diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/components/composer-editor.js b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/components/composer-editor.js
index b6c3d3456a0..1e01a57b27d 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/components/composer-editor.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/components/composer-editor.js
@@ -503,7 +503,7 @@ export default Component.extend(ComposerUpload, {
     // 'Create a New Topic' scenario is not supported (per conversation with codinghorror)
     // https://meta.discourse.org/t/taking-another-1-7-release-task/51986/7
     fetchUnseenMentions(unseen, this.get("composer.topic.id")).then(() => {
-      linkSeenMentions($preview, this.siteSettings);
+      linkSeenMentions($preview[0], this.siteSettings);
       this._warnMentionedGroups($preview);
       this._warnCannotSeeMention($preview);
     });
@@ -734,7 +734,7 @@ export default Component.extend(ComposerUpload, {
 
     previewUpdated($preview) {
       // Paint mentions
-      const unseenMentions = linkSeenMentions($preview, this.siteSettings);
+      const unseenMentions = linkSeenMentions($preview[0], this.siteSettings);
       if (unseenMentions.length) {
         discourseDebounce(
           this,
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/components/d-editor.js b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/components/d-editor.js
index a7a879d5b49..312c0719a18 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/components/d-editor.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/components/d-editor.js
@@ -395,7 +395,7 @@ export default Component.extend(TextareaTextManipulation, {
         cookedElement.innerHTML = cooked;
 
         linkSeenHashtags($(cookedElement));
-        linkSeenMentions($(cookedElement), this.siteSettings);
+        linkSeenMentions(cookedElement, this.siteSettings);
         resolveCachedShortUrls(this.siteSettings, cookedElement);
         loadOneboxes(
           cookedElement,
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/lib/link-mentions.js b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/lib/link-mentions.js
index e7cd5c29de3..ab9aca48118 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/lib/link-mentions.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/lib/link-mentions.js
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import deprecated from "discourse-common/lib/deprecated";
 import { ajax } from "discourse/lib/ajax";
 import { formatUsername } from "discourse/lib/utilities";
 import getURL from "discourse-common/lib/get-url";
@@ -5,10 +6,9 @@ import { userPath } from "discourse/lib/url";
 
 let maxGroupMention;
 
-function replaceSpan($e, username, opts) {
+function replaceSpan(element, username, opts) {
   let extra = {};
   let extraClass = [];
-  const element = $e[0];
   const a = document.createElement("a");
 
   if (opts && opts.group) {
@@ -48,30 +48,39 @@ const mentionableGroups = {};
 const checked = {};
 const cannotSee = [];
 
-function updateFound($mentions, usernames) {
-  $mentions.each((i, e) => {
-    const $e = $(e);
-    const username = usernames[i];
+function updateFound(mentions, usernames) {
+  mentions.forEach((mention, index) => {
+    const username = usernames[index];
     if (found[username.toLowerCase()]) {
-      replaceSpan($e, username, { cannot_see: cannotSee[username] });
+      replaceSpan(mention, username, { cannot_see: cannotSee[username] });
     } else if (mentionableGroups[username]) {
-      replaceSpan($e, username, {
+      replaceSpan(mention, username, {
         group: true,
         mentionable: mentionableGroups[username],
       });
     } else if (foundGroups[username]) {
-      replaceSpan($e, username, { group: true });
+      replaceSpan(mention, username, { group: true });
     } else if (checked[username]) {
-      $e.addClass("mention-tested");
+      mention.classList.add("mention-tested");
     }
   });
 }
 
-export function linkSeenMentions($elem, siteSettings) {
-  const $mentions = $("span.mention:not(.mention-tested)", $elem);
-  if ($mentions.length) {
-    const usernames = [...$mentions.map((_, e) => $(e).text().substr(1))];
-    updateFound($mentions, usernames);
+export function linkSeenMentions(elem, siteSettings) {
+  if (elem instanceof jQuery) {
+    elem = elem[0];
+
+    deprecated("linkSeenMentions now expects a DOM node as first parameter", {
+      since: "2.8.0.beta7",
+    });
+  }
+
+  const mentions = [
+    ...elem.querySelectorAll("span.mention:not(.mention-tested)"),
+  ];
+  if (mentions.length) {
+    const usernames = mentions.map((m) => m.innerText.substr(1));
+    updateFound(mentions, usernames);
     return usernames
       .uniq()
       .filter(
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/tests/unit/lib/link-mentions-test.js b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/tests/unit/lib/link-mentions-test.js
index 53c072bdc95..c18887b6e6a 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/tests/unit/lib/link-mentions-test.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/tests/unit/lib/link-mentions-test.js
@@ -32,31 +32,39 @@ module("Unit | Utility | link-mentions", function () {
       "invalid",
     ]);
 
-    let $root = $(`
+    let html = `
       <div>
-          <span class="mention">@invalid</span>
-          <span class="mention">@valid_user</span>
-          <span class="mention">@valid_group</span>
-          <span class="mention">@mentionable_group</span>
+        <span class="mention">@invalid</span>
+        <span class="mention">@valid_user</span>
+        <span class="mention">@valid_group</span>
+        <span class="mention">@mentionable_group</span>
       </div>
-    `);
+    `;
 
-    await linkSeenMentions($root);
+    let template = document.createElement("template");
+    html = html.trim();
+    template.innerHTML = html;
+    const root = template.content.firstChild;
+
+    await linkSeenMentions(root);
 
     // Ember.Test.registerWaiter is not available here, so we are implementing
     // our own
     await new Promise((resolve) => {
       const interval = setInterval(() => {
-        if ($("a", $root).length > 0) {
+        if (root.querySelectorAll("a").length > 0) {
           clearInterval(interval);
           resolve();
         }
       }, 500);
     });
 
-    assert.equal($("a", $root)[0].text, "@valid_user");
-    assert.equal($("a", $root)[1].text, "@valid_group");
-    assert.equal($("a.notify", $root).text(), "@mentionable_group");
-    assert.equal($("span.mention", $root)[0].innerHTML, "@invalid");
+    assert.equal(root.querySelector("a").innerText, "@valid_user");
+    assert.equal(root.querySelectorAll("a")[1].innerText, "@valid_group");
+    assert.equal(
+      root.querySelector("a.notify").innerText,
+      "@mentionable_group"
+    );
+    assert.equal(root.querySelector("span.mention").innerHTML, "@invalid");
   });
 });