diff --git a/cove/src/euph/highlight.rs b/cove/src/euph/highlight.rs
index e69fd10..0e7fb56 100644
--- a/cove/src/euph/highlight.rs
+++ b/cove/src/euph/highlight.rs
@@ -138,8 +138,8 @@ pub fn apply_spans(
 
         let text = &content[range.start..range.end];
         result = match span {
-            SpanType::Mention if exact => result.and_then(util::style_nick_exact(text, base)),
-            SpanType::Mention => result.and_then(util::style_nick(text, base)),
+            SpanType::Mention if exact => result.and_then(util::style_mention_exact(text, base)),
+            SpanType::Mention => result.and_then(util::style_mention(text, base)),
             SpanType::Room => result.then(text, base.blue().bold()),
             SpanType::Emoji if exact => result.then(text, base.magenta()),
             SpanType::Emoji => {
diff --git a/cove/src/euph/util.rs b/cove/src/euph/util.rs
index aff2192..c2928ab 100644
--- a/cove/src/euph/util.rs
+++ b/cove/src/euph/util.rs
@@ -55,3 +55,17 @@ pub fn style_nick(nick: &str, base: Style) -> Styled {
 pub fn style_nick_exact(nick: &str, base: Style) -> Styled {
     Styled::new(nick, nick_style(nick, base))
 }
+
+pub fn style_mention(mention: &str, base: Style) -> Styled {
+    let nick = mention
+        .strip_prefix('@')
+        .expect("mention must start with @");
+    Styled::new(EMOJI.replace(mention), nick_style(nick, base))
+}
+
+pub fn style_mention_exact(mention: &str, base: Style) -> Styled {
+    let nick = mention
+        .strip_prefix('@')
+        .expect("mention must start with @");
+    Styled::new(mention, nick_style(nick, base))
+}