diff --git a/files/helpers/alerts.py b/files/helpers/alerts.py
index 5d7fae9e2..a0eb82dbd 100644
--- a/files/helpers/alerts.py
+++ b/files/helpers/alerts.py
@@ -89,12 +89,12 @@ def NOTIFY_USERS(text, v):
 
 	captured = []
 	for i in mention_regex.finditer(text):
-		if v.username.lower() == i.group(1).lower(): continue
+		if v.username.lower() == i.group(2).lower(): continue
 
 		if i.group(0) in captured: continue
 		captured.append(i.group(0))
 
-		user = get_user(i.group(1), graceful=True)
+		user = get_user(i.group(2), graceful=True)
 		if user and v.id != user.id and not v.any_block_exists(user): notify_users.add(user.id)
 
 	if SITE_NAME == "WPD" and 'daisy' in text.lower():
diff --git a/files/helpers/regex.py b/files/helpers/regex.py
index 75560b13d..e08c6ded8 100644
--- a/files/helpers/regex.py
+++ b/files/helpers/regex.py
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ from random import choice, choices
 
 valid_username_chars = 'a-zA-Z0-9_\-'
 valid_username_regex = re.compile("^[a-zA-Z0-9_\-]{3,25}$", flags=re.A)
-mention_regex = re.compile('@(([a-zA-Z0-9_\-]){1,25})($|[^a-zA-Z0-9_\-])', flags=re.A)
+mention_regex = re.compile('(^|\s|>)@(([a-zA-Z0-9_\-]){1,25})(?![^<]*<\/(code|pre|a)>)', flags=re.A)
 
 valid_password_regex = re.compile("^.{8,100}$", flags=re.A)
 
diff --git a/files/helpers/sanitize.py b/files/helpers/sanitize.py
index 1545d4ecf..3de65c619 100644
--- a/files/helpers/sanitize.py
+++ b/files/helpers/sanitize.py
@@ -245,16 +245,20 @@ def sanitize(sanitized, edit=False, limit_pings=False, showmore=True):
 	v = getattr(g, 'v', None)
 
 	matches = [m for m in mention_regex.finditer(sanitized) if m]
-	names = set(m.group(1) for m in matches)
+	names = set(m.group(2) for m in matches)
 	if limit_pings and len(names) > 3 and not v.admin_level: abort(406)
 	users = get_users(names, graceful=True)
 
 	for u in users:
 		if not u: continue
-		m = [m for m in matches if u.username.lower() == m.group(1).lower() or u.original_username.lower() == m.group(1).lower()]
+		m = [m for m in matches if u.username.lower() == m.group(2).lower() or u.original_username.lower() == m.group(2).lower()]
 		for i in m:
 			if not (v and v.any_block_exists(u)) or (v and v.admin_level >= 2):
-				sanitized = sanitized.replace(i.group(0), f'''<a href="/id/{u.id}"><img loading="lazy" src="/pp/{u.id}">@{u.username}</a>{i.group(3)}''')
+				sanitized = re.sub(
+					f'{i.group(0)}($|[^a-zA-Z0-9_\-])',
+					rf'''{i.group(1)}<a href="/id/{u.id}"><img loading="lazy" src="/pp/{u.id}">@{u.username}</a>\1''',
+					sanitized
+				)
 
 	soup = BeautifulSoup(sanitized, 'lxml')