diff --git a/static/js/zcommand.js b/static/js/zcommand.js
index 2e850f278f..28029edef9 100644
--- a/static/js/zcommand.js
+++ b/static/js/zcommand.js
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ exports.process = function (message_content) {
         var start_time = new Date();
 
         exports.send({
-            command: 'ping',
+            command: content,
             on_success: function () {
                 var end_time = new Date();
                 var diff = end_time - start_time;
@@ -78,12 +78,12 @@ exports.process = function (message_content) {
     }
 
     if (content === '/day') {
-        update_setting('day');
+        update_setting(content);
         return true;
     }
 
     if (content === '/night') {
-        update_setting('night');
+        update_setting(content);
         return true;
     }
 
diff --git a/zerver/lib/zcommand.py b/zerver/lib/zcommand.py
index 8d198ffaa4..e304bece75 100644
--- a/zerver/lib/zcommand.py
+++ b/zerver/lib/zcommand.py
@@ -5,7 +5,8 @@ from zerver.models import UserProfile
 from zerver.lib.actions import do_set_user_display_setting
 from zerver.lib.exceptions import JsonableError
 
-def process_zcommands(command: str, user_profile: UserProfile) -> Dict[str, Any]:
+def process_zcommands(content: str, user_profile: UserProfile) -> Dict[str, Any]:
+    command = content.replace('/', '')
 
     if command == 'ping':
         ret = dict()  # type: Dict[str, Any]
diff --git a/zerver/tests/test_zcommand.py b/zerver/tests/test_zcommand.py
index 3007fff91c..00baa4766f 100644
--- a/zerver/tests/test_zcommand.py
+++ b/zerver/tests/test_zcommand.py
@@ -9,14 +9,14 @@ class ZcommandTest(ZulipTestCase):
     def test_invalid_zcommand(self) -> None:
         self.login(self.example_email("hamlet"))
 
-        payload = dict(command="boil-ocean")
+        payload = dict(command="/boil-ocean")
         result = self.client_post("/json/zcommand", payload)
         self.assert_json_error(result, "No such command: boil-ocean")
 
     def test_ping_zcommand(self) -> None:
         self.login(self.example_email("hamlet"))
 
-        payload = dict(command="ping")
+        payload = dict(command="/ping")
         result = self.client_post("/json/zcommand", payload)
         self.assert_json_success(result)
 
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ class ZcommandTest(ZulipTestCase):
         user.night_mode = False
         user.save()
 
-        payload = dict(command="night")
+        payload = dict(command="/night")
         result = self.client_post("/json/zcommand", payload)
         self.assert_json_success(result)
         self.assertIn('Changed to night', result.json()['msg'])
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ class ZcommandTest(ZulipTestCase):
         user.night_mode = True
         user.save()
 
-        payload = dict(command="day")
+        payload = dict(command="/day")
         result = self.client_post("/json/zcommand", payload)
         self.assert_json_success(result)
         self.assertIn('Changed to day', result.json()['msg'])