diff --git a/lib/pleroma/web/activity_pub/mrf/force_mentions_in_content.ex b/lib/pleroma/web/activity_pub/mrf/force_mentions_in_content.ex
index 522ae2f60..c9b022cf8 100644
--- a/lib/pleroma/web/activity_pub/mrf/force_mentions_in_content.ex
+++ b/lib/pleroma/web/activity_pub/mrf/force_mentions_in_content.ex
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 
 defmodule Pleroma.Web.ActivityPub.MRF.ForceMentionsInContent do
   alias Pleroma.Formatter
+  alias Pleroma.Object
   alias Pleroma.User
 
   @behaviour Pleroma.Web.ActivityPub.MRF.Policy
@@ -34,31 +35,50 @@ defp extract_mention_uris_from_content(content) do
     do_extract(tree, [])
   end
 
+  defp get_replied_to_user(%{"inReplyTo" => in_reply_to}) do
+    case Object.normalize(in_reply_to, fetch: false) do
+      %Object{data: %{"actor" => actor}} -> User.get_cached_by_ap_id(actor)
+      _ -> nil
+    end
+  end
+
+  defp get_replied_to_user(_object), do: nil
+
+  # Ensure the replied-to user is sorted to the left
+  defp sort_replied_user([%User{id: user_id} | _] = users, %User{id: user_id}), do: users
+
+  defp sort_replied_user(users, %User{id: user_id} = user) do
+    if Enum.find(users, fn u -> u.id == user_id end) do
+      users = Enum.reject(users, fn u -> u.id == user_id end)
+      [user | users]
+    else
+      users
+    end
+  end
+
+  defp sort_replied_user(users, _), do: users
+
   @impl true
-  def filter(%{"type" => "Create", "object" => %{"type" => "Note", "tag" => tag}} = object) do
+  def filter(%{"type" => "Create", "object" => %{"type" => "Note", "to" => to}} = object)
+      when is_list(to) do
     # image-only posts from pleroma apparently reach this MRF without the content field
     content = object["object"]["content"] || ""
 
+    # Get the replied-to user for sorting
+    replied_to_user = get_replied_to_user(object["object"])
+
     mention_users =
-      tag
-      |> Enum.filter(fn tag -> tag["type"] == "Mention" end)
-      |> Enum.map(& &1["href"])
+      to
+      |> Enum.map(&User.get_cached_by_ap_id/1)
       |> Enum.reject(&is_nil/1)
-      |> Enum.map(fn ap_id_or_uri ->
-        case User.get_or_fetch_by_ap_id(ap_id_or_uri) do
-          {:ok, user} -> {ap_id_or_uri, user}
-          _ -> {ap_id_or_uri, User.get_by_uri(ap_id_or_uri)}
-        end
-      end)
-      |> Enum.reject(fn {_, user} -> user == nil end)
-      |> Enum.into(%{})
+      |> sort_replied_user(replied_to_user)
 
     explicitly_mentioned_uris = extract_mention_uris_from_content(content)
 
     added_mentions =
-      Enum.reduce(mention_users, "", fn {uri, user}, acc ->
+      Enum.reduce(mention_users, "", fn %User{ap_id: uri} = user, acc ->
         unless uri in explicitly_mentioned_uris do
-          acc <> Formatter.mention_from_user(user)
+          acc <> Formatter.mention_from_user(user, %{mentions_format: :compact}) <> " "
         else
           acc
         end
@@ -66,7 +86,7 @@ def filter(%{"type" => "Create", "object" => %{"type" => "Note", "tag" => tag}}
 
     content =
       if added_mentions != "",
-        do: added_mentions <> " " <> content,
+        do: "<span class=\"recipients-inline\">#{added_mentions}</span>" <> content,
         else: content
 
     {:ok, put_in(object["object"]["content"], content)}
diff --git a/priv/scrubbers/default.ex b/priv/scrubbers/default.ex
index 4694a92a5..f33a721a8 100644
--- a/priv/scrubbers/default.ex
+++ b/priv/scrubbers/default.ex
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ defmodule Pleroma.HTML.Scrubber.Default do
   Meta.allow_tag_with_these_attributes(:u, [])
   Meta.allow_tag_with_these_attributes(:ul, [])
 
-  Meta.allow_tag_with_this_attribute_values(:span, "class", ["h-card"])
+  Meta.allow_tag_with_this_attribute_values(:span, "class", ["h-card", "recipients-inline"])
   Meta.allow_tag_with_these_attributes(:span, [])
 
   Meta.allow_tag_with_this_attribute_values(:code, "class", ["inline"])
diff --git a/test/pleroma/web/activity_pub/mrf/force_mentions_in_content_test.exs b/test/pleroma/web/activity_pub/mrf/force_mentions_in_content_test.exs
index 090bdc35e..3bc07be94 100644
--- a/test/pleroma/web/activity_pub/mrf/force_mentions_in_content_test.exs
+++ b/test/pleroma/web/activity_pub/mrf/force_mentions_in_content_test.exs
@@ -3,22 +3,40 @@
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: AGPL-3.0-only
 
 defmodule Pleroma.Web.ActivityPub.MRF.ForceMentionsInContentTest do
-  alias Pleroma.Web.ActivityPub.MRF.ForceMentionsInContent
-  import Pleroma.Factory
   use Pleroma.DataCase
+  require Pleroma.Constants
+
+  alias Pleroma.Constants
+  alias Pleroma.Object
+  alias Pleroma.Web.ActivityPub.MRF.ForceMentionsInContent
+  alias Pleroma.Web.CommonAPI
+
+  import Pleroma.Factory
 
   test "adds mentions to post content" do
-    users = %{
-      "lain@lain.com" => "https://lain.com/users/lain",
-      "coolboymew@shitposter.club" => "https://shitposter.club/users/coolboymew",
-      "dielan@shitposter.club" => "https://shitposter.club/users/dielan",
-      "hakui@tuusin.misono-ya.info" => "https://tuusin.misono-ya.info/users/hakui",
-      "fence@xyzzy.link" => "https://xyzzy.link/users/fence"
-    }
-
-    Enum.each(users, fn {nickname, ap_id} ->
-      insert(:user, ap_id: ap_id, nickname: nickname, local: false)
-    end)
+    [lain, coolboymew, dielan, hakui, fence] = [
+      insert(:user, ap_id: "https://lain.com/users/lain", nickname: "lain@lain.com", local: false),
+      insert(:user,
+        ap_id: "https://shitposter.club/users/coolboymew",
+        nickname: "coolboymew@shitposter.club",
+        local: false
+      ),
+      insert(:user,
+        ap_id: "https://shitposter.club/users/dielan",
+        nickname: "dielan@shitposter.club",
+        local: false
+      ),
+      insert(:user,
+        ap_id: "https://tuusin.misono-ya.info/users/hakui",
+        nickname: "hakui@tuusin.misono-ya.info",
+        local: false
+      ),
+      insert(:user,
+        ap_id: "https://xyzzy.link/users/fence",
+        nickname: "fence@xyzzy.link",
+        local: false
+      )
+    ]
 
     object = File.read!("test/fixtures/soapbox_no_mentions_in_content.json") |> Jason.decode!()
 
@@ -29,6 +47,42 @@ test "adds mentions to post content" do
     }
 
     {:ok, %{"object" => %{"content" => filtered}}} = ForceMentionsInContent.filter(activity)
-    Enum.each(users, fn {nickname, _} -> assert filtered =~ nickname end)
+
+    assert filtered ==
+             "<span class=\"recipients-inline\"><span class=\"h-card\"><a class=\"u-url mention\" data-user=\"#{dielan.id}\" href=\"https://shitposter.club/users/dielan\" rel=\"ugc\">@<span>dielan</span></a></span> <span class=\"h-card\"><a class=\"u-url mention\" data-user=\"#{coolboymew.id}\" href=\"https://shitposter.club/users/coolboymew\" rel=\"ugc\">@<span>coolboymew</span></a></span> <span class=\"h-card\"><a class=\"u-url mention\" data-user=\"#{fence.id}\" href=\"https://xyzzy.link/users/fence\" rel=\"ugc\">@<span>fence</span></a></span> <span class=\"h-card\"><a class=\"u-url mention\" data-user=\"#{hakui.id}\" href=\"https://tuusin.misono-ya.info/users/hakui\" rel=\"ugc\">@<span>hakui</span></a></span> <span class=\"h-card\"><a class=\"u-url mention\" data-user=\"#{lain.id}\" href=\"https://lain.com/users/lain\" rel=\"ugc\">@<span>lain</span></a></span> </span><p>Haha yeah, you can control who you reply to.</p>"
+  end
+
+  test "the replied-to user is sorted to the left" do
+    [mario, luigi, wario] = [
+      insert(:user, nickname: "mario"),
+      insert(:user, nickname: "luigi"),
+      insert(:user, nickname: "wario")
+    ]
+
+    {:ok, post1} = CommonAPI.post(mario, %{status: "Letsa go!"})
+
+    {:ok, post2} =
+      CommonAPI.post(luigi, %{status: "Oh yaah", in_reply_to_id: post1.id, to: [mario.ap_id]})
+
+    activity = %{
+      "type" => "Create",
+      "actor" => wario.ap_id,
+      "object" => %{
+        "type" => "Note",
+        "actor" => wario.ap_id,
+        "content" => "WHA-HA!",
+        "to" => [
+          mario.ap_id,
+          luigi.ap_id,
+          Constants.as_public()
+        ],
+        "inReplyTo" => Object.normalize(post2).data["id"]
+      }
+    }
+
+    {:ok, %{"object" => %{"content" => filtered}}} = ForceMentionsInContent.filter(activity)
+
+    assert filtered ==
+             "<span class=\"recipients-inline\"><span class=\"h-card\"><a class=\"u-url mention\" data-user=\"#{luigi.id}\" href=\"#{luigi.ap_id}\" rel=\"ugc\">@<span>luigi</span></a></span> <span class=\"h-card\"><a class=\"u-url mention\" data-user=\"#{mario.id}\" href=\"#{mario.ap_id}\" rel=\"ugc\">@<span>mario</span></a></span> </span>WHA-HA!"
   end
 end