diff --git a/docs/overview/changelog.md b/docs/overview/changelog.md
index 90243d0854..25d894ddc3 100644
--- a/docs/overview/changelog.md
+++ b/docs/overview/changelog.md
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ in bursts.
 - Added a ReviewBoard integration, and improved numerous existing integrations.
 - Added support for multi-line messages for the /me feature.
 - Added markdown rendering of text when displaying custom profile fields.
-- Added "silent mentions" syntax (`_@**Tim Abbott**`), which show
+- Added "silent mentions" syntax (`@_**Tim Abbott**`), which show
   visually, but don't trigger a notification to the target user.
 - Added support for using lightbox in compose preview.
 - Changes in date no longer force a repeated recipient bar.  This
diff --git a/frontend_tests/node_tests/markdown.js b/frontend_tests/node_tests/markdown.js
index 96156d41bc..ed6783b93b 100644
--- a/frontend_tests/node_tests/markdown.js
+++ b/frontend_tests/node_tests/markdown.js
@@ -302,7 +302,7 @@ run_test('marked', () => {
          expected: '<p><span aria-label="poop" class="emoji emoji-1f4a9" role="img" title="poop">:poop:</span></p>'},
         {input: '\u{1f6b2}',
          expected: '<p>\u{1f6b2}</p>' },
-        {input: 'Silent mention: _@**Cordelia Lear**',
+        {input: 'Silent mention: @_**Cordelia Lear**',
          expected: '<p>Silent mention: <span class="user-mention silent" data-user-id="101">@Cordelia Lear</span></p>'},
         {input: '> Mention in quote: @**Cordelia Lear**\n\nMention outside quote: @**Cordelia Lear**',
          expected: '<blockquote>\n<p>Mention in quote: <span class="user-mention silent" data-user-id="101">@Cordelia Lear</span></p>\n</blockquote>\n<p>Mention outside quote: <span class="user-mention" data-user-id="101">@Cordelia Lear</span></p>'},
diff --git a/static/third/marked/lib/marked.js b/static/third/marked/lib/marked.js
index 98f3ad0287..a30d6ce0dc 100644
--- a/static/third/marked/lib/marked.js
+++ b/static/third/marked/lib/marked.js
@@ -509,7 +509,7 @@ inline.zulip = merge({}, inline.breaks, {
                        '\ud83d[\ude80-\udeff]|\ud83e[\udd00-\uddff]|' +
                        '[\u2000-\u206F]|[\u2300-\u27BF]|[\u2B00-\u2BFF]|' +
                        '[\u3000-\u303F]|[\u3200-\u32FF])'),
-  usermention: /^((_?)@(?:\*\*([^\*]+)\*\*))/, // Match potentially multi-word string between @** **
+  usermention: /^(@(_?)(?:\*\*([^\*]+)\*\*))/, // Match potentially multi-word string between @** **
   groupmention: /^@\*([^\*]+)\*/, // Match multi-word string between @* *
   stream: /^#\*\*([^\*]+)\*\*/,
   avatar: /^!avatar\(([^)]+)\)/,
diff --git a/zerver/lib/actions.py b/zerver/lib/actions.py
index 55b90134f2..2b9f9eaf03 100644
--- a/zerver/lib/actions.py
+++ b/zerver/lib/actions.py
@@ -254,7 +254,7 @@ def send_signup_message(sender: UserProfile, admin_realm_signup_notifications_st
             "stream",
             signup_notifications_stream.name,
             "signups",
-            "_@**%s|%s** just signed up for Zulip. (total: %i)" % (
+            "@_**%s|%s** just signed up for Zulip. (total: %i)" % (
                 user_profile.full_name, user_profile.id, user_count
             )
         )
@@ -3491,7 +3491,7 @@ def do_rename_stream(stream: Stream,
         sender,
         stream,
         "welcome",
-        "_@**%s|%d** renamed stream **%s** to **%s**" % (user_profile.full_name,
+        "@_**%s|%d** renamed stream **%s** to **%s**" % (user_profile.full_name,
                                                          user_profile.id,
                                                          old_name, new_name)
     )
diff --git a/zerver/lib/bugdown/__init__.py b/zerver/lib/bugdown/__init__.py
index c76e41d7c2..61aa272ca7 100644
--- a/zerver/lib/bugdown/__init__.py
+++ b/zerver/lib/bugdown/__init__.py
@@ -1358,7 +1358,7 @@ class BlockQuoteProcessor(markdown.blockprocessors.BlockQuoteProcessor):
 
     def clean(self, line: str) -> str:
         # Silence all the mentions inside blockquotes
-        line = re.sub(self.mention_re, lambda m: "_@{}".format(m.group('match')), line)
+        line = re.sub(self.mention_re, lambda m: "@_{}".format(m.group('match')), line)
 
         # And then run the upstream processor's code for removing the '>'
         return super().clean(line)
diff --git a/zerver/lib/mention.py b/zerver/lib/mention.py
index 858db3d94b..4ccc18c2a4 100644
--- a/zerver/lib/mention.py
+++ b/zerver/lib/mention.py
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import re
 
 # Match multi-word string between @** ** or match any one-word
 # sequences after @
-find_mentions = r'(?<![^\s\'\"\(,:<])(?P<silent>_?)@(?P<match>\*\*[^\*]+\*\*|all|everyone|stream)'
+find_mentions = r'(?<![^\s\'\"\(,:<])@(?P<silent>_?)(?P<match>\*\*[^\*]+\*\*|all|everyone|stream)'
 user_group_mentions = r'(?<![^\s\'\"\(,:<])@(\*[^\*]+\*)'
 
 wildcards = ['all', 'everyone', 'stream']
diff --git a/zerver/tests/test_bugdown.py b/zerver/tests/test_bugdown.py
index 8501c75893..4829092039 100644
--- a/zerver/tests/test_bugdown.py
+++ b/zerver/tests/test_bugdown.py
@@ -984,7 +984,7 @@ class BugdownTest(ZulipTestCase):
         msg = Message(sender=sender_user_profile, sending_client=get_client("test"))
         user_id = user_profile.id
 
-        content = "_@**King Hamlet**"
+        content = "@_**King Hamlet**"
         self.assertEqual(render_markdown(msg, content),
                          '<p><span class="user-mention silent" '
                          'data-user-id="%s">'
@@ -1052,10 +1052,10 @@ class BugdownTest(ZulipTestCase):
         content = "> @**King Hamlet**"
         self.assertEqual(render_markdown(msg, content), expected)
         self.assertEqual(msg.mentions_user_ids, set())
-        content = "```quote\n_@**King Hamlet**\n```"
+        content = "```quote\n@_**King Hamlet**\n```"
         self.assertEqual(render_markdown(msg, content), expected)
         self.assertEqual(msg.mentions_user_ids, set())
-        content = "> _@**King Hamlet**"
+        content = "> @_**King Hamlet**"
         self.assertEqual(render_markdown(msg, content), expected)
         self.assertEqual(msg.mentions_user_ids, set())
 
diff --git a/zerver/tests/test_new_users.py b/zerver/tests/test_new_users.py
index 241761a497..72a78ff3e2 100644
--- a/zerver/tests/test_new_users.py
+++ b/zerver/tests/test_new_users.py
@@ -193,4 +193,4 @@ class TestNotifyNewUser(ZulipTestCase):
         self.assertEqual(message.recipient.type, Recipient.STREAM)
         actual_stream = Stream.objects.get(id=message.recipient.type_id)
         self.assertEqual(actual_stream.name, Realm.INITIAL_PRIVATE_STREAM_NAME)
-        self.assertIn('_@**Cordelia Lear|%d** just signed up for Zulip.' % (new_user.id), message.content)
+        self.assertIn('@_**Cordelia Lear|%d** just signed up for Zulip.' % (new_user.id), message.content)
diff --git a/zerver/tests/test_subs.py b/zerver/tests/test_subs.py
index 34b8e7084c..7184ac7e9f 100644
--- a/zerver/tests/test_subs.py
+++ b/zerver/tests/test_subs.py
@@ -617,7 +617,7 @@ class StreamAdminTest(ZulipTestCase):
         # Inspect the notification message sent
         message = self.get_last_message()
         actual_stream = Stream.objects.get(id=message.recipient.type_id)
-        message_content = '_@**King Hamlet|{}** renamed stream **stream_name1** to **stream_name2**'.format(user_profile.id)
+        message_content = '@_**King Hamlet|{}** renamed stream **stream_name1** to **stream_name2**'.format(user_profile.id)
         self.assertEqual(message.sender.realm, user_profile.realm)
         self.assertEqual(actual_stream.name, 'stream_name2')
         self.assertEqual(message.recipient.type, Recipient.STREAM)
@@ -1962,7 +1962,7 @@ class SubscriptionAPITest(ZulipTestCase):
         msg = self.get_second_to_last_message()
         self.assertEqual(msg.recipient.type, Recipient.STREAM)
         self.assertEqual(msg.sender_id, self.notification_bot().id)
-        expected_msg = "_@**%s|%d** just created a new stream #**%s**." % (invitee_full_name, invitee_user.id, invite_streams[0])
+        expected_msg = "@_**%s|%d** just created a new stream #**%s**." % (invitee_full_name, invitee_user.id, invite_streams[0])
         self.assertEqual(msg.content, expected_msg)
 
     def test_successful_cross_realm_notification(self) -> None:
@@ -2030,7 +2030,7 @@ class SubscriptionAPITest(ZulipTestCase):
 
         msg = self.get_second_to_last_message()
         self.assertEqual(msg.sender_id, self.notification_bot().id)
-        expected_msg = "_@**%s|%d** just created a new stream #**%s**." % (invitee_full_name, invitee_user.id, invite_streams[0])
+        expected_msg = "@_**%s|%d** just created a new stream #**%s**." % (invitee_full_name, invitee_user.id, invite_streams[0])
         self.assertEqual(msg.content, expected_msg)
 
     def test_non_ascii_stream_subscription(self) -> None:
diff --git a/zerver/views/streams.py b/zerver/views/streams.py
index 2716c87bb0..e46962cc94 100644
--- a/zerver/views/streams.py
+++ b/zerver/views/streams.py
@@ -389,7 +389,7 @@ def add_subscriptions_backend(
                 stream_msg = "the following streams: %s" % (stream_strs,)
             else:
                 stream_msg = "a new stream #**%s**." % created_streams[0].name
-            msg = ("_@**%s|%d** just created %s" % (user_profile.full_name, user_profile.id, stream_msg))
+            msg = ("@_**%s|%d** just created %s" % (user_profile.full_name, user_profile.id, stream_msg))
 
             sender = get_system_bot(settings.NOTIFICATION_BOT)
             topic = 'Streams'