diff --git a/app/src/main/java/com/nextcloud/talk/callbacks/MentionAutocompleteCallback.java b/app/src/main/java/com/nextcloud/talk/callbacks/MentionAutocompleteCallback.java
index c8e89c780..b40898dbb 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/com/nextcloud/talk/callbacks/MentionAutocompleteCallback.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/com/nextcloud/talk/callbacks/MentionAutocompleteCallback.java
@@ -20,9 +20,15 @@
 
 package com.nextcloud.talk.callbacks;
 
+import android.graphics.Typeface;
 import android.text.Editable;
+import android.text.Spanned;
+import android.text.style.StyleSpan;
+import android.text.style.TypefaceSpan;
+import com.nextcloud.talk.R;
 import com.nextcloud.talk.models.json.mention.Mention;
 import com.nextcloud.talk.utils.MagicCharPolicy;
+import com.nextcloud.talk.utils.text.Spans;
 import com.otaliastudios.autocomplete.AutocompleteCallback;
 
 public class MentionAutocompleteCallback implements AutocompleteCallback<Mention> {
@@ -30,10 +36,12 @@ public class MentionAutocompleteCallback implements AutocompleteCallback<Mention
     public boolean onPopupItemClicked(Editable editable, Mention item) {
         int[] range = MagicCharPolicy.getQueryRange(editable);
         if (range == null) return false;
-        int start = range[0] + 1;
+        int start = range[0];
         int end = range[1];
-        String replacement = item.getId() + " ";
-        editable.replace(start, end, replacement);
+        String replacement = item.getLabel();
+        editable.replace(start, end, replacement + " ");
+        Spans.MentionSpan mentionSpan = new Spans.MentionSpan(Typeface.BOLD, item.getId(), item.getLabel());
+        editable.setSpan(mentionSpan, 0, replacement.length(), Spanned.SPAN_INCLUSIVE_EXCLUSIVE);
         return true;
     }
 
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/com/nextcloud/talk/controllers/ChatController.java b/app/src/main/java/com/nextcloud/talk/controllers/ChatController.java
index 3c69d5787..16780a83d 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/com/nextcloud/talk/controllers/ChatController.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/com/nextcloud/talk/controllers/ChatController.java
@@ -75,6 +75,7 @@ import com.nextcloud.talk.utils.bundle.BundleKeys;
 import com.nextcloud.talk.utils.database.user.UserUtils;
 import com.nextcloud.talk.utils.preferences.AppPreferences;
 import com.nextcloud.talk.utils.singletons.ApplicationWideCurrentRoomHolder;
+import com.nextcloud.talk.utils.text.Spans;
 import com.otaliastudios.autocomplete.Autocomplete;
 import com.otaliastudios.autocomplete.AutocompleteCallback;
 import com.otaliastudios.autocomplete.AutocompletePresenter;
@@ -381,11 +382,7 @@ public class ChatController extends BaseController implements MessagesListAdapte
             }
         });
 
-        messageInputView.setInputListener(input -> {
-            sendMessage(input);
-            return true;
-        });
-
+        messageInputView.getButton().setOnClickListener(v -> submitMessage());
         messageInputView.getButton().setContentDescription(getResources()
                 .getString(R.string.nc_description_send_message_button));
 
@@ -665,6 +662,21 @@ public class ChatController extends BaseController implements MessagesListAdapte
         }
     }
 
+    private void submitMessage() {
+        final Editable editable = messageInput.getEditableText();
+        Spans.MentionSpan mentionSpans[] = editable.getSpans(0, editable.length(), Spans.MentionSpan.class);
+        Spans.MentionSpan mentionSpan;
+        mentionAutocomplete.setEnabled(false);
+        for (int i = 0; i < mentionSpans.length; i++) {
+            mentionSpan = mentionSpans[i];
+            editable.replace(editable.getSpanStart(mentionSpan), editable.getSpanEnd(mentionSpan), "@" + mentionSpan.getId());
+        }
+
+        mentionAutocomplete.setEnabled(true);
+        messageInput.setText("");
+        sendMessage(editable);
+    }
+
     private void sendMessage(CharSequence message) {
 
         ncApi.sendChatMessage(credentials, ApiUtils.getUrlForChat(conversationUser.getBaseUrl(), roomToken),
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/com/nextcloud/talk/utils/text/Spans.java b/app/src/main/java/com/nextcloud/talk/utils/text/Spans.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1bcd93e54
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/src/main/java/com/nextcloud/talk/utils/text/Spans.java
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+/*
+ * Nextcloud Talk application
+ *
+ * @author Mario Danic
+ * Copyright (C) 2017-2018 Mario Danic <mario@lovelyhq.com>
+ *
+ * This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ * it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+ * the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+ * at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+ * GNU General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+ * along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+ */
+
+package com.nextcloud.talk.utils.text;
+
+import android.text.style.StyleSpan;
+import lombok.Data;
+
+public class Spans {
+    @Data
+    public static class MentionSpan extends StyleSpan {
+        String id;
+        String label;
+
+        public MentionSpan(int style, String id, String label) {
+            super(style);
+            this.id = id;
+            this.label = label;
+        }
+
+    }
+}