diff --git a/src/activitypub/handler.ts b/src/activitypub/handler.ts
index 04ef3b3931e79415b39000371403ffbc14c5d9a5..e9d1ffaa91b27383fdfb59214fa84ed8e28b76b7 100644
--- a/src/activitypub/handler.ts
+++ b/src/activitypub/handler.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@ import { Conf } from '@/config.ts';
 import { Stickynotes } from '@/deps.ts';
 import { activitiesCounter } from '@/metrics.ts';
 
+import { generateId } from '../utils/id.ts';
+
 import { cipher, followsDB } from '../db.ts';
 import { fetchAndPublishActor, fetchAndPublishObject, publish, publishFollows } from '../nostr/publisher.ts';
 import { toEvent0, toEvent1, toEvent10002, toEvent5, toEvent6, toEvent7 } from '../nostr/transmute.ts';
@@ -58,7 +60,10 @@ function handleFollow(activity: Follow) {
 }
 
 async function handleCreateNote({ object }: CreateNote) {
-  if (!isObjectPublic(object)) return;
+  if (!isObjectPublic(object)) {
+    handleMaybeDM(object);
+    return;
+  }
 
   if (object.quoteUrl) {
     await fetchAndPublishObject(object.quoteUrl);
@@ -76,6 +81,48 @@ async function handleCreateNote({ object }: CreateNote) {
   }
 }
 
+function handleMaybeDM(object: Note) {
+  federate(
+    autoReply(
+      'The Nostr bridge does not support direct messages. The recipient will not see your message. This is an automated reply.',
+      object,
+    ),
+  );
+}
+
+function autoReply(message: string, object: Note): Activity {
+  return {
+    type: 'Create',
+    id: generateId('activities'),
+    actor: object.to[0],
+    object: {
+      type: 'Note',
+      id: generateId('objects'),
+      attributedTo: object.to[0],
+      to: [
+        object.attributedTo,
+      ],
+      cc: [],
+      inReplyTo: object.id,
+      content: message,
+      tag: [
+        {
+          type: 'Mention',
+          href: object.attributedTo,
+        },
+      ],
+      sensitive: false,
+      summary: undefined,
+      published: new Date().toISOString(),
+    },
+    to: [
+      object.attributedTo,
+    ],
+    cc: [],
+    published: new Date().toISOString(),
+  };
+}
+
 async function handleAnnounce(activity: Announce) {
   if (!isObjectPublic(activity)) return;