diff --git a/frontend_tests/node_tests/composebox_typeahead.js b/frontend_tests/node_tests/composebox_typeahead.js
index ecfa80c818..dd664812b0 100644
--- a/frontend_tests/node_tests/composebox_typeahead.js
+++ b/frontend_tests/node_tests/composebox_typeahead.js
@@ -347,22 +347,22 @@ run_test('content_typeahead_selected', () => {
         document_stub_trigger3_called = true;
     };
 
-    fake_this.query = '_@kin';
+    fake_this.query = '@_kin';
     fake_this.token = 'kin';
     actual_value = ct.content_typeahead_selected.call(fake_this, hamlet);
-    expected_value = '_@**King Hamlet** ';
+    expected_value = '@_**King Hamlet** ';
     assert.equal(actual_value, expected_value);
 
-    fake_this.query = '_@*kin';
+    fake_this.query = '@_*kin';
     fake_this.token = 'kin';
     actual_value = ct.content_typeahead_selected.call(fake_this, hamlet);
-    expected_value = '_@**King Hamlet** ';
+    expected_value = '@_**King Hamlet** ';
     assert.equal(actual_value, expected_value);
 
-    fake_this.query =  '_@**kin';
+    fake_this.query =  '@_**kin';
     fake_this.token = 'kin';
     actual_value = ct.content_typeahead_selected.call(fake_this, hamlet);
-    expected_value = '_@**King Hamlet** ';
+    expected_value = '@_**King Hamlet** ';
     assert.equal(actual_value, expected_value);
 
     // user group mention
@@ -1128,39 +1128,39 @@ run_test('begins_typeahead', () => {
     assert_typeahead_equals("#foo\n~~~py", lang_list);
 
     assert_typeahead_equals("@", false);
-    assert_typeahead_equals("_@", false);
+    assert_typeahead_equals("@_", false);
     assert_typeahead_equals(" @", false);
-    assert_typeahead_equals(" _@", false);
+    assert_typeahead_equals(" @_", false);
     assert_typeahead_equals("test @**o", all_mentions);
-    assert_typeahead_equals("test _@**o", all_mentions);
+    assert_typeahead_equals("test @_**o", all_mentions);
     assert_typeahead_equals("test @*o", all_mentions);
-    assert_typeahead_equals("test _@*k", all_mentions);
+    assert_typeahead_equals("test @_*k", all_mentions);
     assert_typeahead_equals("test @*h", all_mentions);
-    assert_typeahead_equals("test _@*h", all_mentions);
+    assert_typeahead_equals("test @_*h", all_mentions);
     assert_typeahead_equals("test @", false);
-    assert_typeahead_equals("test _@", false);
+    assert_typeahead_equals("test @_", false);
     assert_typeahead_equals("test no@o", false);
-    assert_typeahead_equals("test no_@k", false);
+    assert_typeahead_equals("test no@_k", false);
     assert_typeahead_equals("@ ", false);
-    assert_typeahead_equals("_@ ", false);
+    assert_typeahead_equals("@_ ", false);
     assert_typeahead_equals("@* ", false);
-    assert_typeahead_equals("_@* ", false);
+    assert_typeahead_equals("@_* ", false);
     assert_typeahead_equals("@** ", false);
-    assert_typeahead_equals("_@** ", false);
+    assert_typeahead_equals("@_** ", false);
     assert_typeahead_equals("test\n@i", all_mentions);
-    assert_typeahead_equals("test\n_@i", all_mentions);
+    assert_typeahead_equals("test\n@_i", all_mentions);
     assert_typeahead_equals("test\n @l", all_mentions);
-    assert_typeahead_equals("test\n _@l", all_mentions);
+    assert_typeahead_equals("test\n @_l", all_mentions);
     assert_typeahead_equals("@zuli", all_mentions);
-    assert_typeahead_equals("_@zuli", all_mentions);
+    assert_typeahead_equals("@_zuli", all_mentions);
     assert_typeahead_equals("@ zuli", false);
-    assert_typeahead_equals("_@ zuli", false);
+    assert_typeahead_equals("@_ zuli", false);
     assert_typeahead_equals(" @zuli", all_mentions);
-    assert_typeahead_equals(" _@zuli", all_mentions);
+    assert_typeahead_equals(" @_zuli", all_mentions);
     assert_typeahead_equals("test @o", all_mentions);
-    assert_typeahead_equals("test _@k", all_mentions);
+    assert_typeahead_equals("test @_o", all_mentions);
     assert_typeahead_equals("test @z", all_mentions);
-    assert_typeahead_equals("test _@z", all_mentions);
+    assert_typeahead_equals("test @_z", all_mentions);
 
     assert_typeahead_equals(":", false);
     assert_typeahead_equals(": ", false);
diff --git a/static/js/composebox_typeahead.js b/static/js/composebox_typeahead.js
index 5748d51b0e..0b716c5a77 100644
--- a/static/js/composebox_typeahead.js
+++ b/static/js/composebox_typeahead.js
@@ -440,23 +440,17 @@ exports.compose_content_begins_typeahead = function (query) {
 
     if (this.options.completions.mention && current_token[0] === '@') {
         current_token = current_token.substring(1);
-        current_token = filter_mention_name(current_token);
-        if (!current_token) {
-            return false;
-        }
         this.completing = 'mention';
-        this.token = current_token;
-        return get_mention_candidates_data();
-    }
-
-    if (this.options.completions.silent_mention && current_token.startsWith('_@')) {
-        // Ideally, we'd figure out a way to deduplicate this with the main mentions block.
-        current_token = current_token.substring(2);
+        // Silent mentions
+        if (current_token.startsWith('_')) {
+            this.completing = 'silent_mention';
+            current_token = current_token.substring(1);
+        }
         current_token = filter_mention_name(current_token);
         if (!current_token) {
+            this.completing = null;
             return false;
         }
-        this.completing = 'silent_mention';
         this.token = current_token;
         return get_mention_candidates_data();
     }
@@ -512,18 +506,13 @@ exports.content_typeahead_selected = function (item) {
             beginning = beginning.substring(0, beginning.length - this.token.length - 1) + " :" + item.emoji_name + ": ";
         }
     } else if (this.completing === 'mention' || this.completing === 'silent_mention') {
-        beginning = beginning.substring(0, beginning.length - this.token.length - 1);
-        if (beginning.endsWith('@*')) {
-            beginning = beginning.substring(0, beginning.length - 2);
-        } else if (beginning.endsWith('@')) {
-            beginning = beginning.substring(0, beginning.length - 1);
-        }
+        var is_silent = this.completing === 'silent_mention';
         if (user_groups.is_user_group(item)) {
-            beginning += '@*' + item.name + '* ';
+            beginning =  '@*' + item.name + '* ';
             $(document).trigger('usermention_completed.zulip', {user_group: item});
         } else {
-            var mention_text = people.get_mention_syntax(item.full_name, item.user_id);
-            beginning += mention_text + ' ';
+            var mention_text = people.get_mention_syntax(item.full_name, item.user_id, is_silent);
+            beginning = mention_text + ' ';
             $(document).trigger('usermention_completed.zulip', {mentioned: item});
         }
     } else if (this.completing === 'stream') {
diff --git a/static/js/people.js b/static/js/people.js
index 93b135119f..948b1696bf 100644
--- a/static/js/people.js
+++ b/static/js/people.js
@@ -850,8 +850,14 @@ exports.is_duplicate_full_name = function (full_name) {
     return false;
 };
 
-exports.get_mention_syntax = function (full_name, user_id) {
-    var mention = '@**' + full_name;
+exports.get_mention_syntax = function (full_name, user_id, silent) {
+    var mention = '';
+    if (silent) {
+        mention += '@_**';
+    } else {
+        mention += '@**';
+    }
+    mention += full_name;
     if (!user_id) {
         blueslip.warn('get_mention_syntax called without user_id.');
     }