diff --git a/lib/util.php b/lib/util.php
index bd15a56220..441dcf68e3 100644
--- a/lib/util.php
+++ b/lib/util.php
@@ -391,10 +391,10 @@ function common_render_content($text, $notice)
 {
     $r = common_render_text($text);
     $id = $notice->profile_id;
-    $r = preg_replace('/(^|\s+)@([A-Za-z0-9]{1,64})/e', "'\\1@'.common_at_link($id, '\\2')", $r);
+    $r = preg_replace('/(^|[\s\.\,\:\;]+)@([A-Za-z0-9]{1,64})/e', "'\\1@'.common_at_link($id, '\\2')", $r);
     $r = preg_replace('/^T ([A-Z0-9]{1,64}) /e', "'T '.common_at_link($id, '\\1').' '", $r);
-    $r = preg_replace('/(^|\s+)@#([A-Za-z0-9]{1,64})/e', "'\\1@#'.common_at_hash_link($id, '\\2')", $r);
-    $r = preg_replace('/(^|\s)!([A-Za-z0-9]{1,64})/e', "'\\1!'.common_group_link($id, '\\2')", $r);
+    $r = preg_replace('/(^|[\s\.\,\:\;]+)@#([A-Za-z0-9]{1,64})/e', "'\\1@#'.common_at_hash_link($id, '\\2')", $r);
+    $r = preg_replace('/(^|[\s\.\,\:\;]+)!([A-Za-z0-9]{1,64})/e', "'\\1!'.common_group_link($id, '\\2')", $r);
     return $r;
 }