diff --git a/stoat_retarded_ai_tree/python/main.py b/stoat_retarded_ai_tree/python/main.py
index 103a6e1..e3f6908 100644
--- a/stoat_retarded_ai_tree/python/main.py
+++ b/stoat_retarded_ai_tree/python/main.py
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #!/home/nonroot/stoat_retarded_ai_tree/venv/bin/python3
 
-from settings import stoat_url, stoat_token, stoat_url_get_last_message, claude_api_key, replicate_api_key
+from settings import stoat_url, stoat_token, stoat_url_get_last_message, claude_api_key, replicate_api_key, stoat_server_emotes
 import requests
 import time
 import base64
@@ -10,6 +10,15 @@ import replicate as replicate_client
 from PIL import Image
 import io
 
+def get_custom_emotes():
+    headers = {
+        "x-bot-token": f"{stoat_token}",
+        "Content-Type": "application/json"
+    }
+    r = requests.get(stoat_server_emotes, headers=headers)
+    js = r.json()
+    return js
+
 def send_post_message_to_stoat(claude_response, fileContent, sleep_seconds):
     message = claude_response["message"]
     metrics = claude_response["metrics"]
@@ -78,7 +87,7 @@ def check_if_emote_reacted():
 def is_custom_emote(emote_key):
     return emote_key.isascii() and emote_key.isalnum()
 
-def send_claude_message(reacted_emote, metrics):
+def send_claude_message(reacted_emote, metrics, custom_emotes_json):
     if is_custom_emote(reacted_emote):
         img_response = requests.get("https://stoat.unloze.com/autumn/emojis/" + reacted_emote)
         img_data = img_response.content
@@ -97,6 +106,13 @@ def send_claude_message(reacted_emote, metrics):
 
         img_base64 = base64.b64encode(img_data).decode("utf-8")
 
+        emote_name = ""
+        for custom_emote_js in custom_emotes_json:
+            if custom_emote_js['_id'] == reacted_emote:
+                emote_name = custom_emote_js['name']
+                print('found emote name: ', emote_name)
+                break
+
         response = requests.post(
             "https://api.anthropic.com/v1/messages",
             headers={
@@ -122,7 +138,7 @@ def send_claude_message(reacted_emote, metrics):
                             },
                             {
                                 "type": "text",
-                                "text": f"Current metrics: {metrics}\nWhat does this emote do to the tree?"
+                                "text": f"Current metrics: {metrics}\nCustom emote name (use this as a hint to identify the emote, ignore if empty): '{emote_name}'.\nDescribe what you see in the image, then decide what it does to the tree."
                             }
                         ]
                     }
@@ -165,11 +181,12 @@ def replicate_fetch_image(image_prompt):
     return output[0].read()
 
 def main():
+    custom_emotes_json = get_custom_emotes()
     while True:
         reacted_emote, metrics = check_if_emote_reacted()
         print(reacted_emote, metrics)
         if reacted_emote:
-            claude_response = send_claude_message(reacted_emote, metrics)
+            claude_response = send_claude_message(reacted_emote, metrics, custom_emotes_json)
             replicate_image_response = replicate_fetch_image(claude_response["image_prompt"])
 
             sleep_seconds = claude_response.get("sleep_seconds", 30)