diff --git a/desktop/src/features/agents/lib/agentAutocompleteEligibility.test.mjs b/desktop/src/features/agents/lib/agentAutocompleteEligibility.test.mjs
index 4e02b7bd68..a9022ae48f 100644
--- a/desktop/src/features/agents/lib/agentAutocompleteEligibility.test.mjs
+++ b/desktop/src/features/agents/lib/agentAutocompleteEligibility.test.mjs
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import {
   getMentionableAgentPubkeys,
   getSharedChannelIds,
   isAgentIdentityInManagedList,
+  isAgentMentionReachable,
   relayAgentIsSharedWithUser,
   shouldHideAgentFromMentions,
 } from "./agentAutocompleteEligibility.ts";
@@ -162,6 +163,39 @@ test("isAgentIdentityInManagedList: keeps people and only current managed agent
   );
 });
 
+test("isAgentMentionReachable: keeps remote channel agents without restoring stale non-members", () => {
+  const managedAgentPubkeys = new Set([PUB_A]);
+
+  assert.equal(
+    isAgentMentionReachable(
+      { isAgent: false, isMember: false, pubkey: PUB_D },
+      managedAgentPubkeys,
+    ),
+    true,
+  );
+  assert.equal(
+    isAgentMentionReachable(
+      { isAgent: true, isMember: false, pubkey: PUB_A },
+      managedAgentPubkeys,
+    ),
+    true,
+  );
+  assert.equal(
+    isAgentMentionReachable(
+      { isAgent: true, isMember: true, pubkey: PUB_B },
+      managedAgentPubkeys,
+    ),
+    true,
+  );
+  assert.equal(
+    isAgentMentionReachable(
+      { isAgent: true, isMember: false, pubkey: PUB_C },
+      managedAgentPubkeys,
+    ),
+    false,
+  );
+});
+
 test("shouldHideAgentFromMentions: never hides non-agents", () => {
   assert.equal(
     shouldHideAgentFromMentions({
diff --git a/desktop/src/features/agents/lib/agentAutocompleteEligibility.ts b/desktop/src/features/agents/lib/agentAutocompleteEligibility.ts
index e4afe7fea4..b1f2c96334 100644
--- a/desktop/src/features/agents/lib/agentAutocompleteEligibility.ts
+++ b/desktop/src/features/agents/lib/agentAutocompleteEligibility.ts
@@ -64,6 +64,23 @@ export function isAgentIdentityInManagedList(
   );
 }
 
+/**
+ * Keep agent identities that this client can actually address.
+ *
+ * Channel members must reach the policy-aware gate below even when their
+ * process is managed on another machine. Non-members stay limited to agents
+ * managed by this client.
+ */
+export function isAgentMentionReachable(
+  candidate: { isAgent?: boolean; isMember?: boolean; pubkey: string },
+  managedAgentPubkeys: ReadonlySet<string>,
+) {
+  if (candidate.isAgent !== true) return true;
+
+  const normalized = normalizePubkey(candidate.pubkey);
+  return candidate.isMember === true || managedAgentPubkeys.has(normalized);
+}
+
 export function shouldHideAgentFromMentions({
   isAgent,
   isMember,
diff --git a/desktop/src/features/messages/lib/useMentions.ts b/desktop/src/features/messages/lib/useMentions.ts
index 0c73b75339..9fa370faf0 100644
--- a/desktop/src/features/messages/lib/useMentions.ts
+++ b/desktop/src/features/messages/lib/useMentions.ts
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ import {
   coalesceAutocompleteCandidatesByKey,
   getMentionableAgentPubkeys,
   getSharedChannelIds,
-  isAgentIdentityInManagedList,
+  isAgentMentionReachable,
   shouldHideAgentFromMentions,
 } from "@/features/agents/lib/agentAutocompleteEligibility";
 import {
@@ -246,7 +246,7 @@ export function useMentions(
       if (isArchivedDiscovery(pubkey)) {
         return;
       }
-      if (!isAgentIdentityInManagedList(candidate, managedAgentPubkeys)) {
+      if (!isAgentMentionReachable(candidate, managedAgentPubkeys)) {
         return;
       }
       if (
diff --git a/desktop/tests/e2e/mentions.spec.ts b/desktop/tests/e2e/mentions.spec.ts
index 694b5abef5..c02d4aa6bb 100644
--- a/desktop/tests/e2e/mentions.spec.ts
+++ b/desktop/tests/e2e/mentions.spec.ts
@@ -187,7 +187,7 @@ async function expectAgentProfileActionsHidden(
   ).toHaveCount(0);
 }
 
-test("@ trigger prioritizes channel members before runnable personas and other managed agents", async ({
+test("@ trigger prioritizes remote channel agents before runnable personas and other managed agents", async ({
   page,
 }) => {
   await installMockBridge(page, {
@@ -209,7 +209,7 @@ test("@ trigger prioritizes channel members before runnable personas and other m
 
   const dropdown = autocomplete(page);
   await expect(dropdown).toBeVisible();
-  await expect(dropdown.getByText("alice")).toHaveCount(0);
+  await expect(dropdown.getByText("alice")).toBeVisible();
   await expect(dropdown.getByText("bob")).toBeVisible();
   await expect(dropdown.getByText("Fizz")).toBeVisible();
   await expect(dropdown.getByText("charlie")).toBeVisible();
@@ -226,6 +226,7 @@ test("@ trigger prioritizes channel members before runnable personas and other m
   const suggestions = dropdown.locator("button");
   const suggestionText = await suggestions.allInnerTexts();
   const fizzIndex = suggestionText.findIndex((text) => text.includes("Fizz"));
+  const aliceIndex = suggestionText.findIndex((text) => text.includes("alice"));
   const bobIndex = suggestionText.findIndex((text) => text.includes("bob"));
   const charlieIndex = suggestionText.findIndex((text) =>
     text.includes("charlie"),
@@ -234,13 +235,59 @@ test("@ trigger prioritizes channel members before runnable personas and other m
     text.includes("outsider"),
   );
   expect(fizzIndex).toBeGreaterThanOrEqual(0);
+  expect(aliceIndex).toBeGreaterThanOrEqual(0);
   expect(bobIndex).toBeGreaterThanOrEqual(0);
   expect(charlieIndex).toBeGreaterThanOrEqual(0);
   expect(outsiderIndex).toEqual(-1);
+  expect(aliceIndex).toBeLessThan(fizzIndex);
   expect(bobIndex).toBeLessThan(fizzIndex);
   expect(fizzIndex).toBeLessThan(charlieIndex);
 });
 
+test("mentioning a remote channel agent routes its pubkey without starting it locally", async ({
+  page,
+}) => {
+  await page.goto("/");
+  await page.getByTestId("channel-general").click();
+  await expect(page.getByTestId("chat-title")).toHaveText("general");
+
+  const input = page.getByTestId("message-input");
+  await input.fill("@alice");
+
+  const dropdown = autocomplete(page);
+  await expect(dropdown.getByText("alice")).toBeVisible();
+  await input.press("Enter");
+  await page.keyboard.type(" can you help?");
+
+  const baselineStartCount = commandCount(
+    await readCommandLog(page),
+    "start_managed_agent",
+  );
+  await page.getByTestId("send-message").click();
+
+  await expect
+    .poll(() =>
+      page.evaluate(() => {
+        const events = (
+          window as Window & {
+            __BUZZ_E2E_SIGNED_EVENTS__?: Array<{
+              content: string;
+              tags: string[][];
+            }>;
+          }
+        ).__BUZZ_E2E_SIGNED_EVENTS__;
+        return (
+          events?.find((event) => event.content.includes("can you help?"))
+            ?.tags ?? []
+        );
+      }),
+    )
+    .toContainEqual(["p", TEST_IDENTITIES.alice.pubkey]);
+  expect(commandCount(await readCommandLog(page), "start_managed_agent")).toBe(
+    baselineStartCount,
+  );
+});
+
 test("thread autocomplete keeps multiple long names readable in a narrow panel", async ({
   page,
 }) => {