diff --git a/src/components/mention_link/mention_link.scss b/src/components/mention_link/mention_link.scss
index 261aeaef..5b5218f7 100644
--- a/src/components/mention_link/mention_link.scss
+++ b/src/components/mention_link/mention_link.scss
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@
   white-space: normal;
   display: inline-block;
   color: var(--link);
-  margin-right: 0.25em;
 
   & .new,
   & .original {
@@ -12,7 +11,7 @@
   }
 
   .original {
-    opacity: 0.5;
+    margin-right: 0.25em;
   }
 
   .full {
@@ -39,6 +38,8 @@
   }
 
   .new {
+    margin-right: 0.25em;
+
     &.-you {
       & .shortName,
       & .full {
diff --git a/src/components/rich_content/rich_content.jsx b/src/components/rich_content/rich_content.jsx
index 26a64f28..bb7ae739 100644
--- a/src/components/rich_content/rich_content.jsx
+++ b/src/components/rich_content/rich_content.jsx
@@ -46,8 +46,8 @@ export default Vue.component('RichContent', {
     const processItem = (item) => {
       // Handle text noes - just add emoji
       if (typeof item === 'string') {
-        const emptyText = item.trim()
-        if (!emptyText) {
+        const emptyText = item.trim() === ''
+        if (emptyText) {
           return encounteredText ? item : item.trim()
         }
         let unescapedItem = unescape(item)