diff --git a/desktop/src/features/channels/mentionAdmissionJourney.test.mjs b/desktop/src/features/channels/mentionAdmissionJourney.test.mjs
index 9da1edcaf9..b9a6764643 100644
--- a/desktop/src/features/channels/mentionAdmissionJourney.test.mjs
+++ b/desktop/src/features/channels/mentionAdmissionJourney.test.mjs
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
+import {
+  getMentionSelectionHistory,
+  resetMentionSelectionHistory,
+} from "../messages/lib/mentionSelectionHistory.ts";
 // Admission against existing root query evidence, without membership freshness production.
 // Real mention and picker hooks; Tauri policy/classification are fixture evidence.
 import assert from "node:assert/strict";
@@ -246,6 +250,7 @@ async function setup(overrides = {}) {
 }
 afterEach(async () => {
   if (root) await act(async () => root.unmount());
+  resetMentionSelectionHistory();
   client?.clear();
   document.body.replaceChildren();
 });
@@ -326,6 +331,7 @@ test("retained explicit pin rejects latest policy denial without draft effects",
   assert.equal(rows().length, 1, "denial does not move the displayed row");
   await act(async () => oldPin(row));
   assert.deepEqual(effects, []);
+  assert.deepEqual(getMentionSelectionHistory(VIEWER, CHANNEL), []);
   assert.deepEqual(mention.knownNames, []);
 });
 
@@ -349,6 +355,7 @@ for (const returnToOrigin of [false, true]) {
       edit = oldInsert(row, 1);
     });
     assert.deepEqual(effects, []);
+    assert.deepEqual(getMentionSelectionHistory(VIEWER, CHANNEL), []);
     assert.equal(edit.insertText, "");
     assert.deepEqual(mention.knownNames, []);
   });
@@ -592,6 +599,9 @@ test("background membership/search updates leave visible same-name rows and Tab
     mention.getDraftMentionRefs(edit.insertText)[0].pubkey,
     selected.pubkey,
   );
+  assert.deepEqual(getMentionSelectionHistory(VIEWER, CHANNEL), [
+    selected.pubkey,
+  ]);
   await act(async () => mention.updateMentionQuery("@Scou", 5));
   await settle();
   assert.equal(mention.suggestions.length, 3);
@@ -719,6 +729,7 @@ for (const condition of ["denied", "missing", "failed", "cold-failed"]) {
       assert.equal(outcome.suggestion, undefined);
     }
     assert.deepEqual(effects, []);
+    assert.deepEqual(getMentionSelectionHistory(VIEWER, CHANNEL), []);
     assert.deepEqual(mention.knownNames, []);
   });
 }
diff --git a/desktop/src/features/communities/useCommunityInit.ts b/desktop/src/features/communities/useCommunityInit.ts
index a3b17f5ea3..6069102aac 100644
--- a/desktop/src/features/communities/useCommunityInit.ts
+++ b/desktop/src/features/communities/useCommunityInit.ts
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import { resetMentionSelectionHistory } from "@/features/messages/lib/mentionSelectionHistory";
 import { useEffect, useRef, useState } from "react";
 import { isTauri } from "@tauri-apps/api/core";
 import { isMacPlatform } from "@/shared/lib/platform";
@@ -58,6 +59,7 @@ async function resetCommunityState({
   resetAvatarState: boolean;
 }): Promise<void> {
   relayClient.disconnect();
+  resetMentionSelectionHistory();
   await resetNavigationDeepLinkDrain();
   resetRateLimitGate();
   clearAllDrafts();
diff --git a/desktop/src/features/messages/lib/mentionPresentation.test.mjs b/desktop/src/features/messages/lib/mentionPresentation.test.mjs
index 864cb2b551..2631a75b42 100644
--- a/desktop/src/features/messages/lib/mentionPresentation.test.mjs
+++ b/desktop/src/features/messages/lib/mentionPresentation.test.mjs
@@ -1,10 +1,17 @@
 import assert from "node:assert/strict";
 import test from "node:test";
 import { buildMentionCandidates } from "./buildMentionCandidates.ts";
+import { rankMentionCandidates } from "./mentionRanking.ts";
 import { getMentionMemberPubkeys } from "./mentionMemberPubkeys.ts";
+import {
+  getMentionSelectionHistory,
+  rememberMentionSelection,
+  resetMentionSelectionHistory,
+} from "./mentionSelectionHistory.ts";
 
 const A = "a".repeat(64),
   B = "b".repeat(64),
+  C = "c".repeat(64),
   VIEWER = "f".repeat(64);
 function input(overrides = {}) {
   return {
@@ -161,3 +168,99 @@ test("relay presence and verified ownership are independent of local stopped sta
   );
   assert.equal(stale.presence, "unknown");
 });
+const candidate = (pubkey, extra = {}) => ({
+  kind: "identity",
+  pubkey,
+  displayName: "Scout",
+  isAgent: true,
+  isMember: true,
+  action: "mention",
+  ...extra,
+});
+test("collision order is explicit recent, owned, Online > Away > unknown/Offline, then exact key", () => {
+  const rows = [
+    candidate(A, { presence: "online" }),
+    candidate(B, { isOwned: true, presence: "offline" }),
+    candidate(C, { presence: "away" }),
+  ];
+  const keys = (items, history = []) =>
+    rankMentionCandidates(items, "", new Set(), history).map(
+      (x) => x.candidate.pubkey,
+    );
+  assert.deepEqual(keys(rows), [B, A, C]);
+  assert.deepEqual(keys(rows, [C]), [C, B, A]);
+  for (const permutation of [
+    rows,
+    [...rows].reverse(),
+    [rows[1], rows[0], rows[2]],
+    [rows[2], rows[0], rows[1]],
+  ])
+    assert.deepEqual(keys(permutation), [B, A, C]);
+  assert.deepEqual(
+    keys([
+      candidate(B, { presence: "unknown" }),
+      candidate(A, { presence: "offline" }),
+    ]),
+    [A, B],
+  );
+  assert.deepEqual(
+    keys([
+      candidate(B, { action: "unavailable" }),
+      candidate(A, { isMember: false, action: "invite" }),
+    ]),
+    [A, B],
+  );
+});
+test("unrelated text/kind slots do not participate in conditional-comparator cycles", () => {
+  const rows = [
+    candidate(B),
+    candidate(C, { displayName: "Someone", isAgent: false }),
+    candidate(A),
+  ];
+  assert.deepEqual(
+    rankMentionCandidates(rows, "").map((x) => x.candidate.pubkey),
+    [A, C, B],
+  );
+});
+test("explicit history is channel/user scoped, bounded and cleared at community reset", () => {
+  resetMentionSelectionHistory();
+  rememberMentionSelection(VIEWER, "room", A);
+  rememberMentionSelection(VIEWER, "room", B);
+  assert.deepEqual(getMentionSelectionHistory(VIEWER, "room"), [B, A]);
+  assert.deepEqual(getMentionSelectionHistory(A, "room"), []);
+  assert.deepEqual(getMentionSelectionHistory(VIEWER, "other"), []);
+  resetMentionSelectionHistory();
+  assert.deepEqual(getMentionSelectionHistory(VIEWER, "room"), []);
+});
+
+test("history normalizes keys and evicts excess entries and scopes", () => {
+  resetMentionSelectionHistory();
+  for (let i = 0; i < 55; i++)
+    rememberMentionSelection(VIEWER, "room", i.toString(16).padStart(64, "0"));
+  assert.equal(getMentionSelectionHistory(VIEWER, "room").length, 50);
+  rememberMentionSelection(VIEWER.toUpperCase(), "room", A.toUpperCase());
+  assert.equal(getMentionSelectionHistory(VIEWER, "room")[0], A);
+  for (let i = 0; i < 100; i++)
+    rememberMentionSelection(VIEWER, `room-${i}`, A);
+  assert.deepEqual(getMentionSelectionHistory(VIEWER, "room"), []);
+  resetMentionSelectionHistory();
+});
+
+test("ranking before the visible slice preserves persona and team slots", () => {
+  const rows = [
+    candidate(B, { isMember: false, personaId: "active" }),
+    candidate(undefined, {
+      kind: "persona",
+      isMember: false,
+      personaId: "active",
+    }),
+    candidate(undefined, { kind: "team", isMember: false }),
+    candidate(A, { isMember: false, personaId: "active", isOwned: true }),
+  ];
+  const rank = (history = []) =>
+    rankMentionCandidates(rows, "Scout", new Set(["active"]), history)
+      .slice(0, 3)
+      .map((item) => item.candidate);
+  assert.deepEqual(rank(), [rows[3], rows[1], rows[2]]);
+  assert.deepEqual(rank([B]), [rows[0], rows[1], rows[2]]);
+});
diff --git a/desktop/src/features/messages/lib/mentionRanking.ts b/desktop/src/features/messages/lib/mentionRanking.ts
index f346494089..cfb6572a0c 100644
--- a/desktop/src/features/messages/lib/mentionRanking.ts
+++ b/desktop/src/features/messages/lib/mentionRanking.ts
@@ -1,9 +1,15 @@
-import { isMentionActionable, type MentionAction } from "./mentionPresentation";
+import {
+  isMentionActionable,
+  type MentionAction,
+  type MentionPresence,
+} from "./mentionPresentation";
 import { normalizePubkey, truncatePubkey } from "@/shared/lib/pubkey";
 
 export type MentionCandidateForRanking = {
   displayName: string | null;
   action?: MentionAction;
+  isOwned?: boolean;
+  presence?: MentionPresence;
   isAgent: boolean;
   isActiveAgent?: boolean;
   isMember: boolean;
@@ -116,10 +122,11 @@ export function rankMentionCandidates<T extends MentionCandidateForRanking>(
   candidates: readonly T[],
   query: string,
   activePersonaIds: ReadonlySet<string> = new Set(),
+  recentExplicitPubkeys: readonly string[] = [],
 ): RankedMentionCandidate<T>[] {
   const lowerQuery = query.toLowerCase();
 
-  return candidates
+  const ranked = candidates
     .map((candidate, order) => {
       const pubkeyLower = candidate.pubkey
         ? normalizePubkey(candidate.pubkey)
@@ -160,4 +167,43 @@ export function rankMentionCandidates<T extends MentionCandidateForRanking>(
       (a, b) =>
         a.groupRank - b.groupRank || a.score - b.score || a.order - b.order,
     );
+  // Reorder only comparable same-name agent slots. A conditional pairwise
+  // comparator against unrelated rows creates cycles (A<B, B<C, C<A).
+  const groups = new Map<string, number[]>();
+  ranked.forEach((item, index) => {
+    if (
+      item.candidate.kind !== "identity" ||
+      !item.candidate.pubkey ||
+      !item.candidate.isAgent ||
+      !isMentionActionable(item.candidate)
+    )
+      return;
+    const group = `${item.groupRank}:${item.score}:${item.label.trim().toLowerCase()}`;
+    groups.set(group, [...(groups.get(group) ?? []), index]);
+  });
+  const recent = new Map(
+    recentExplicitPubkeys.map((key, index) => [normalizePubkey(key), index]),
+  );
+  const presenceRank = (value?: MentionPresence) =>
+    value === "online" ? 0 : value === "away" ? 1 : 2;
+  for (const indexes of groups.values()) {
+    if (indexes.length < 2) continue;
+    const sorted = indexes
+      .map((index) => ranked[index])
+      .sort((a, b) => {
+        const left = a.candidate,
+          right = b.candidate;
+        return (
+          (recent.get(normalizePubkey(left.pubkey ?? "")) ?? Infinity) -
+            (recent.get(normalizePubkey(right.pubkey ?? "")) ?? Infinity) ||
+          Number(right.isOwned === true) - Number(left.isOwned === true) ||
+          presenceRank(left.presence) - presenceRank(right.presence) ||
+          (left.pubkey ?? "").localeCompare(right.pubkey ?? "")
+        );
+      });
+    indexes.forEach((index, i) => {
+      ranked[index] = sorted[i];
+    });
+  }
+  return ranked;
 }
diff --git a/desktop/src/features/messages/lib/mentionSelectionHistory.ts b/desktop/src/features/messages/lib/mentionSelectionHistory.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d3ab2265e9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/desktop/src/features/messages/lib/mentionSelectionHistory.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+import { normalizePubkey } from "@/shared/lib/pubkey";
+
+// Community lifetime is owned by resetCommunityState. Keys additionally isolate
+// identities/channels; this is selection intent, never authorization or pins.
+const history = new Map<string, string[]>();
+const scopeKey = (viewer: string, channel: string) =>
+  `${normalizePubkey(viewer)}:${channel}`;
+
+/** Clear selection intent when the community changes. */
+export function resetMentionSelectionHistory() {
+  history.clear();
+}
+
+/** Read recent successful insertions for this viewer and channel only. */
+export function getMentionSelectionHistory(
+  viewer: string | null,
+  channel: string | null,
+): readonly string[] {
+  return viewer && channel
+    ? (history.get(scopeKey(viewer, channel)) ?? [])
+    : [];
+}
+
+/** Record a successful exact-key insertion without creating permission or a pin. */
+export function rememberMentionSelection(
+  viewer: string | null,
+  channel: string | null,
+  pubkey: string,
+) {
+  if (!viewer || !channel) return;
+  const scope = scopeKey(viewer, channel);
+  const key = normalizePubkey(pubkey);
+  const previous = history.get(scope) ?? [];
+  history.delete(scope);
+  history.set(
+    scope,
+    [key, ...previous.filter((item) => item !== key)].slice(0, 50),
+  );
+  while (history.size > 100) {
+    const oldest = history.keys().next().value;
+    if (oldest === undefined) break;
+    history.delete(oldest);
+  }
+}
diff --git a/desktop/src/features/messages/lib/useMentions.ts b/desktop/src/features/messages/lib/useMentions.ts
index dd9a731348..0180b9ab46 100644
--- a/desktop/src/features/messages/lib/useMentions.ts
+++ b/desktop/src/features/messages/lib/useMentions.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,10 @@ import {
   markMentionCollisions,
 } from "./mentionPresentation";
 import { useCanAddChannelMembers } from "@/features/channels/useCanAddChannelMembers";
+import {
+  getMentionSelectionHistory,
+  rememberMentionSelection,
+} from "./mentionSelectionHistory";
 import { useMentionEvidence } from "./useMentionEvidence";
 import * as React from "react";
 import {
@@ -420,6 +424,7 @@ export function useMentions(
       mentionCandidatesWithTeams,
       mentionQuery,
       activePersonaIds,
+      getMentionSelectionHistory(currentPubkey, channelId),
     )
       .slice(0, MENTION_SUGGESTION_LIMIT)
       .map(({ candidate, label }) => ({
@@ -438,6 +443,7 @@ export function useMentions(
     activePersonaIds,
     agentDirectoriesReady,
     retryMention,
+    channelId,
     currentPubkey,
     mentionCandidatesWithTeams,
     mentionQuery,
@@ -592,6 +598,8 @@ export function useMentions(
           replaceToOffset: selectionEnd,
           insertText: "",
         };
+      if (suggestion.pubkey)
+        rememberMentionSelection(currentPubkey, channelId, suggestion.pubkey);
       const [boundSuggestion] = selectedMentionLabels(
         [suggestion],
         mentionMapRef.current,
@@ -666,6 +674,8 @@ export function useMentions(
       knownAgentPubkeys,
       query,
       suggestions,
+      currentPubkey,
+      channelId,
     ],
   );
   const registerMentionPubkey = React.useCallback(
diff --git a/desktop/tests/e2e/mention-picker.spec.ts b/desktop/tests/e2e/mention-picker.spec.ts
index b7dab66c9d..0479bf80ae 100644
--- a/desktop/tests/e2e/mention-picker.spec.ts
+++ b/desktop/tests/e2e/mention-picker.spec.ts
@@ -76,7 +76,12 @@ test("collision distinction, deliberate key choice, and exact publication", asyn
   const rowIds = await page
     .locator("[data-mention-suggestion-index]")
     .evaluateAll((rows) => rows.map((row) => row.getAttribute("data-testid")));
+  expect(rowIds).toEqual([
+    `mention-suggestion-${A}`,
+    `mention-suggestion-${B}`,
+  ]);
   const first = rowIds[1]?.endsWith(A) ? A : B;
+  const second = first === A ? B : A;
   await input.press("ArrowDown");
   // Membership/presence changes affect the next request, not the visible order.
   await page.evaluate(() => {
@@ -122,6 +127,17 @@ test("collision distinction, deliberate key choice, and exact publication", asyn
       ),
     )
     .toEqual([[first]]);
+  await input.fill("@Scout");
+  await expect
+    .poll(() =>
+      page
+        .locator("[data-mention-suggestion-index]")
+        .evaluateAll((rows) =>
+          rows.map((row) => row.getAttribute("data-testid")),
+        ),
+    )
+    .toEqual([`mention-suggestion-${first}`, `mention-suggestion-${second}`]);
+  await capture(page, "next-open-ranking");
 });
 
 test("Escape discards delayed picker results across navigation", async ({