diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index 31f1dd8..e5cd86d 100644
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -213,6 +213,31 @@ app.post('/', function(req, res) {
     res.sendStatus(200);
 });
 
+function fetch_and_say(isIssue, id, from, chan) {
+    var path, text_prefix;
+    if (isIssue) {
+        path = 'issues/';
+        text_prefix = 'Issue #';
+    } else {
+        path = 'merge_requests/';
+        text_prefix = 'Merge request !';
+    }
+
+    var to = chan === config.nick ? from : chan;
+
+    var url = config.projectUrl + path + id;
+    request(url, function(err, res, body) {
+        if (res && res.statusCode === 200) {
+            var title = cheerio.load(body)('head title').text();
+            if (title.length) {
+                client.say(to, title);
+            } else {
+                client.say(to, text_prefix + id + ": " + url);
+            }
+        }
+    });
+}
+
 app.listen(config.port, config.hostname, function() {
     console.log('gitlab-to-irc running.');
 
@@ -222,32 +247,12 @@ app.listen(config.port, config.hostname, function() {
         var matches = null;
         while ((matches = issueRegexp.exec(message)) !== null) {
             var issueId = matches[1];
-            var url = config.projectUrl + 'issues/' + issueId;
-            request(url, function(err, res, body) {
-                if (res && res.statusCode === '200') {
-                    var title = cheerio.load(body)('head title').text();
-                    if (title.length) {
-                        client.say(chan, title);
-                    } else {
-                        client.say(chan, "Issue #" + issueId + ": " + url);
-                    }
-                }
-            });
+            fetch_and_say(true, issueId, from, chan);
         }
 
         while ((matches = mergeRequestRegexp.exec(message)) !== null) {
             var mrId = matches[1];
-            var url = config.projectUrl + 'merge_requests/' + mrId;
-            request(url, function(err, res, body) {
-                if (res && res.statusCode === '200') {
-                    var title = cheerio.load(body)('head title').text();
-                    if (title.length) {
-                        client.say(chan, title);
-                    } else {
-                        client.say(chan, "Merge request !" + mrId + ": " + url);
-                    }
-                }
-            });
+            fetch_and_say(false, mrId, from, chan);
         }
     });
 });