diff --git a/lib/helpers/gif_helper.dart b/lib/helpers/gif_helper.dart
index 5b68e90..ce2b3f3 100644
--- a/lib/helpers/gif_helper.dart
+++ b/lib/helpers/gif_helper.dart
@@ -10,7 +10,10 @@ class GifHelper {
   ///
   /// Returns null if text is not a valid GIF format
   static String? parseGif(String text) {
-    final trimmed = text.trim();
+    // A reply prepends a leading `@[Name] ` mention; ignore it so a reply-gif
+    // still resolves to the gif rather than plain text. Only a reply mention is
+    // stripped — arbitrary text before a gif is left as text. (#232)
+    final trimmed = text.trim().replaceFirst(RegExp(r'^@\[[^\]]+\]\s+'), '');
     final match = RegExp(r'^g:([A-Za-z0-9_-]+)$').firstMatch(trimmed);
     if (match != null) {
       return match.group(1);
diff --git a/lib/widgets/translated_message_content.dart b/lib/widgets/translated_message_content.dart
index 607ffe7..db23561 100644
--- a/lib/widgets/translated_message_content.dart
+++ b/lib/widgets/translated_message_content.dart
@@ -18,46 +18,51 @@ class TranslatedMessageContent extends StatelessWidget {
     this.showOriginalFirst = true,
   });
 
-  // A leading `@[Name]` reply mention, with or without a trailing space.
-  static final RegExp _mentionPrefix = RegExp(
-    r'^@\[([^\]]+)\]\s*(.*)$',
-    dotAll: true,
-  );
+  // An `@[Name]` mention anywhere in the text (leading, inline, or repeated).
+  // Rendered as a chip; surrounding text stays plain. (#233)
+  static final RegExp _mention = RegExp(r'@\[([^\]]+)\]');
 
   Widget _buildText(BuildContext context, String text, TextStyle textStyle) {
-    final match = _mentionPrefix.firstMatch(text);
-    if (match == null) {
+    if (!_mention.hasMatch(text)) {
       return LinkHandler.buildLinkifyText(
         context: context,
         text: text,
         style: textStyle,
       );
     }
-    final name = match.group(1)!;
-    final rest = match.group(2)!;
+    // Mentions can't be interleaved with the Linkify widget, so a message that
+    // 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;
-    return Text.rich(
-      TextSpan(
-        children: [
-          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(
-                '@$name',
-                style: textStyle.copyWith(fontWeight: FontWeight.w500),
-              ),
+    final spans = <InlineSpan>[];
+    var last = 0;
+    for (final m in _mention.allMatches(text)) {
+      if (m.start > last) {
+        spans.add(TextSpan(text: text.substring(last, m.start)));
+      }
+      spans.add(
+        WidgetSpan(
+          alignment: PlaceholderAlignment.middle,
+          child: Container(
+            padding: const EdgeInsets.symmetric(horizontal: 6, vertical: 1),
+            decoration: BoxDecoration(
+              color: scheme.onSurface.withValues(alpha: 0.14),
+              borderRadius: BorderRadius.circular(6),
+            ),
+            child: Text(
+              '@${m.group(1)!}',
+              style: textStyle.copyWith(fontWeight: FontWeight.w500),
             ),
           ),
-          if (rest.isNotEmpty) TextSpan(text: ' $rest'),
-        ],
-      ),
-      style: textStyle,
-    );
+        ),
+      );
+      last = m.end;
+    }
+    if (last < text.length) {
+      spans.add(TextSpan(text: text.substring(last)));
+    }
+    return Text.rich(TextSpan(children: spans), style: textStyle);
   }
 
   @override
diff --git a/test/helpers/gif_helper_reply_test.dart b/test/helpers/gif_helper_reply_test.dart
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4e260a3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/helpers/gif_helper_reply_test.dart
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+import 'package:flutter_test/flutter_test.dart';
+import 'package:meshcore_open/helpers/gif_helper.dart';
+
+void main() {
+  group('GifHelper.parseGif reply/format handling', () {
+    test('g:ID form', () {
+      expect(GifHelper.parseGif('g:abc123'), 'abc123');
+    });
+
+    test('reply-gif: a leading @[Name] prefix is ignored (#232)', () {
+      expect(GifHelper.parseGif('@[Bob] g:abc123'), 'abc123');
+      expect(GifHelper.parseGif('@[Bob Smith] g:abc123'), 'abc123');
+    });
+
+    test('arbitrary text before a gif is NOT treated as a gif', () {
+      expect(GifHelper.parseGif('lol g:abc123'), isNull);
+    });
+
+    test('a reply with plain text is not a gif', () {
+      expect(GifHelper.parseGif('@[Bob] hello there'), isNull);
+    });
+
+    test('media.giphy.com URL resolves', () {
+      expect(
+        GifHelper.parseGif('https://media.giphy.com/media/abc123/giphy.gif'),
+        'abc123',
+      );
+    });
+
+    test('reply + gif URL resolves', () {
+      expect(
+        GifHelper.parseGif(
+          '@[Bob] https://media.giphy.com/media/abc123/giphy.gif',
+        ),
+        'abc123',
+      );
+    });
+
+    test('plain text is null', () {
+      expect(GifHelper.parseGif('hello world'), isNull);
+    });
+  });
+}
diff --git a/test/widgets/translated_message_content_test.dart b/test/widgets/translated_message_content_test.dart
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..129c6d8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/widgets/translated_message_content_test.dart
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+import 'package:flutter/material.dart';
+import 'package:flutter_test/flutter_test.dart';
+import 'package:meshcore_open/widgets/translated_message_content.dart';
+
+Future<void> _pump(WidgetTester tester, String text) async {
+  await tester.pumpWidget(
+    MaterialApp(
+      home: Scaffold(
+        body: TranslatedMessageContent(
+          displayText: text,
+          style: const TextStyle(fontSize: 14),
+        ),
+      ),
+    ),
+  );
+}
+
+void main() {
+  group('TranslatedMessageContent mention rendering (#233)', () {
+    testWidgets('inline mention renders as a chip, not literal', (
+      tester,
+    ) async {
+      await _pump(tester, 'hey @[Bob] how are you');
+      expect(find.text('@Bob'), findsOneWidget); // chip
+      expect(find.textContaining('@[Bob]'), findsNothing); // no literal
+    });
+
+    testWidgets('leading mention renders as a chip', (tester) async {
+      await _pump(tester, '@[Bob] hello');
+      expect(find.text('@Bob'), findsOneWidget);
+    });
+
+    testWidgets('multiple mentions each render as chips', (tester) async {
+      await _pump(tester, '@[Alice] and @[Bob]');
+      expect(find.text('@Alice'), findsOneWidget);
+      expect(find.text('@Bob'), findsOneWidget);
+    });
+  });
+}