diff --git a/desktop/src/features/agents/lib/agentAutocompleteEligibility.test.mjs b/desktop/src/features/agents/lib/agentAutocompleteEligibility.test.mjs
index 4e02b7bd681..7778d30d8bd 100644
--- a/desktop/src/features/agents/lib/agentAutocompleteEligibility.test.mjs
+++ b/desktop/src/features/agents/lib/agentAutocompleteEligibility.test.mjs
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import {
   getSharedChannelIds,
   isAgentIdentityInManagedList,
   relayAgentIsSharedWithUser,
+  shouldAdmitMentionCandidate,
   shouldHideAgentFromMentions,
 } from "./agentAutocompleteEligibility.ts";
 
@@ -136,7 +137,50 @@ test("getMentionableAgentPubkeys: keeps managed agents and shared relay agents",
   assert.deepEqual(result, new Set([PUB_A, PUB_B, PUB_C]));
 });
 
-test("isAgentIdentityInManagedList: keeps people and only current managed agent identities", () => {
+test("shouldAdmitMentionCandidate: admits a cross-owner channel bot with anyone access", () => {
+  const mentionableAgentPubkeys = getMentionableAgentPubkeys({
+    currentPubkey: CURRENT_PUBKEY,
+    managedAgentPubkeys: [],
+    relayAgents: [
+      {
+        pubkey: PUB_B,
+        ownerPubkey: OTHER_OWNER_PUBKEY,
+        respondTo: "anyone",
+        respondToAllowlist: [],
+        channelIds: ["general"],
+      },
+    ],
+    sharedChannelIds: new Set(["general"]),
+  });
+
+  assert.equal(
+    shouldAdmitMentionCandidate({
+      isArchived: false,
+      isAgent: true,
+      isMember: true,
+      pubkey: PUB_B,
+      mentionableAgentPubkeys,
+      directoryAgentPubkeys: new Set([PUB_B]),
+    }),
+    true,
+  );
+});
+
+test("shouldAdmitMentionCandidate: rejects archived identities", () => {
+  assert.equal(
+    shouldAdmitMentionCandidate({
+      isArchived: true,
+      isAgent: false,
+      isMember: true,
+      pubkey: PUB_B,
+      mentionableAgentPubkeys: new Set(),
+      directoryAgentPubkeys: new Set(),
+    }),
+    false,
+  );
+});
+
+test("isAgentIdentityInManagedList: scopes add-member search to managed agent identities", () => {
   const managedAgentPubkeys = new Set([PUB_A]);
 
   assert.equal(
diff --git a/desktop/src/features/agents/lib/agentAutocompleteEligibility.ts b/desktop/src/features/agents/lib/agentAutocompleteEligibility.ts
index e4afe7fea4a..0176e15b9c3 100644
--- a/desktop/src/features/agents/lib/agentAutocompleteEligibility.ts
+++ b/desktop/src/features/agents/lib/agentAutocompleteEligibility.ts
@@ -58,6 +58,8 @@ export function isAgentIdentityInManagedList(
   candidate: { isAgent?: boolean; pubkey: string },
   managedAgentPubkeys: ReadonlySet<string>,
 ) {
+  // This is an ownership filter for add-member search. Mention autocomplete
+  // uses the invocability policy in shouldAdmitMentionCandidate instead.
   return (
     candidate.isAgent !== true ||
     managedAgentPubkeys.has(normalizePubkey(candidate.pubkey))
@@ -97,6 +99,18 @@ export function shouldHideAgentFromMentions({
   return directoryAgentPubkeys.has(normalized);
 }
 
+export function shouldAdmitMentionCandidate(args: {
+  isArchived: boolean;
+  isAgent: boolean;
+  isMember: boolean;
+  pubkey: string;
+  mentionableAgentPubkeys: ReadonlySet<string>;
+  directoryAgentPubkeys: ReadonlySet<string>;
+}) {
+  if (args.isArchived) return false;
+  return !shouldHideAgentFromMentions(args);
+}
+
 type AgentAutocompleteCandidate = {
   pubkey?: string;
   displayName?: string | null;
diff --git a/desktop/src/features/messages/lib/useMentions.ts b/desktop/src/features/messages/lib/useMentions.ts
index 0c73b753390..14a2dca54a7 100644
--- a/desktop/src/features/messages/lib/useMentions.ts
+++ b/desktop/src/features/messages/lib/useMentions.ts
@@ -16,8 +16,7 @@ import {
   coalesceAutocompleteCandidatesByKey,
   getMentionableAgentPubkeys,
   getSharedChannelIds,
-  isAgentIdentityInManagedList,
-  shouldHideAgentFromMentions,
+  shouldAdmitMentionCandidate,
 } from "@/features/agents/lib/agentAutocompleteEligibility";
 import {
   useInfiniteUserSearchQuery,
@@ -243,14 +242,9 @@ export function useMentions(
 
     const addCandidate = (candidate: MentionCandidate & { pubkey: string }) => {
       const pubkey = normalizePubkey(candidate.pubkey);
-      if (isArchivedDiscovery(pubkey)) {
-        return;
-      }
-      if (!isAgentIdentityInManagedList(candidate, managedAgentPubkeys)) {
-        return;
-      }
       if (
-        shouldHideAgentFromMentions({
+        !shouldAdmitMentionCandidate({
+          isArchived: isArchivedDiscovery(pubkey),
           isAgent: candidate.isAgent === true,
           isMember: candidate.isMember === true,
           pubkey,
@@ -420,7 +414,6 @@ export function useMentions(
     managedAgentNamesByPubkey,
     managedAgentPersonaIds,
     managedAgentPersonaIdsByPubkey,
-    managedAgentPubkeys,
     managedAgentsQuery.data,
     memberPubkeys,
     members,