diff --git a/ui/src/components/MarkdownEditor.tsx b/ui/src/components/MarkdownEditor.tsx
index 4ff06da2..b30c3edf 100644
--- a/ui/src/components/MarkdownEditor.tsx
+++ b/ui/src/components/MarkdownEditor.tsx
@@ -26,22 +26,52 @@ import {
   thematicBreakPlugin,
   type RealmPlugin,
 } from "@mdxeditor/editor";
-import { LinkNode } from "@lexical/link";
+import { LinkNode, type LinkAttributes } from "@lexical/link";
 import { buildAgentMentionHref, buildProjectMentionHref } from "@paperclipai/shared";
 import { AgentIcon } from "./AgentIconPicker";
 import { applyMentionChipDecoration, clearMentionChipDecoration, parseMentionChipHref } from "../lib/mention-chips";
 import { mentionDeletionPlugin } from "../lib/mention-deletion";
 import { cn } from "../lib/utils";
 
-/* ---- Allow custom mention URL schemes in Lexical's LinkNode ---- */
-// Lexical only allows http(s)/mailto/sms/tel by default, converting
-// everything else to about:blank.  We need agent:// and project://
-// to survive the markdown→Lexical import so mention chips render.
-const _origSanitizeUrl = LinkNode.prototype.sanitizeUrl;
-LinkNode.prototype.sanitizeUrl = function sanitizeUrl(url: string): string {
-  if (/^(agent|project):\/\//.test(url)) return url;
-  return _origSanitizeUrl.call(this, url);
-};
+const CUSTOM_MENTION_URL_RE = /^(agent|project):\/\//;
+
+class MentionAwareLinkNode extends LinkNode {
+  static clone(node: MentionAwareLinkNode): MentionAwareLinkNode {
+    return new MentionAwareLinkNode(
+      node.getURL(),
+      {
+        rel: node.getRel(),
+        target: node.getTarget(),
+        title: node.getTitle(),
+      },
+      node.getKey(),
+    );
+  }
+
+  constructor(url?: string, attributes?: LinkAttributes, key?: string) {
+    super(url, attributes, key);
+  }
+
+  sanitizeUrl(url: string): string {
+    if (CUSTOM_MENTION_URL_RE.test(url)) return url;
+    return super.sanitizeUrl(url);
+  }
+}
+
+const mentionAwareLinkNodeReplacement = {
+  replace: LinkNode,
+  with: (node: LinkNode) =>
+    new MentionAwareLinkNode(
+      node.getURL(),
+      {
+        rel: node.getRel(),
+        target: node.getTarget(),
+        title: node.getTitle(),
+      },
+      node.getKey(),
+    ),
+  withKlass: MentionAwareLinkNode,
+} as const;
 
 /* ---- Mention types ---- */
 
@@ -560,6 +590,7 @@ export const MarkdownEditor = forwardRef<MarkdownEditorRef, MarkdownEditorProps>
           "paperclip-mdxeditor-content focus:outline-none [&_ul]:list-disc [&_ul]:pl-5 [&_ol]:list-decimal [&_ol]:pl-5 [&_li]:list-item",
           contentClassName,
         )}
+        additionalLexicalNodes={[mentionAwareLinkNodeReplacement]}
         plugins={plugins}
       />
 
diff --git a/ui/src/context/LiveUpdatesProvider.tsx b/ui/src/context/LiveUpdatesProvider.tsx
index 6acb9af8..86746dcc 100644
--- a/ui/src/context/LiveUpdatesProvider.tsx
+++ b/ui/src/context/LiveUpdatesProvider.tsx
@@ -664,6 +664,7 @@ export function LiveUpdatesProvider({ children }: { children: ReactNode }) {
   const { pushToast } = useToast();
   const location = useLocation();
   const gateRef = useRef<ToastGate>({ cooldownHits: new Map(), suppressUntil: 0 });
+  const pathnameRef = useRef(location.pathname);
   const { data: session } = useQuery({
     queryKey: queryKeys.auth.session,
     queryFn: () => authApi.getSession(),
@@ -671,6 +672,10 @@ export function LiveUpdatesProvider({ children }: { children: ReactNode }) {
   });
   const currentUserId = session?.user?.id ?? session?.session?.userId ?? null;
 
+  useEffect(() => {
+    pathnameRef.current = location.pathname;
+  }, [location.pathname]);
+
   useEffect(() => {
     if (!selectedCompanyId) return;
 
@@ -715,7 +720,7 @@ export function LiveUpdatesProvider({ children }: { children: ReactNode }) {
 
         try {
           const parsed = JSON.parse(raw) as LiveEvent;
-          handleLiveEvent(queryClient, selectedCompanyId, location.pathname, parsed, pushToast, gateRef.current, {
+          handleLiveEvent(queryClient, selectedCompanyId, pathnameRef.current, parsed, pushToast, gateRef.current, {
             userId: currentUserId,
             agentId: null,
           });
@@ -747,7 +752,7 @@ export function LiveUpdatesProvider({ children }: { children: ReactNode }) {
         socket.close(1000, "provider_unmount");
       }
     };
-  }, [queryClient, selectedCompanyId, pushToast, currentUserId, location.pathname]);
+  }, [queryClient, selectedCompanyId, pushToast, currentUserId]);
 
   return <>{children}</>;
 }
diff --git a/ui/src/lib/mention-chips.ts b/ui/src/lib/mention-chips.ts
index d00185a8..d951d0ce 100644
--- a/ui/src/lib/mention-chips.ts
+++ b/ui/src/lib/mention-chips.ts
@@ -112,15 +112,11 @@ function buildAgentIconMask(iconName: string | null): string | null {
   if (cached) return cached;
 
   const Icon = getAgentIcon(iconName);
-  const rendered = (
+  const iconNode = (
     Icon as unknown as {
-      render: (
-        props: Record<string, unknown>,
-        ref: unknown,
-      ) => { props?: { iconNode?: Array<[string, Record<string, string>]> } };
+      iconNode?: Array<[string, Record<string, string>]>;
     }
-  ).render({ size: 12, strokeWidth: 2 }, null);
-  const iconNode = rendered?.props?.iconNode;
+  ).iconNode;
   if (!Array.isArray(iconNode) || iconNode.length === 0) return null;
 
   const body = iconNode.map(([tag, attrs]) => {