diff --git a/api/resolvers/item.js b/api/resolvers/item.js
index 242c003d..d2434481 100644
--- a/api/resolvers/item.js
+++ b/api/resolvers/item.js
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { GraphQLError } from 'graphql'
-import { ensureProtocol, removeTracking, stripTrailingSlash } from '@/lib/url'
+import { ensureProtocol, parseInternalLinks, removeTracking, stripTrailingSlash } from '@/lib/url'
 import serialize from './serial'
 import { decodeCursor, LIMIT, nextCursorEncoded } from '@/lib/cursor'
 import { getMetadata, metadataRuleSets } from 'page-metadata-parser'
@@ -1185,7 +1185,7 @@ export default {
 }
 
 const namePattern = /\B@[\w_]+/gi
-const refPattern = new RegExp(`(?:#|${process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_URL}/items/)(?<id>\\d+)`, 'gi')
+const refPattern = new RegExp(`(#\\d+|${process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_URL}/items/\\d+.*)`, 'gi')
 
 export const createMentions = async (item, models) => {
   // if we miss a mention, in the rare circumstance there's some kind of
@@ -1247,8 +1247,13 @@ const createItemMentions = async (item, models) => {
   const refs = item.text.match(refPattern)?.map(m => {
     if (m.startsWith('#')) return Number(m.slice(1))
     // is not #<id> syntax but full URL
-    return Number(m.split('/').slice(-1)[0])
-  })
+    try {
+      const { itemId, commentId } = parseInternalLinks(m)
+      return Number(commentId || itemId)
+    } catch (err) {
+      return null
+    }
+  }).filter(r => !!r)
   if (!refs || refs.length === 0) return
 
   const referee = await models.item.findMany({
diff --git a/components/text.js b/components/text.js
index 355e6434..19f02744 100644
--- a/components/text.js
+++ b/components/text.js
@@ -213,7 +213,7 @@ export default memo(function Text ({ rel, imgproxyUrls, children, tab, itemId, o
                 )
               } else if (href.startsWith('/') || url?.origin === internalURL) {
                 try {
-                  const linkText = parseInternalLinks(href)
+                  const { linkText } = parseInternalLinks(href)
                   if (linkText) {
                     return (
                       <ItemPopover id={linkText.replace('#', '').split('/')[0]}>
@@ -241,7 +241,7 @@ export default memo(function Text ({ rel, imgproxyUrls, children, tab, itemId, o
             }
 
             try {
-              const linkText = parseInternalLinks(href)
+              const { linkText } = parseInternalLinks(href)
               if (linkText) {
                 return (
                   <ItemPopover id={linkText.replace('#', '').split('/')[0]}>
diff --git a/lib/url.js b/lib/url.js
index 58dcb65a..371b0275 100644
--- a/lib/url.js
+++ b/lib/url.js
@@ -52,12 +52,14 @@ export function parseInternalLinks (href) {
       // and not #2
       // since commentId will be ignored anyway
       const linkText = `#${itemId}/${itemPage}`
-      return linkText
+      return { itemId, linkText }
     }
     const commentId = searchParams.get('commentId')
     const linkText = `#${commentId || itemId}`
-    return linkText
+    return { itemId, commentId, linkText }
   }
+
+  return {}
 }
 
 export function parseEmbedUrl (href) {
diff --git a/lib/url.spec.js b/lib/url.spec.js
index 829cc38c..8c301364 100644
--- a/lib/url.spec.js
+++ b/lib/url.spec.js
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ describe('internal links', () => {
     'parses %p as %p',
     (href, expected) => {
       process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_URL = 'https://stacker.news'
-      const actual = parseInternalLinks(href)
+      const { linkText: actual } = parseInternalLinks(href)
       expect(actual).toBe(expected)
     }
   )