErr()) await ephemeral(context.reply(res.error.fmtError))
     },
   })
diff --git a/src/utils/users.ts b/src/utils/users.ts
index a5b3fbd..93a34ea 100644
--- a/src/utils/users.ts
+++ b/src/utils/users.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
 import type { Context } from "grammy"
-import type { User } from "grammy/types"
+import type { Message, User } from "grammy/types"
+import { Err, Ok, type Result } from "neverthrow"
+import { logger } from "@/logger"
 import { MessageUserStorage } from "@/middlewares/message-user-storage"
+import { getTelegramId } from "./telegram-id"
 
 export async function getUser<C extends Context>(userId: number, ctx: C | null): Promise<User | null> {
   // TODO: check if this works correctly
@@ -26,3 +29,31 @@ export function printCtxFrom<C extends Context = Context>(ctx: C): string {
   if (!ctx.from) return "<N/A>"
   return printUsername(ctx.from)
 }
+
+export async function getOverloadUser<C extends Context>(
+  context: C,
+  repliedTo: Message | null,
+  firstArg?: string | number,
+  secondArg?: string
+): Promise<Result<{ user: User; reason?: string }, string>> {
+  if (repliedTo) {
+    if (!repliedTo.from) {
+      // error
+      return new Err("[getOverloadUser] no repliedTo.from field (the msg was sent in a channel)")
+    }
+    return new Ok({ user: repliedTo.from, reason: [firstArg, secondArg].filter(Boolean).join(" ") })
+  }
+
+  if (!firstArg) return new Err("[getOverloadUser] No firstArg passed (without repliedTo)")
+
+  const userId = typeof firstArg === "number" ? firstArg : await getTelegramId(firstArg).catch(() => null)
+  if (!userId) return new Err("[getOverloadUser] Cannot retrieve the userId from arg or redis")
+
+  const user = await getUser(userId, context).catch(() => null)
+  if (!user) return new Err("[getOverloadUser] Cannot retrieve the User from chatMember or storage")
+
+  return new Ok({
+    user,
+    reason: secondArg,
+  })
+}