diff --git a/extensions/zalouser/src/channel.sendpayload.test.ts b/extensions/zalouser/src/channel.sendpayload.test.ts
index cdf478411f0..00910646325 100644
--- a/extensions/zalouser/src/channel.sendpayload.test.ts
+++ b/extensions/zalouser/src/channel.sendpayload.test.ts
@@ -49,6 +49,22 @@ describe("zalouserPlugin outbound sendPayload", () => {
     expect(result).toMatchObject({ channel: "zalouser", messageId: "zlu-t1" });
   });
 
+  it("group target delegates with isGroup=true and stripped threadId", async () => {
+    mockedSend.mockResolvedValue({ ok: true, messageId: "zlu-g1" });
+
+    const result = await zalouserPlugin.outbound!.sendPayload!({
+      ...baseCtx({ text: "hello group" }),
+      to: "group:1471383327500481391",
+    });
+
+    expect(mockedSend).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      "1471383327500481391",
+      "hello group",
+      expect.objectContaining({ isGroup: true }),
+    );
+    expect(result).toMatchObject({ channel: "zalouser", messageId: "zlu-g1" });
+  });
+
   it("single media delegates to sendMedia", async () => {
     mockedSend.mockResolvedValue({ ok: true, messageId: "zlu-m1" });
 
@@ -115,3 +131,27 @@ describe("zalouserPlugin outbound sendPayload", () => {
     expect(result).toMatchObject({ channel: "zalouser" });
   });
 });
+
+describe("zalouserPlugin messaging target normalization", () => {
+  it("normalizes user/group aliases to canonical targets", () => {
+    const normalize = zalouserPlugin.messaging?.normalizeTarget;
+    expect(normalize).toBeTypeOf("function");
+    if (!normalize) {
+      return;
+    }
+    expect(normalize("zlu:g-30003")).toBe("group:30003");
+    expect(normalize("zalouser:u:20002")).toBe("user:20002");
+    expect(normalize("20002")).toBe("20002");
+  });
+
+  it("treats canonical user/group targets as direct IDs", () => {
+    const looksLikeId = zalouserPlugin.messaging?.targetResolver?.looksLikeId;
+    expect(looksLikeId).toBeTypeOf("function");
+    if (!looksLikeId) {
+      return;
+    }
+    expect(looksLikeId("user:20002")).toBe(true);
+    expect(looksLikeId("group:30003")).toBe(true);
+    expect(looksLikeId("Alice Nguyen")).toBe(false);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/extensions/zalouser/src/channel.ts b/extensions/zalouser/src/channel.ts
index 2c1770b6ebd..ad34fd49722 100644
--- a/extensions/zalouser/src/channel.ts
+++ b/extensions/zalouser/src/channel.ts
@@ -61,6 +61,60 @@ const meta = {
   quickstartAllowFrom: true,
 };
 
+function stripZalouserTargetPrefix(raw: string): string {
+  return raw
+    .trim()
+    .replace(/^(zalouser|zlu):/i, "")
+    .trim();
+}
+
+function normalizePrefixedTarget(raw: string): string | undefined {
+  const trimmed = stripZalouserTargetPrefix(raw);
+  if (!trimmed) {
+    return undefined;
+  }
+
+  const groupAlias = trimmed.match(/^(group:|g:|g-)(.+)$/i);
+  if (groupAlias) {
+    const id = groupAlias[2]?.trim() ?? "";
+    return id ? `group:${id}` : undefined;
+  }
+
+  const userAlias = trimmed.match(/^(user:|dm:|u:|u-)(.+)$/i);
+  if (userAlias) {
+    const id = userAlias[2]?.trim() ?? "";
+    return id ? `user:${id}` : undefined;
+  }
+
+  return trimmed;
+}
+
+function parseZalouserOutboundTarget(raw: string): {
+  threadId: string;
+  isGroup: boolean;
+} {
+  const normalized = normalizePrefixedTarget(raw);
+  if (!normalized) {
+    throw new Error("Zalouser target is required");
+  }
+  const lowered = normalized.toLowerCase();
+  if (lowered.startsWith("group:")) {
+    const threadId = normalized.slice("group:".length).trim();
+    if (!threadId) {
+      throw new Error("Zalouser group target is missing group id");
+    }
+    return { threadId, isGroup: true };
+  }
+  if (lowered.startsWith("user:")) {
+    const threadId = normalized.slice("user:".length).trim();
+    if (!threadId) {
+      throw new Error("Zalouser user target is missing user id");
+    }
+    return { threadId, isGroup: false };
+  }
+  return { threadId: normalized, isGroup: false };
+}
+
 function resolveZalouserQrProfile(accountId?: string | null): string {
   const normalized = normalizeAccountId(accountId);
   if (!normalized || normalized === DEFAULT_ACCOUNT_ID) {
@@ -387,22 +441,19 @@ export const zalouserPlugin: ChannelPlugin<ResolvedZalouserAccount> = {
     },
   },
   messaging: {
-    normalizeTarget: (raw) => {
-      const trimmed = raw?.trim();
-      if (!trimmed) {
-        return undefined;
-      }
-      return trimmed.replace(/^(zalouser|zlu):/i, "");
-    },
+    normalizeTarget: (raw) => normalizePrefixedTarget(raw),
     targetResolver: {
       looksLikeId: (raw) => {
-        const trimmed = raw.trim();
-        if (!trimmed) {
+        const normalized = normalizePrefixedTarget(raw);
+        if (!normalized) {
           return false;
         }
-        return /^\d{3,}$/.test(trimmed);
+        if (/^group:[^\s]+$/i.test(normalized) || /^user:[^\s]+$/i.test(normalized)) {
+          return true;
+        }
+        return /^\d{3,}$/.test(normalized);
       },
-      hint: "<threadId>",
+      hint: "<threadId|user:id|group:id>",
     },
   },
   directory: {
@@ -596,7 +647,11 @@ export const zalouserPlugin: ChannelPlugin<ResolvedZalouserAccount> = {
     },
     sendText: async ({ to, text, accountId, cfg }) => {
       const account = resolveZalouserAccountSync({ cfg: cfg, accountId });
-      const result = await sendMessageZalouser(to, text, { profile: account.profile });
+      const target = parseZalouserOutboundTarget(to);
+      const result = await sendMessageZalouser(target.threadId, text, {
+        profile: account.profile,
+        isGroup: target.isGroup,
+      });
       return {
         channel: "zalouser",
         ok: result.ok,
@@ -606,8 +661,10 @@ export const zalouserPlugin: ChannelPlugin<ResolvedZalouserAccount> = {
     },
     sendMedia: async ({ to, text, mediaUrl, accountId, cfg, mediaLocalRoots }) => {
       const account = resolveZalouserAccountSync({ cfg: cfg, accountId });
-      const result = await sendMessageZalouser(to, text, {
+      const target = parseZalouserOutboundTarget(to);
+      const result = await sendMessageZalouser(target.threadId, text, {
         profile: account.profile,
+        isGroup: target.isGroup,
         mediaUrl,
         mediaLocalRoots,
       });