diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/app/views/publisher/mention_view.js b/app/assets/javascripts/app/views/publisher/mention_view.js
index 0641e2fcc..d678a6bf5 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/app/views/publisher/mention_view.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/app/views/publisher/mention_view.js
@@ -18,8 +18,6 @@ app.views.PublisherMention = app.views.SearchBase.extend({
     // contains the 'fake text' displayed to the user
     // also has a data-messageText attribute with the original text
     this.inputBox = this.$("#status_message_fake_text");
-    // contains the mentions displayed to the user
-    this.mentionsBox = this.$(".mentions-box");
     this.typeaheadInput = this.$(".typeahead-mention-box");
     this.bindTypeaheadEvents();
 
@@ -80,7 +78,6 @@ app.views.PublisherMention = app.views.SearchBase.extend({
   updateMessageTexts: function() {
     var messageText = this.inputBox.val();
     this.inputBox.data("messageText", messageText);
-    this.mentionsBox.find(".mentions").html(_.escape(messageText));
   },
 
   updateTypeaheadInput: function() {
diff --git a/app/assets/stylesheets/mentions.scss b/app/assets/stylesheets/mentions.scss
index a6920e7b3..c9af7be45 100644
--- a/app/assets/stylesheets/mentions.scss
+++ b/app/assets/stylesheets/mentions.scss
@@ -64,28 +64,4 @@
       }
     }
   }
-
-  .mentions-box {
-    position: absolute;
-    right: 0px;
-    bottom: 0px;
-    left: 0px;
-    top: 0px;
-    padding: $padding-base-vertical $padding-base-horizontal;
-  }
-
-  .mentions {
-    color: transparent;
-    font-size: $font-size-base;
-    font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;
-    overflow: hidden;
-    width: 100%;
-    white-space: pre-wrap;
-    word-wrap: break-word;
-
-    > strong {
-      background: $background-blue;
-      font-weight: normal;
-    }
-  }
 }
diff --git a/app/assets/stylesheets/publisher.scss b/app/assets/stylesheets/publisher.scss
index 51c4a494f..a08f67955 100644
--- a/app/assets/stylesheets/publisher.scss
+++ b/app/assets/stylesheets/publisher.scss
@@ -14,10 +14,6 @@
       display: none !important;
     }
 
-    .mentions-box {
-      margin-top: 0;
-    }
-
     #publisher_textarea_wrapper { border: 1px solid $border-grey !important; }
   }
 
@@ -248,8 +244,6 @@
     .locator { display: none; }
   }
 
-  &.submitting .mentions-box { display: none; }
-
   .twitter-typeahead {
     left: -1px;
     // Override inline rule of Typeahead
@@ -257,11 +251,6 @@
     position: absolute !important;
     // scss-lint:enable ImportantRule
   }
-
-  .mentions-box {
-    // Leave space for markdown editor header
-    margin-top: 42px;
-  }
 }
 
 .publisher-buttonbar {
diff --git a/app/views/publisher/_publisher.html.haml b/app/views/publisher/_publisher.html.haml
index 1304283a4..6fc8669cc 100644
--- a/app/views/publisher/_publisher.html.haml
+++ b/app/views/publisher/_publisher.html.haml
@@ -5,8 +5,6 @@
       %params
         .publisher-textarea-wrapper#publisher_textarea_wrapper
           .mentions-input-box
-            .mentions-box
-              .mentions
             - if current_user.getting_started?
               = status.text_area :fake_text, :rows => 2, :value => h(publisher_formatted_text),
                 :tabindex => 1, :placeholder => "#{t('contacts.index.start_a_conversation')}...",
diff --git a/features/desktop/follows_tags.feature b/features/desktop/follows_tags.feature
index 78692e71c..fcdfbf3a5 100644
--- a/features/desktop/follows_tags.feature
+++ b/features/desktop/follows_tags.feature
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ Feature: posting
     Then I should see a ".tag-following-action .followed"
 
   Scenario: can post a message from the tag page
-    Then I should see "#boss" within "#publisher"
+    Then I should see "#boss " in the publisher
     When I click the publisher and post "#boss from the tag page"
     And I go to the tag page for "boss"
     Then I should see "#boss from the tag page"
diff --git a/features/step_definitions/posts_steps.rb b/features/step_definitions/posts_steps.rb
index b0b8e62b1..34df49e49 100644
--- a/features/step_definitions/posts_steps.rb
+++ b/features/step_definitions/posts_steps.rb
@@ -32,6 +32,10 @@ Then /^I should not be able to submit the publisher$/ do
   expect(publisher_submittable?).to be false
 end
 
+Then /^I should see "([^"]*)" in the publisher$/ do |text|
+  expect(page).to have_field("status_message[fake_text]", with: text)
+end
+
 Given /^I have a limited post with text "([^\"]*)" in the aspect "([^"]*)"$/ do |text, aspect_name|
   @me.post :status_message, text: text, to: @me.aspects.where(name: aspect_name).first.id
 end
diff --git a/spec/javascripts/app/views/publisher_mention_view_spec.js b/spec/javascripts/app/views/publisher_mention_view_spec.js
index 54e72ad90..7ab98fe78 100644
--- a/spec/javascripts/app/views/publisher_mention_view_spec.js
+++ b/spec/javascripts/app/views/publisher_mention_view_spec.js
@@ -201,19 +201,6 @@ describe("app.views.PublisherMention", function() {
       this.view.updateMessageTexts();
       expect(this.view.inputBox.data("messageText")).toBe("@user1 Text before @{user1@pod.tld}\ntext after");
     });
-
-    it("formats overlay text to HTML", function() {
-      this.view.updateMessageTexts();
-      expect(this.view.mentionsBox.find(".mentions").html())
-        .toBe("@user1 Text before @{user1@pod.tld}\ntext after");
-    });
-
-    it("properly escapes the user input", function() {
-      this.view.inputBox.val("<img src=\"/default.png\"> @user1 Text before @{user1@pod.tld}\ntext after");
-      this.view.updateMessageTexts();
-      expect(this.view.mentionsBox.find(".mentions").html())
-        .toBe("&lt;img src=\"/default.png\"&gt; @user1 Text before @{user1@pod.tld}\ntext after");
-    });
   });
 
   describe("updateTypeaheadInput", function() {