diff --git a/public/javascripts/publisher.js b/public/javascripts/publisher.js
index 1d4c5f927..1c8262c8b 100644
--- a/public/javascripts/publisher.js
+++ b/public/javascripts/publisher.js
@@ -101,35 +101,47 @@ var Publisher = {
         return resultString;
       },
 
-      insertionAt : function(insertionStartIndex, keyCode){
-        this.incrementMentionLocations(insertionStartIndex, 1);
-        var mentionIndex = this.mentionAt(insertionStartIndex + 1);
-
-        var mention = this.mentions[mentionIndex];
-        if(mention){
-          this.mentions.splice(mentionIndex, 1);
-        }
-
+      insertionAt : function(insertionStartIndex, selectionEnd, keyCode){
+        this.selectionDeleted(insertionStartIndex, selectionEnd);
+        this.updateMentionLocations(insertionStartIndex, 1);
+        this.destroyMentionAt(insertionStartIndex);
       },
-      deletionAt : function(visibleCursorIndex, keyCode){
+      deletionAt : function(selectionStart, selectionEnd, keyCode){
+        if(selectionStart != selectionEnd){
+          this.selectionDeleted(selectionStart, selectionEnd);
+          return;
+        }
 
         var effectiveCursorIndex;
         if(keyCode == KEYCODES.DEL){
-          effectiveCursorIndex = visibleCursorIndex;
+          effectiveCursorIndex = selectionStart;
         }else{
-          effectiveCursorIndex = visibleCursorIndex - 1;
+          effectiveCursorIndex = selectionStart - 1;
         }
-        this.decrementMentionLocations(effectiveCursorIndex, keyCode);
+        this.updateMentionLocations(effectiveCursorIndex, -1);
+        this.destroyMentionAt(effectiveCursorIndex);
+      },
+      selectionDeleted : function(selectionStart, selectionEnd){
+        Publisher.autocompletion.mentionList.destroyMentionsWithin(selectionStart, selectionEnd);
+        Publisher.autocompletion.mentionList.updateMentionLocations(selectionStart, selectionStart - selectionEnd);
+      },
+      destroyMentionsWithin : function(start, end){
+        for (var i = this.mentions.length - 1; i >= 0; i--){
+          var mention = this.mentions[i];
+          if(start < mention.visibleEnd && end >= mention.visibleStart){
+            this.mentions.splice(i, 1);
+          }
+        }
+      },
+      destroyMentionAt : function(effectiveCursorIndex){
 
         var mentionIndex = this.mentionAt(effectiveCursorIndex);
-
         var mention = this.mentions[mentionIndex];
         if(mention){
           this.mentions.splice(mentionIndex, 1);
         }
-
       },
-      incrementMentionLocations : function(effectiveCursorIndex, offset){
+      updateMentionLocations : function(effectiveCursorIndex, offset){
         var changedMentions = this.mentionsAfter(effectiveCursorIndex);
         for(i in changedMentions){
           var mention = changedMentions[i];
@@ -137,15 +149,6 @@ var Publisher = {
           mention.visibleEnd += offset;
         }
       },
-      decrementMentionLocations : function(effectiveCursorIndex){
-        var visibleOffset = -1;
-        var changedMentions = this.mentionsAfter(effectiveCursorIndex);
-        for(i in changedMentions){
-          var mention = changedMentions[i];
-          mention.visibleStart += visibleOffset;
-          mention.visibleEnd += visibleOffset;
-        }
-      },
       mentionAt : function(visibleCursorIndex){
         for(i in this.mentions){
           var mention = this.mentions[i];
@@ -179,15 +182,14 @@ var Publisher = {
 
     keyDownHandler : function(event){
       var input = Publisher.input();
-      var visibleCursorIndex = input[0].selectionStart;
-      //if(Publisher.cursorIndexAtKeydown == -1){
-      //  Publisher.cursorIndexAtKeydown = visibleCursorIndex;
-      //}
+      var selectionStart = input[0].selectionStart;
+      var isDeletion = (event.keyCode == KEYCODES.DEL && selectionStart < input.val().length) || (event.keyCode == KEYCODES.BACKSPACE && selectionStart > 0)
+      var isInsertion = (KEYCODES.isInsertion(event.keyCode) && event.keyCode != KEYCODES.RETURN )
 
-      if((event.keyCode == KEYCODES.DEL && visibleCursorIndex < input.val().length) || (event.keyCode == KEYCODES.BACKSPACE && visibleCursorIndex > 0)){
-        Publisher.autocompletion.mentionList.deletionAt(visibleCursorIndex, event.keyCode);
-      }else if(KEYCODES.isInsertion(event.keyCode) && event.keyCode != KEYCODES.RETURN ){
-        Publisher.autocompletion.mentionList.insertionAt(visibleCursorIndex, event.keyCode);
+      if(isDeletion){
+        Publisher.autocompletion.mentionList.deletionAt(selectionStart, input[0].selectionEnd, event.keyCode);
+      }else if(isInsertion){
+        Publisher.autocompletion.mentionList.insertionAt(selectionStart, input[0].selectionEnd, event.keyCode);
       }
     },
 
@@ -201,7 +203,7 @@ var Publisher = {
 
       input.val(stringStart + formatted + stringEnd);
       var offset = formatted.length - stringLoc[1] - stringLoc[0]
-      Publisher.autocompletion.mentionList.incrementMentionLocations(stringStart.length, offset);
+      Publisher.autocompletion.mentionList.updateMentionLocations(stringStart.length, offset);
       return [stringStart.length, stringStart.length + formatted.length]
     },
 
diff --git a/spec/javascripts/publisher-spec.js b/spec/javascripts/publisher-spec.js
index 5001ac9ea..e3f5e9ea0 100644
--- a/spec/javascripts/publisher-spec.js
+++ b/spec/javascripts/publisher-spec.js
@@ -120,6 +120,49 @@ describe("Publisher", function() {
           hiddenVal = "@{Danny; dan@pod.org} loves testing javascript";
           hiddenInput.val(hiddenVal);
         });
+        describe("selectionDeleted", function(){
+        var func, danny, daniel, david, darren;
+          beforeEach(function(){
+            func = list.selectionDeleted;
+            visibleVal = "Danny Daniel David Darren";
+            visibleInput.val(visibleVal);
+            list.mentions = [];
+            danny = {
+              visibleStart : 0,
+              visibleEnd : 5,
+              mentionString : "@{Danny; danny@pod.org}"
+            };
+            daniel = {
+              visibleStart : 6,
+              visibleEnd : 12,
+              mentionString : "@{Daniel; daniel@pod.org}"
+            };
+            david = {
+              visibleStart : 13,
+              visibleEnd : 18,
+              mentionString : "@{David; david@pod.org}"
+            };
+            darren = {
+              visibleStart : 19,
+              visibleEnd : 25,
+              mentionString : "@{Darren; darren@pod.org}"
+            };
+            list.push(danny)
+            list.push(daniel)
+            list.push(david)
+            list.push(darren)
+          });
+          it("destroys mentions within the selection", function(){
+            func(4,11);
+            expect(list.sortedMentions()).toEqual([darren, david])
+          });
+          it("moves remaining mentions back", function(){
+            func(7,14);
+            var length = 11 - 4
+            expect(danny.visibleStart).toBe(0);
+            expect(darren.visibleStart).toBe(19-length);
+          });
+        });
         describe("generateHiddenInput", function(){
           it("replaces mentions in a string", function(){
             expect(list.generateHiddenInput(visibleVal)).toBe(hiddenVal);
@@ -160,19 +203,19 @@ describe("Publisher", function() {
                           mentionString : "@{SomeoneElse; other@pod.org}"
                         };
             list.push(mentionTwo);
-            spyOn(list, 'incrementMentionLocations');
+            spyOn(list, 'updateMentionLocations');
             list.insertionAt(3,4, 60);
-            expect(list.incrementMentionLocations).toHaveBeenCalled();
+            expect(list.updateMentionLocations).toHaveBeenCalled();
           });
         });
-        describe("incrementMentionLocations", function(){
-          it("increments the offsets of the remaining mentions in the list", function(){
+        describe("updateMentionLocations", function(){
+          it("updates the offsets of the remaining mentions in the list", function(){
             mentionTwo = { visibleStart : 8,
                           visibleEnd   : 15,
                           mentionString : "@{SomeoneElse; other@pod.org}"
                         };
             list.push(mentionTwo);
-            list.incrementMentionLocations(7, 1);
+            list.updateMentionLocations(7, 1);
             expect(mentionTwo.visibleStart).toBe(9);
             expect(mentionTwo.visibleEnd).toBe(16);
           });