diff --git a/src/components/chatInput/index.js b/src/components/chatInput/index.js
index 017b74c60d..8604fde31f 100644
--- a/src/components/chatInput/index.js
+++ b/src/components/chatInput/index.js
@@ -26,6 +26,8 @@ import {
   StyledMentionSuggestion,
   SuggestionsWrapper,
   MentionUsername,
+  MentionContent,
+  MentionName,
 } from './style';
 import sendMessage from 'shared/graphql/mutations/message/sendMessage';
 import sendDirectMessage from 'shared/graphql/mutations/message/sendDirectMessage';
@@ -38,8 +40,11 @@ import { ESC, BACKSPACE, DELETE } from 'src/helpers/keycodes';
 
 const MentionSuggestion = ({ entry, search, focused }) => (
   <StyledMentionSuggestion focused={focused}>
-    <UserAvatar size={24} user={entry} />
-    <MentionUsername>{entry.username}</MentionUsername>
+    <UserAvatar size={32} user={entry} />
+    <MentionContent>
+      <MentionName focused={focused}>{entry.name}</MentionName>
+      <MentionUsername focused={focused}>@{entry.username}</MentionUsername>
+    </MentionContent>
   </StyledMentionSuggestion>
 );
 
@@ -292,21 +297,40 @@ const ChatInput = (props: Props) => {
       );
   };
 
+  const sortSuggestions = (a, b, queryString) => {
+    const aUsernameIndex = a.username.indexOf(queryString || '');
+    const bUsernameIndex = b.username.indexOf(queryString || '');
+    const aNameIndex = a.filterName.indexOf(queryString || '');
+    const bNameIndex = b.filterName.indexOf(queryString || '');
+    if (aNameIndex === 0) return -1;
+    if (aUsernameIndex === 0) return -1;
+    if (aNameIndex === 0) return -1;
+    if (aUsernameIndex === 0) return -1;
+    return aNameIndex - bNameIndex || aUsernameIndex - bUsernameIndex;
+  };
+
   const searchUsers = async (queryString, callback) => {
     const filteredParticipants = props.participants
       ? props.participants
           .filter(Boolean)
-          .filter(
-            participant => participant.username.indexOf(queryString || '') > -1
-          )
-          .sort(
-            (a, b) =>
-              a.username.indexOf(queryString || '') -
-              b.username.indexOf(queryString || '')
-          )
+          .filter(participant => {
+            return (
+              participant.username &&
+              (participant.username.indexOf(queryString || '') > -1 ||
+                participant.filterName.indexOf(queryString || '') > -1)
+            );
+          })
+          .sort((a, b) => {
+            return sortSuggestions(a, b, queryString);
+          })
+          .slice(0, 8)
       : [];
+
     callback(filteredParticipants);
-    if (!queryString || queryString.length === 0) return;
+
+    if (!queryString || queryString.length === 0)
+      return callback(filteredParticipants);
+
     const {
       data: { search },
     } = await props.client.query({
@@ -316,10 +340,16 @@ const ChatInput = (props: Props) => {
         type: 'USERS',
       },
     });
-    if (!search || !search.searchResultsConnection) return;
+
+    if (!search || !search.searchResultsConnection) {
+      if (filteredParticipants && filteredParticipants.length > 0)
+        return filteredParticipants;
+      return;
+    }
 
     let searchUsers = search.searchResultsConnection.edges
       .filter(Boolean)
+      .filter(edge => edge.node.username)
       .map(edge => {
         const user = edge.node;
         return {
@@ -327,12 +357,15 @@ const ChatInput = (props: Props) => {
           id: user.username,
           display: user.username,
           username: user.username,
+          filterName: user.name.toLowerCase(),
         };
       });
+
     // Prepend the filtered participants in case a user is tabbing down right now
     const fullResults = [...filteredParticipants, ...searchUsers];
     const uniqueResults = [];
     const done = [];
+
     fullResults.forEach(item => {
       if (done.indexOf(item.username) === -1) {
         uniqueResults.push(item);
@@ -340,7 +373,7 @@ const ChatInput = (props: Props) => {
       }
     });
 
-    callback(uniqueResults);
+    return callback(uniqueResults.slice(0, 8));
   };
 
   const networkDisabled =
@@ -414,6 +447,7 @@ const ChatInput = (props: Props) => {
                 <Mention
                   trigger="@"
                   data={searchUsers}
+                  appendSpaceOnAdd={true}
                   renderSuggestion={(
                     entry,
                     search,
diff --git a/src/components/chatInput/style.js b/src/components/chatInput/style.js
index 597ddf5e06..45f64a036d 100644
--- a/src/components/chatInput/style.js
+++ b/src/components/chatInput/style.js
@@ -102,10 +102,10 @@ const MentionsInputStyle = {
   suggestions: {
     list: {
       backgroundColor: theme.bg.default,
-      boxShadow: '1px 0 8px rgba(0,0,0,0.08)',
+      boxShadow: '1px 0 12px rgba(0,0,0,0.12)',
       borderRadius: '4px',
       overflow: 'hidden',
-      bottom: '24px',
+      bottom: '28px',
       position: 'absolute',
     },
   },
@@ -349,17 +349,33 @@ export const MarkdownHint = styled.div`
 
 export const StyledMentionSuggestion = styled.div`
   display: flex;
-  padding: 4px 8px;
-  font-size: 14px;
-  font-weight: 500;
-  color: ${props => (props.focused ? theme.brand.default : theme.text.default)};
+  padding: 8px 12px;
   align-items: center;
   background: ${props => (props.focused ? theme.brand.wash : theme.bg.default)};
   min-width: 156px;
+  line-height: 1.3;
+  border-bottom: 1px solid ${theme.bg.border};
+`;
+
+export const MentionContent = styled.div`
+  display: flex;
+  flex-direction: column;
+`;
+
+export const MentionName = styled.span`
+  margin-left: 12px;
+  width: calc(184px - 62px);
+  ${Truncate};
+  font-size: 14px;
+  font-weight: 500;
+  color: ${props => (props.focused ? theme.brand.default : theme.text.default)};
 `;
 
 export const MentionUsername = styled.span`
-  margin-left: 8px;
-  width: calc(156px - 62px);
+  margin-left: 12px;
+  font-size: 13px;
+  font-weight: 400;
+  width: calc(184px - 62px);
   ${Truncate};
+  color: ${props => (props.focused ? theme.brand.default : theme.text.alt)};
 `;
diff --git a/src/views/thread/components/messages.js b/src/views/thread/components/messages.js
index 06cef1ebd7..07f3d18c5b 100644
--- a/src/views/thread/components/messages.js
+++ b/src/views/thread/components/messages.js
@@ -125,6 +125,14 @@ class MessagesWithData extends React.Component<Props, State> {
   componentDidMount() {
     this.subscribe();
 
+    if (
+      this.props.data &&
+      this.props.data.thread &&
+      this.props.onMessagesLoaded
+    ) {
+      this.props.onMessagesLoaded(this.props.data.thread);
+    }
+
     if (this.shouldForceScrollToBottom()) {
       return setTimeout(() => this.props.forceScrollToBottom());
     }
diff --git a/src/views/thread/container.js b/src/views/thread/container.js
index 0b39bb7021..77eee92908 100644
--- a/src/views/thread/container.js
+++ b/src/views/thread/container.js
@@ -401,14 +401,26 @@ class ThreadContainer extends React.Component<Props, State> {
 
   updateThreadParticipants = thread => {
     const { messageConnection, author } = thread;
-    if (!messageConnection || messageConnection.edges.length === 0) return;
+
+    if (!messageConnection || messageConnection.edges.length === 0)
+      return this.setState({
+        participants: [
+          { ...author.user, filterName: author.user.name.toLowerCase() },
+        ],
+      });
+
     const participants = messageConnection.edges
       .map(edge => edge.node)
       .map(node => node.author.user);
 
     const participantsWithAuthor = [...participants, author.user]
       .filter((user, index, array) => array.indexOf(user) === index)
-      .map(user => ({ ...user, id: user.username, display: user.username }));
+      .map(user => ({
+        ...user,
+        id: user.username,
+        display: user.username,
+        filterName: user.name.toLowerCase(),
+      }));
 
     return this.setState({ participants: participantsWithAuthor });
   };