diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/app/views/publisher/mention_view.js b/app/assets/javascripts/app/views/publisher/mention_view.js
index d1c98b829..36ab541cf 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/app/views/publisher/mention_view.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/app/views/publisher/mention_view.js
@@ -80,6 +80,8 @@ app.views.PublisherMention = app.views.SearchBase.extend({
       return;
     }
 
+    this.cleanMentionedPeople();
+
     // result[1] is the string between the last '@' and the current caret position
     this.typeaheadInput.typeahead("val", result[1]);
     this.typeaheadInput.typeahead("open");
@@ -122,7 +124,6 @@ app.views.PublisherMention = app.views.SearchBase.extend({
    * Listens for user input and opens results dropdown when input contains the trigger char
    */
   onInputBoxInput: function() {
-    this.cleanMentionedPeople();
     this.updateTypeaheadInput();
   },
 
@@ -178,5 +179,10 @@ app.views.PublisherMention = app.views.SearchBase.extend({
 
   isVisible: function() {
     return this.$(".tt-menu").is(":visible");
+  },
+
+  getMentionedPeople: function() {
+    this.cleanMentionedPeople();
+    return this.mentionedPeople;
   }
 });
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/app/views/publisher_view.js b/app/assets/javascripts/app/views/publisher_view.js
index a06ac3387..c19ff863e 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/app/views/publisher_view.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/app/views/publisher_view.js
@@ -192,9 +192,6 @@ app.views.Publisher = Backbone.View.extend({
     // empty poll answer and failing validation.
     this.viewPollCreator.removeLastAnswer();
 
-    //add missing mentions at end of post:
-    this.handleTextchange();
-
     var serializedForm = $(evt.target).closest("form").serializeObject();
     // disable input while posting, must be after the form is serialized
     this.setInputEnabled(false);
@@ -320,13 +317,10 @@ app.views.Publisher = Backbone.View.extend({
   },
 
   createPostPreview: function() {
-    //add missing mentions at end of post:
-    this.handleTextchange();
-
     var serializedForm = $("#new_status_message").serializeObject();
     var text = serializedForm["status_message[text]"];
     var photos = this.getUploadedPhotos();
-    var mentionedPeople = this.mention.mentionedPeople;
+    var mentionedPeople = this.mention.getMentionedPeople();
     var poll = this.getPollData(serializedForm);
     var locationCoords = serializedForm["location[coords]"];
     if(!locationCoords || locationCoords === "") {
diff --git a/spec/javascripts/app/views/publisher_mention_view_spec.js b/spec/javascripts/app/views/publisher_mention_view_spec.js
index 4cd9e5ae6..666a62d96 100644
--- a/spec/javascripts/app/views/publisher_mention_view_spec.js
+++ b/spec/javascripts/app/views/publisher_mention_view_spec.js
@@ -229,6 +229,22 @@ describe("app.views.PublisherMention", function() {
       expect(this.view.closeSuggestions).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
       expect(this.view.typeaheadInput.val()).toBe("user");
     });
+
+    it("doesn't call 'cleanMentionedPeople' if there is no '@' in front of the caret", function() {
+      spyOn(this.view, "cleanMentionedPeople");
+      this.view.inputBox.val("user1337 Text before @user1 text after");
+      this.view.inputBox[0].setSelectionRange(9, 9);
+      this.view.updateTypeaheadInput();
+      expect(this.view.cleanMentionedPeople).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    });
+
+    it("calls 'cleanMentionedPeople' if there is an '@' in front of the caret", function() {
+      spyOn(this.view, "cleanMentionedPeople");
+      this.view.inputBox.val("@user1337 Text before @user1 text after");
+      this.view.inputBox[0].setSelectionRange(9, 9);
+      this.view.updateTypeaheadInput();
+      expect(this.view.cleanMentionedPeople).toHaveBeenCalled();
+    });
   });
 
   describe("prefillMention", function() {
@@ -352,12 +368,6 @@ describe("app.views.PublisherMention", function() {
       this.view = new app.views.PublisherMention({ el: "#publisher" });
     });
 
-    it("calls 'cleanMentionedPeople'", function() {
-      spyOn(this.view, "cleanMentionedPeople");
-      this.view.onInputBoxInput();
-      expect(this.view.cleanMentionedPeople).toHaveBeenCalled();
-    });
-
     it("calls 'updateTypeaheadInput'", function() {
       spyOn(this.view, "updateTypeaheadInput");
       this.view.onInputBoxInput();
@@ -422,4 +432,22 @@ describe("app.views.PublisherMention", function() {
       expect(this.view.typeaheadInput.val()).toBe("");
     });
   });
+
+  describe("getMentionedPeople", function() {
+    beforeEach(function() {
+      this.view = new app.views.PublisherMention({el: "#publisher"});
+    });
+
+    it("calls 'cleanMentionedPeople'", function() {
+      spyOn(this.view, "cleanMentionedPeople");
+      this.view.getMentionedPeople();
+      expect(this.view.cleanMentionedPeople).toHaveBeenCalled();
+    });
+
+    it("returns the cleaned mentionedPeople", function() {
+      this.view.inputBox.val("@{user1@pod.tld} user2@pod.tld");
+      this.view.mentionedPeople = [{name: "user1", handle: "user1@pod.tld"}, {name: "user2", handle: "user2@pod.tld"}];
+      expect(this.view.getMentionedPeople()).toEqual([{name: "user1", handle: "user1@pod.tld"}]);
+    });
+  });
 });
diff --git a/spec/javascripts/app/views/publisher_view_spec.js b/spec/javascripts/app/views/publisher_view_spec.js
index a0bd9c292..0b3bc8993 100644
--- a/spec/javascripts/app/views/publisher_view_spec.js
+++ b/spec/javascripts/app/views/publisher_view_spec.js
@@ -203,12 +203,6 @@ describe("app.views.Publisher", function() {
     });
 
     describe("createStatusMessage", function(){
-      it("calls handleTextchange to complete missing mentions", function(){
-        spyOn(this.view, "handleTextchange");
-        this.view.createStatusMessage($.Event());
-        expect(this.view.handleTextchange).toHaveBeenCalled();
-      });
-
       it("adds the status message to the stream", function() {
         app.stream = { addNow: $.noop };
         spyOn(app.stream, "addNow");
@@ -224,14 +218,6 @@ describe("app.views.Publisher", function() {
       });
     });
 
-    describe("createPostPreview", function(){
-      it("calls handleTextchange to complete missing mentions", function(){
-        spyOn(this.view, "handleTextchange");
-        this.view.createPostPreview();
-        expect(this.view.handleTextchange).toHaveBeenCalled();
-      });
-    });
-
     describe('#setText', function() {
       it("sets the content text", function() {
         this.view.setText("FOO bar");