diff --git a/pkg/arvo/app/hark-graph-hook.hoon b/pkg/arvo/app/hark-graph-hook.hoon
index 7c97dc64e..1f0bf1d51 100644
--- a/pkg/arvo/app/hark-graph-hook.hoon
+++ b/pkg/arvo/app/hark-graph-hook.hoon
@@ -211,11 +211,9 @@
       ^-  ?
       ?.  mentions  %.n
       ?~  contents  %.n
-      ?.  ?=(%text -.i.contents)
+      ?.  ?=(%mention -.i.contents)
         $(contents t.contents)
-      =/  res
-         (find (scow %p our.bowl) (trip text.i.contents))       
-      ?^  res
+      ?:  =(our.bowl ship.i.contents)
         %.y
       $(contents t.contents)
     ::
diff --git a/pkg/arvo/lib/graph-store.hoon b/pkg/arvo/lib/graph-store.hoon
index ecb423994..98eaa8fc6 100644
--- a/pkg/arvo/lib/graph-store.hoon
+++ b/pkg/arvo/lib/graph-store.hoon
@@ -74,6 +74,7 @@
     |=  c=^content
     ^-  json
     ?-  -.c
+        %mention    (frond %mention (ship ship.c))
         %text       (frond %text s+text.c)
         %url        (frond %url s+url.c)
         %reference  (frond %reference (uid uid.c))
@@ -324,7 +325,8 @@
     ::
     ++  content
       %-  of
-      :~  [%text so]
+      :~  [%mention (su ;~(pfix sig fed:ag))]
+          [%text so]
           [%url so]
           [%reference uid]
           [%code eval]
diff --git a/pkg/arvo/mar/graph/validator/link.hoon b/pkg/arvo/mar/graph/validator/link.hoon
index 839896b8f..69087ca1c 100644
--- a/pkg/arvo/mar/graph/validator/link.hoon
+++ b/pkg/arvo/mar/graph/validator/link.hoon
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
         ::  comment on link post; comment text
         ::
         [@ @ ~]
-      ?>  ?=([[%text @] ~] contents.p.ip)
+      ?>  ?=(^ contents.p.ip)
       ip
     ==
   --
diff --git a/pkg/arvo/sur/post.hoon b/pkg/arvo/sur/post.hoon
index c5c354615..4855a3a68 100644
--- a/pkg/arvo/sur/post.hoon
+++ b/pkg/arvo/sur/post.hoon
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 ::
 +$  content
   $%  [%text text=cord]
+      [%mention =ship]
       [%url url=cord]
       [%code expression=cord output=(list tank)]
       [%reference =uid]
diff --git a/pkg/interface/src/logic/api/graph.ts b/pkg/interface/src/logic/api/graph.ts
index fe73cac0b..456776f42 100644
--- a/pkg/interface/src/logic/api/graph.ts
+++ b/pkg/interface/src/logic/api/graph.ts
@@ -3,10 +3,10 @@ import { StoreState } from '../store/type';
 import { Patp, Path, PatpNoSig } from '~/types/noun';
 import _ from 'lodash';
 import {makeResource, resourceFromPath} from '../lib/group';
-import {GroupPolicy, Enc, Post, NodeMap} from '~/types';
+import {GroupPolicy, Enc, Post, NodeMap, Content} from '~/types';
 import { numToUd, unixToDa } from '~/logic/lib/util';
 
-export const createPost = (contents: Object[], parentIndex: string = '') => {
+export const createPost = (contents: Content[], parentIndex: string = '') => {
   return {
     author: `~${window.ship}`,
     index: parentIndex + '/' + unixToDa(Date.now()).toString(),
diff --git a/pkg/interface/src/logic/lib/graph.ts b/pkg/interface/src/logic/lib/graph.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b17848ded
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/interface/src/logic/lib/graph.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+import { Content } from "~/types";
+import urbitOb from "urbit-ob";
+
+export function scanForMentions(text: string) {
+  const regex = /~([a-z]|-)+/g;
+  let result: Content[] = [];
+  let match: RegExpExecArray | null;
+  let lastPos = 0;
+  while ((match = regex.exec(text)) !== null) {
+    const newPos = match.index + match[0].length;
+    if (urbitOb.isValidPatp(match[0])) {
+      if (match.index !== lastPos) {
+        result.push({ text: text.slice(lastPos, match.index) });
+      }
+      result.push({ mention: match[0] });
+    }
+    lastPos = newPos;
+  }
+  const remainder = text.slice(lastPos, text.length);
+  if (remainder) {
+    result.push({ text: remainder });
+  }
+  return result;
+}
diff --git a/pkg/interface/src/types/graph-update.ts b/pkg/interface/src/types/graph-update.ts
index cdcb1585e..2f452f908 100644
--- a/pkg/interface/src/types/graph-update.ts
+++ b/pkg/interface/src/types/graph-update.ts
@@ -1,12 +1,28 @@
 import { Patp } from "./noun";
 import { BigIntOrderedMap } from "~/logic/lib/BigIntOrderedMap";
 
-
-export interface TextContent { text: string; };
-export interface UrlContent { url: string; }
-export interface CodeContent { expresssion: string; output: string; };
-export interface ReferenceContent { uid: string; }
-export type Content =  TextContent | UrlContent | CodeContent | ReferenceContent;
+export interface TextContent {
+  text: string;
+}
+export interface UrlContent {
+  url: string;
+}
+export interface CodeContent {
+  expresssion: string;
+  output: string;
+}
+export interface ReferenceContent {
+  uid: string;
+}
+export interface MentionContent {
+  mention: string;
+}
+export type Content =
+  | TextContent
+  | UrlContent
+  | CodeContent
+  | ReferenceContent
+  | MentionContent;
 
 export interface Post {
   author: Patp;
@@ -15,10 +31,9 @@ export interface Post {
   index: string;
   pending?: boolean;
   signatures: string[];
-  'time-sent': number;
+  "time-sent": number;
 }
 
-
 export interface GraphNode {
   children: Graph;
   post: Post;
@@ -27,5 +42,3 @@ export interface GraphNode {
 export type Graph = BigIntOrderedMap<GraphNode>;
 
 export type Graphs = { [rid: string]: Graph };
-
-
diff --git a/pkg/interface/src/views/apps/links/components/comment-item.js b/pkg/interface/src/views/apps/links/components/comment-item.js
index 1f37e045b..56a48acf7 100644
--- a/pkg/interface/src/views/apps/links/components/comment-item.js
+++ b/pkg/interface/src/views/apps/links/components/comment-item.js
@@ -4,9 +4,10 @@ import { cite } from '~/logic/lib/util';
 import moment from 'moment';
 import { Box, Text, Row } from '@tlon/indigo-react';
 import RichText from '~/views/components/RichText';
+import { MentionText } from "~/views/components/MentionText";
 
 export const CommentItem = (props) => {
-  const content = props.post.contents[0].text;
+  const content = props.post.contents;
   const timeSent = 
     moment.unix(props.post['time-sent'] / 1000).format('hh:mm a');
 
@@ -33,10 +34,12 @@ export const CommentItem = (props) => {
         </Row>
       </Row>
       <Row>
-        <Text display="block" py={3} fontSize={1}>
-          <RichText remoteContentPolicy={props.remoteContentPolicy}>
-            {content}
-          </RichText>
+        <Text py={3} fontSize={1}>
+          <MentionText
+            remoteContentPolicy={props.remoteContentPolicy}
+            contacts={props.contacts}
+            content={content} 
+          />
         </Text>
       </Row>
     </Box>
diff --git a/pkg/interface/src/views/apps/links/components/comment-submit.js b/pkg/interface/src/views/apps/links/components/comment-submit.js
index baff2d4a8..65e26ea38 100644
--- a/pkg/interface/src/views/apps/links/components/comment-submit.js
+++ b/pkg/interface/src/views/apps/links/components/comment-submit.js
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import React, { Component } from 'react';
 import { Spinner } from '~/views/components/Spinner';
 import { createPost } from '~/logic/api/graph';
 import { deSig } from "~/logic/lib/util";
+import { scanForMentions } from "~/logic/lib/graph";
 
 
 export class CommentSubmit extends Component {
@@ -17,9 +18,8 @@ export class CommentSubmit extends Component {
 
   onClickPost() {
     const parentIndex = this.props.parentIndex || '';
-    let post = createPost([
-      { text: this.state.comment },
-    ], parentIndex);
+    const content = scanForMentions(this.state.comment);
+    let post = createPost(content, parentIndex);
 
     this.setState({ disabled: true }, () => {
       this.props.api.graph.addPost(
diff --git a/pkg/interface/src/views/apps/links/components/comments.js b/pkg/interface/src/views/apps/links/components/comments.js
index ab1858a70..c8c56aeab 100644
--- a/pkg/interface/src/views/apps/links/components/comments.js
+++ b/pkg/interface/src/views/apps/links/components/comments.js
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ export const Comments = (props) => {
           return (
             <CommentItem
               key={comment.post.index}
+              contacts={contacts}
               post={comment.post}
               nickname={nickname}
               hasNickname={Boolean(nickname)}
diff --git a/pkg/interface/src/views/apps/publish/components/CommentItem.tsx b/pkg/interface/src/views/apps/publish/components/CommentItem.tsx
index 289eb18d9..da2b1c109 100644
--- a/pkg/interface/src/views/apps/publish/components/CommentItem.tsx
+++ b/pkg/interface/src/views/apps/publish/components/CommentItem.tsx
@@ -6,14 +6,15 @@ import GlobalApi from "~/logic/api/global";
 import { Box, Row } from "@tlon/indigo-react";
 import styled from "styled-components";
 import { Author } from "./Author";
-import {GraphNode, TextContent} from "~/types/graph-update";
-import tokenizeMessage from '~/logic/lib/tokenizeMessage';
-import RichText from '~/views/components/RichText';
-import {LocalUpdateRemoteContentPolicy} from "~/types";
+import { GraphNode, TextContent } from "~/types/graph-update";
+import tokenizeMessage from "~/logic/lib/tokenizeMessage";
+import RichText from "~/views/components/RichText";
+import { LocalUpdateRemoteContentPolicy } from "~/types";
+import { MentionText } from "~/views/components/MentionText";
 
 const ClickBox = styled(Box)`
   cursor: pointer;
-  padding-left: ${p => p.theme.space[2]}px;
+  padding-left: ${(p) => p.theme.space[2]}px;
 `;
 
 interface CommentItemProps {
@@ -31,9 +32,7 @@ interface CommentItemProps {
 export function CommentItem(props: CommentItemProps) {
   const { ship, contacts, book, api, remoteContentPolicy } = props;
   const commentData = props.comment?.post;
-  const comment = commentData.contents[0] as TextContent;
-
-  const content = tokenizeMessage(comment.text).flat().join(' ');
+  const comment = commentData.contents;
 
   const disabled = props.pending || window.ship !== commentData.author;
 
@@ -62,7 +61,11 @@ export function CommentItem(props: CommentItemProps) {
         </Author>
       </Row>
       <Box mb={2}>
-        <RichText className="f9 white-d" remoteContentPolicy={remoteContentPolicy}>{content}</RichText>
+        <MentionText
+          contacts={contacts}
+          content={comment}
+          remoteContentPolicy={remoteContentPolicy}
+        />
       </Box>
     </Box>
   );
diff --git a/pkg/interface/src/views/apps/publish/components/Comments.tsx b/pkg/interface/src/views/apps/publish/components/Comments.tsx
index 9a2dcc1da..63bce78e2 100644
--- a/pkg/interface/src/views/apps/publish/components/Comments.tsx
+++ b/pkg/interface/src/views/apps/publish/components/Comments.tsx
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import { FormikHelpers } from "formik";
 import {GraphNode, Graph} from "~/types/graph-update";
 import {createPost} from "~/logic/api/graph";
 import { LocalUpdateRemoteContentPolicy } from "~/types";
+import {scanForMentions} from "~/logic/lib/graph";
 
 interface CommentsProps {
   comments: GraphNode;
@@ -32,7 +33,8 @@ export function Comments(props: CommentsProps) {
     actions: FormikHelpers<{ comment: string }>
   ) => {
     try {
-      const post = createPost([{ text: comment }], comments?.post?.index);
+      const content = scanForMentions(comment)
+      const post = createPost(content, comments?.post?.index);
       await api.graph.addPost(ship, book, post)
       actions.resetForm();
       actions.setStatus({ success: null });
@@ -48,7 +50,7 @@ export function Comments(props: CommentsProps) {
       {Array.from(comments.children).reverse().map(([idx, comment]) => (
         <CommentItem
           comment={comment}
-          key={idx}
+          key={idx.toString()}
           contacts={props.contacts}
           api={api}
           book={book}
diff --git a/pkg/interface/src/views/components/MentionText.tsx b/pkg/interface/src/views/components/MentionText.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..76ffbc29b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/interface/src/views/components/MentionText.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+import React from "react";
+import _ from "lodash";
+import { Text } from "@tlon/indigo-react";
+import { Contacts, Content, LocalUpdateRemoteContentPolicy } from "~/types";
+import RichText from "~/views/components/RichText";
+import { cite } from "~/logic/lib/util";
+
+interface MentionTextProps {
+  contacts: Contacts;
+  content: Content[];
+  remoteContentPolicy: LocalUpdateRemoteContentPolicy;
+}
+export function MentionText(props: MentionTextProps) {
+  const { content, contacts } = props;
+
+  return (
+    <>
+      {_.map(content, (c, idx) => {
+        if ("text" in c) {
+          return (
+            <RichText
+              inline
+              key={idx}
+              remoteContentPolicy={props.remoteContentPolicy}
+            >
+              {c.text}
+            </RichText>
+          );
+        } else if ("mention" in c) {
+          return (
+            <Mention key={idx} contacts={contacts || {}} ship={c.mention} />
+          );
+        }
+        return null;
+      })}
+    </>
+  );
+}
+
+function Mention(props: { ship: string; contacts: Contacts }) {
+  const { contacts, ship } = props;
+  const contact = contacts[ship];
+  const showNickname = !!contact?.nickname;
+  const name = showNickname ? contact?.nickname : cite(ship);
+
+  return (
+    <Text mx="2px" px="2px" bg="washedBlue" color="blue" mono={!showNickname}>
+      {name}
+    </Text>
+  );
+}
diff --git a/pkg/interface/src/views/components/RichText.js b/pkg/interface/src/views/components/RichText.js
index 27b5a1d4f..b77347979 100644
--- a/pkg/interface/src/views/components/RichText.js
+++ b/pkg/interface/src/views/components/RichText.js
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ const RichText = React.memo(({ remoteContentPolicy, ...props }) => (
         return <BaseAnchor target='_blank' rel='noreferrer noopener' borderBottom='1px solid' {...props}>{props.children}</BaseAnchor>;
       },
       paragraph: (paraProps) => {
-        return <Text display='block' mb='2' {...props}>{paraProps.children}</Text>;
+        return <Text display={props.inline ? 'inline' : 'block'} mb='2' {...props}>{paraProps.children}</Text>;
       }
     }}
     plugins={[[