diff --git a/lib/screens/channel_chat_screen.dart b/lib/screens/channel_chat_screen.dart
index 9defb93..2d3c207 100644
--- a/lib/screens/channel_chat_screen.dart
+++ b/lib/screens/channel_chat_screen.dart
@@ -551,6 +551,9 @@ class _ChannelChatScreenState extends State<ChannelChatScreen> {
     final hashWidth = context.read<MeshCoreConnector>().pathHashByteWidth;
     final isOutgoing = message.isOutgoing;
     final gifId = GifHelper.parseGif(message.text);
+    final gifReplyName = gifId != null
+        ? TranslatedMessageContent.leadingReplyName(message.text)
+        : null;
     final poi = parseMarkerText(message.text);
     final translatedDisplayText =
         message.translatedText != null &&
@@ -638,22 +641,40 @@ class _ChannelChatScreenState extends State<ChannelChatScreen> {
                           message.senderName,
                         )
                       else if (gifId != null)
-                        Stack(
+                        Column(
+                          crossAxisAlignment: isOutgoing
+                              ? CrossAxisAlignment.end
+                              : CrossAxisAlignment.start,
+                          mainAxisSize: MainAxisSize.min,
                           children: [
-                            ClipRRect(
-                              borderRadius: BorderRadius.circular(8),
-                              child: GifMessage(
-                                url:
-                                    'https://media.giphy.com/media/$gifId/giphy.gif',
-                                backgroundColor: Colors.transparent,
-                                fallbackTextColor: isOutgoing
-                                    ? Theme.of(context)
-                                          .colorScheme
-                                          .onPrimaryContainer
-                                          .withValues(alpha: 0.7)
-                                    : Theme.of(context).colorScheme.onSurface
-                                          .withValues(alpha: 0.6),
+                            if (gifReplyName != null) ...[
+                              TranslatedMessageContent.mentionChip(
+                                context,
+                                gifReplyName,
+                                TextStyle(fontSize: bodyFontSize * textScale),
                               ),
+                              const SizedBox(height: 4),
+                            ],
+                            Stack(
+                              children: [
+                                ClipRRect(
+                                  borderRadius: BorderRadius.circular(8),
+                                  child: GifMessage(
+                                    url:
+                                        'https://media.giphy.com/media/$gifId/giphy.gif',
+                                    backgroundColor: Colors.transparent,
+                                    fallbackTextColor: isOutgoing
+                                        ? Theme.of(context)
+                                              .colorScheme
+                                              .onPrimaryContainer
+                                              .withValues(alpha: 0.7)
+                                        : Theme.of(context)
+                                              .colorScheme
+                                              .onSurface
+                                              .withValues(alpha: 0.6),
+                                  ),
+                                ),
+                              ],
                             ),
                           ],
                         )
diff --git a/lib/widgets/translated_message_content.dart b/lib/widgets/translated_message_content.dart
index db23561..e4b751e 100644
--- a/lib/widgets/translated_message_content.dart
+++ b/lib/widgets/translated_message_content.dart
@@ -22,6 +22,33 @@ class TranslatedMessageContent extends StatelessWidget {
   // Rendered as a chip; surrounding text stays plain. (#233)
   static final RegExp _mention = RegExp(r'@\[([^\]]+)\]');
 
+  // A leading `@[Name] ` reply prefix.
+  static final RegExp _replyPrefix = RegExp(r'^@\[([^\]]+)\]\s+');
+
+  /// The name of a leading `@[Name]` reply mention, or null. Lets callers show
+  /// a reply chip above content that isn't rendered as text (e.g. a reply-gif,
+  /// #232).
+  static String? leadingReplyName(String text) =>
+      _replyPrefix.firstMatch(text.trim())?.group(1);
+
+  /// A styled `@Name` mention chip, shared by inline text rendering and reply
+  /// headers above non-text content.
+  static Widget mentionChip(
+    BuildContext context,
+    String name,
+    TextStyle style,
+  ) {
+    final scheme = Theme.of(context).colorScheme;
+    return Container(
+      padding: const EdgeInsets.symmetric(horizontal: 6, vertical: 1),
+      decoration: BoxDecoration(
+        color: scheme.onSurface.withValues(alpha: 0.14),
+        borderRadius: BorderRadius.circular(6),
+      ),
+      child: Text('@$name', style: style.copyWith(fontWeight: FontWeight.w500)),
+    );
+  }
+
   Widget _buildText(BuildContext context, String text, TextStyle textStyle) {
     if (!_mention.hasMatch(text)) {
       return LinkHandler.buildLinkifyText(
@@ -34,7 +61,6 @@ class TranslatedMessageContent extends StatelessWidget {
     // contains a mention renders as rich text with chip spans (links inside a
     // mention message are not tappable — same as the prior leading-mention
     // path). Messages without a mention keep full link support above.
-    final scheme = Theme.of(context).colorScheme;
     final spans = <InlineSpan>[];
     var last = 0;
     for (final m in _mention.allMatches(text)) {
@@ -44,17 +70,7 @@ class TranslatedMessageContent extends StatelessWidget {
       spans.add(
         WidgetSpan(
           alignment: PlaceholderAlignment.middle,
-          child: Container(
-            padding: const EdgeInsets.symmetric(horizontal: 6, vertical: 1),
-            decoration: BoxDecoration(
-              color: scheme.onSurface.withValues(alpha: 0.14),
-              borderRadius: BorderRadius.circular(6),
-            ),
-            child: Text(
-              '@${m.group(1)!}',
-              style: textStyle.copyWith(fontWeight: FontWeight.w500),
-            ),
-          ),
+          child: mentionChip(context, m.group(1)!, textStyle),
         ),
       );
       last = m.end;
diff --git a/test/widgets/translated_message_content_test.dart b/test/widgets/translated_message_content_test.dart
index 129c6d8..491792c 100644
--- a/test/widgets/translated_message_content_test.dart
+++ b/test/widgets/translated_message_content_test.dart
@@ -36,4 +36,20 @@ void main() {
       expect(find.text('@Bob'), findsOneWidget);
     });
   });
+
+  group('TranslatedMessageContent.leadingReplyName (#232)', () {
+    test('extracts a space-terminated leading reply name', () {
+      expect(TranslatedMessageContent.leadingReplyName('@[Bob] hi'), 'Bob');
+      expect(
+        TranslatedMessageContent.leadingReplyName('@[Bob Smith] g:x'),
+        'Bob Smith',
+      );
+    });
+
+    test('null when not leading or no trailing space', () {
+      expect(TranslatedMessageContent.leadingReplyName('hi @[Bob]'), isNull);
+      expect(TranslatedMessageContent.leadingReplyName('@[Bob]'), isNull);
+      expect(TranslatedMessageContent.leadingReplyName('hello'), isNull);
+    });
+  });
 }