diff --git a/src/components/room/MentionPopover.tsx b/src/components/room/MentionPopover.tsx
index 734849c..b9d28aa 100644
--- a/src/components/room/MentionPopover.tsx
+++ b/src/components/room/MentionPopover.tsx
@@ -61,6 +61,8 @@ interface MentionPopoverProps {
   onSelect: (newValue: string, newCursorPosition: number) => void;
   textareaRef: React.RefObject<HTMLTextAreaElement | null>;
   onOpenChange: (open: boolean) => void;
+  /** Mutable ref: write the confirm fn here so ChatInputArea can call it on Enter */
+  onMentionConfirmRef?: React.MutableRefObject<() => void>;
 }
 
 // Category configuration with icons and colors
@@ -372,6 +374,7 @@ export function MentionPopover({
   onSelect,
   textareaRef,
   onOpenChange,
+  onMentionConfirmRef,
 }: MentionPopoverProps) {
   const [position, setPosition] = useState<PopoverPosition>({ top: 0, left: 0 });
   const [selectedIndex, setSelectedIndex] = useState(0);
@@ -521,6 +524,14 @@ export function MentionPopover({
 
   handleSelectRef.current = handleSelect;
 
+  // Register confirm fn so ChatInputArea can call it on Enter
+  if (onMentionConfirmRef) {
+    onMentionConfirmRef.current = () => {
+      const item = visibleSuggestionsRef.current[selectedIndexRef.current];
+      if (item) handleSelectRef.current(item);
+    };
+  }
+
   // Position calculation
   useEffect(() => {
     if (!mentionState || !textareaRef.current) return;
@@ -723,6 +734,11 @@ export function MentionPopover({
               ↑↓
             </kbd>
             <span>navigate</span>
+            <span className="text-muted-foreground/50">|</span>
+            <kbd className="px-1.5 py-0.5 rounded bg-muted border border-border/50 font-mono">
+              ↵
+            </kbd>
+            <span>select</span>
           </div>
         </div>
 
@@ -779,7 +795,7 @@ export function MentionPopover({
             </div>
             <div className="flex items-center gap-1">
               <kbd className="px-1.5 py-0.5 rounded bg-muted border border-border/50 font-mono text-[10px]">
-                Enter
+                Ctrl+Enter
               </kbd>
               <span className="text-[10px] text-muted-foreground">to insert</span>
             </div>
diff --git a/src/components/room/RoomChatPanel.tsx b/src/components/room/RoomChatPanel.tsx
index a0d7dba..3976829 100644
--- a/src/components/room/RoomChatPanel.tsx
+++ b/src/components/room/RoomChatPanel.tsx
@@ -48,6 +48,8 @@ interface ChatInputAreaProps {
   draft: string;
   onDraftChange: (content: string) => void;
   onClearDraft: () => void;
+  /** Called when Enter is pressed with mention popover open — parent triggers mention selection */
+  onMentionConfirm?: () => void;
   ref?: React.Ref<ChatInputAreaHandle>;
 }
 
@@ -65,6 +67,7 @@ const ChatInputArea = memo(function ChatInputArea({
   draft,
   onDraftChange,
   onClearDraft,
+  onMentionConfirm,
   ref,
 }: ChatInputAreaProps) {
   const textareaRef = useRef<HTMLTextAreaElement>(null);
@@ -88,7 +91,6 @@ const ChatInputArea = memo(function ChatInputArea({
       if (!textareaRef.current) return;
       const value = textareaRef.current.value;
       const cursorPos = textareaRef.current.selectionStart;
-      // Build new HTML mention: <mention type="user" id="uuid">label</mention>
       const escapedLabel = label.replace(/</g, '&lt;').replace(/>/g, '&gt;');
       const escapedId = id.replace(/"/g, '&quot;');
       const mentionText = `<mention type="user" id="${escapedId}">${escapedLabel}</mention> `;
@@ -122,12 +124,18 @@ const ChatInputArea = memo(function ChatInputArea({
   };
 
   const handleKeyDown = (e: React.KeyboardEvent<HTMLTextAreaElement>) => {
-    if (showMentionPopover && MENTION_POPOVER_KEYS.includes(e.key)) {
+    if (showMentionPopover && MENTION_POPOVER_KEYS.includes(e.key) && !e.ctrlKey && !e.shiftKey) {
       e.preventDefault();
+      if ((e.key === 'Enter' || e.key === 'Tab') && onMentionConfirm) {
+        onMentionConfirm();
+      }
       return;
     }
 
-    if (e.key === 'Enter' && !e.shiftKey) {
+    // Shift+Enter → let textarea naturally insert newline (pass through)
+
+    // Ctrl+Enter → send message
+    if (e.key === 'Enter' && e.ctrlKey) {
       e.preventDefault();
       const content = e.currentTarget.value.trim();
       if (content && !isSending) {
@@ -135,6 +143,12 @@ const ChatInputArea = memo(function ChatInputArea({
         onClearDraft();
       }
     }
+
+    // Plain Enter (no modifiers) → only trigger mention select; otherwise do nothing
+    if (e.key === 'Enter' && !e.ctrlKey && !e.shiftKey) {
+      e.preventDefault();
+      // Do nothing — Shift+Enter falls through to let textarea insert newline
+    }
   };
 
   return (
@@ -190,6 +204,7 @@ const ChatInputArea = memo(function ChatInputArea({
           onSelect={handleMentionSelect}
           textareaRef={textareaRef}
           onOpenChange={setShowMentionPopover}
+          onMentionConfirmRef={mentionConfirmRef}
         />
       )}
     </div>
@@ -268,6 +283,8 @@ export function RoomChatPanel({ room, isAdmin, onClose, onDelete }: RoomChatPane
 
   const messagesEndRef = useRef<HTMLDivElement>(null);
   const chatInputRef = useRef<ChatInputAreaHandle>(null);
+  /** Shared ref: MentionPopover writes the confirm fn here; ChatInputArea reads and calls it */
+  const mentionConfirmRef = useRef<() => void>(() => {});
 
   const [replyingTo, setReplyingTo] = useState<MessageWithMeta | null>(null);
   const [editingMessage, setEditingMessage] = useState<MessageWithMeta | null>(null);
@@ -559,6 +576,7 @@ export function RoomChatPanel({ room, isAdmin, onClose, onDelete }: RoomChatPane
           draft={draft}
           onDraftChange={setDraft}
           onClearDraft={clearDraft}
+          onMentionConfirm={() => mentionConfirmRef.current()}
         />
       </div>