diff --git a/app/models/status_message.rb b/app/models/status_message.rb
index 1887122bd..3a8b6935e 100644
--- a/app/models/status_message.rb
+++ b/app/models/status_message.rb
@@ -22,6 +22,24 @@ class StatusMessage < Post
     get_youtube_title message
   end
 
+  def formatted_message
+    people = self.mentioned_people
+    regex = /@\{([^;]+); ([^\}]+)\}/
+    message.gsub(regex) do |matched_string|
+      people.detect{ |p|
+        p.diaspora_handle == matched_string.match(regex).captures.last
+      }.name
+    end
+  end
+
+  def mentioned_people
+    regex = /@\{([^;]+); ([^\}]+)\}/
+    identifiers = self.message.scan(regex).map do |match|
+      match.last
+    end
+    Person.where(:diaspora_handle => identifiers)
+  end
+
   def to_activity
     <<-XML
   <entry>
diff --git a/spec/models/status_message_spec.rb b/spec/models/status_message_spec.rb
index 2d51d6cda..3e49000e5 100644
--- a/spec/models/status_message_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/status_message_spec.rb
@@ -51,9 +51,30 @@ describe StatusMessage do
     status = Factory.build(:status_message, :message => message)
 
     status.should_not be_valid
-
   end
 
+  describe 'mentions' do
+    before do
+      @people = [alice, bob, eve].map{|u| u.person}
+      @test_string = <<-STR
+@{Raphael; #{@people[0].diaspora_handle}} can mention people like Raphael @{Ilya; #{@people[1].diaspora_handle}}
+can mention people like Raphaellike Raphael @{Daniel; #{@people[2].diaspora_handle}} can mention people like Raph
+STR
+      @sm = Factory.create(:status_message, :message => @test_string )
+    end
+
+    it 'adds the links in the formated message text' do
+      @sm.formatted_message.should == <<-STR
+#{@people[0].name} can mention people like Raphael #{@people[1].name}
+can mention people like Raphaellike Raphael #{@people[2].name} can mention people like Raph
+STR
+
+    end
+
+    it 'extracts the mentioned people from the message' do
+      @sm.mentioned_people.to_set.should == @people.to_set
+    end
+  end
   describe "XML" do
     before do
       @message = Factory.create(:status_message, :message => "I hate WALRUSES!", :person => @user.person)