diff --git a/backend/src/middleware/index.js b/backend/src/middleware/index.js
index 39bb0e775..4f725ef72 100644
--- a/backend/src/middleware/index.js
+++ b/backend/src/middleware/index.js
@@ -20,9 +20,9 @@ export default schema => {
     validUrlMiddleware,
     sluggifyMiddleware,
     excerptMiddleware,
+    notificationsMiddleware,
     xssMiddleware,
     fixImageUrlsMiddleware,
-    notificationsMiddleware,
     softDeleteMiddleware,
     userMiddleware,
     includedFieldsMiddleware,
diff --git a/backend/src/middleware/notifications/index.js b/backend/src/middleware/notifications/index.js
index 0efd140d2..89d86bed3 100644
--- a/backend/src/middleware/notifications/index.js
+++ b/backend/src/middleware/notifications/index.js
@@ -1,20 +1,20 @@
 import extractIds from './extractMentions'
 
 const notify = async (resolve, root, args, context, resolveInfo) => {
+  const ids = extractIds(args.content) // before mention class gets removed
   const post = await resolve(root, args, context, resolveInfo)
 
   const session = context.driver.session()
   const { content, id: postId } = post
-  const slugs = extractIds(content)
   const createdAt = (new Date()).toISOString()
   const cypher = `
-    match(u:User) where u.slug in $slugs
+    match(u:User) where u.id in $ids
     match(p:Post) where p.id = $postId
     create(n:Notification{id: apoc.create.uuid(), read: false, createdAt: $createdAt})
     merge (n)-[:NOTIFIED]->(u)
     merge (p)-[:NOTIFIED]->(n)
     `
-  await session.run(cypher, { slugs, createdAt, postId })
+  await session.run(cypher, { ids, createdAt, postId })
   session.close()
 
   return post
diff --git a/backend/src/middleware/notifications/spec.js b/backend/src/middleware/notifications/spec.js
index 656f10636..c7dd99613 100644
--- a/backend/src/middleware/notifications/spec.js
+++ b/backend/src/middleware/notifications/spec.js
@@ -54,26 +54,31 @@ describe('currentUser { notifications }', () => {
       })
 
       describe('who mentions me in a post', () => {
+        let post
+        const title = 'Mentioning Al Capone'
+        const content = 'Hey <a class="mention" href="/profile/you/al-capone">@al-capone</a> how do you do?'
+
         beforeEach(async () => {
-          const content = 'Hey @al-capone how do you do?'
-          const title = 'Mentioning Al Capone'
           const createPostMutation = `
           mutation($title: String!, $content: String!) {
             CreatePost(title: $title, content: $content) {
+              id
               title
               content
             }
           }
           `
           authorClient = new GraphQLClient(host, { headers: authorHeaders })
-          await authorClient.request(createPostMutation, { title, content })
+          const { CreatePost } = await authorClient.request(createPostMutation, { title, content })
+          post = CreatePost
         })
 
         it('sends you a notification', async () => {
+          const newContent = 'Hey <a href="/profile/you/al-capone" target=\"_blank\">@al-capone</a> how do you do?'
           const expected = {
             currentUser: {
               notifications: [
-                { read: false, post: { content: 'Hey @al-capone how do you do?' } }
+                { read: false, post: { content: newContent } }
               ]
             }
           }