diff --git a/src/main/java/org/gcube/portlets/widgets/pickitem/client/dialog/PickItemsDialog.java b/src/main/java/org/gcube/portlets/widgets/pickitem/client/dialog/PickItemsDialog.java
index 11da690..bb9dcd0 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/gcube/portlets/widgets/pickitem/client/dialog/PickItemsDialog.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/gcube/portlets/widgets/pickitem/client/dialog/PickItemsDialog.java
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ import com.google.gwt.user.client.ui.Widget;
  *
  */
 public class PickItemsDialog extends PopupPanel {
-	
+
 	public final static int ARROW_UP = 38; 
 	public final static int ARROW_DOWN = 40; 
 
@@ -108,15 +108,15 @@ public class PickItemsDialog extends PopupPanel {
 				select(displayIndexSelected);		
 			}
 		});	
-		
+
 		focusPanel.addMouseDownHandler(new MouseDownHandler() {			
 			@Override
 			public void onMouseDown(MouseDownEvent event) {
-				 handleMouseDown();
+				handleMouseDown();
 			}
 		});
 	}
-	
+
 	private void handleMouseDown() {
 		SelectableItem ut = (SelectableItem) mainPanel.getWidget(displayIndexSelected);
 		eventBus.fireEvent(new PickedItemEvent(new ItemBean("id", "username", ut.getItemName(), "thumb"), this.triggerChar));	
@@ -132,15 +132,19 @@ public class PickItemsDialog extends PopupPanel {
 	 * @param currText
 	 */
 	public void onKeyUp(int keyCode, int x, int y, String currText) {
-		if (currText.endsWith(triggerChar)) { //the only way i found to intercept @
+		if (currText.endsWith(triggerChar)) { //the only way i found to intercept the triggerChar
 			setPopupPosition(x, y);
 			hide();
-		} else if (currText.contains(triggerChar)) {
-			if (pickingUser(currText)) {
-				handleNonCharKeys(keyCode);
-			}
-		} else if (!currText.contains(triggerChar)) 
-			hide();		
+		}
+		else {
+			String last3 = (currText.length() > 3) ? currText.substring(currText.length()-3): currText;
+			if (last3.contains(triggerChar)) {
+				if (pickingUser(currText)) {
+					handleNonCharKeys(keyCode);
+				}
+			} else if (!last3.contains(triggerChar)) 
+				hide();
+		}
 	}
 
 	/**
@@ -148,9 +152,12 @@ public class PickItemsDialog extends PopupPanel {
 	 * @param currText the text being typed
 	 */
 	private boolean pickingUser(String currText) {
-		String[] toSplit = currText.split(triggerChar); //get the interesting part
-		if (toSplit[1].trim().length() > 0) {
-			showSuggestions(toSplit[1]);
+		int tPos = currText.lastIndexOf(triggerChar);
+		String toSplit = currText.substring(tPos);
+		String[] splitted = toSplit.split(triggerChar); //get the interesting part
+
+		if (splitted[1].trim().length() > 0) {
+			showSuggestions(splitted[1]);
 			return true;
 		}
 		hide();
@@ -214,7 +221,7 @@ public class PickItemsDialog extends PopupPanel {
 			});
 		}
 	}
-	
+
 	private ItemBean getUserModelBySuggestion(Suggestion suggestion) {
 		for (ItemBean user : users) {
 			if (suggestion.getReplacementString().compareTo(user.getAlternativeName()) ==0) 
@@ -225,7 +232,7 @@ public class PickItemsDialog extends PopupPanel {
 
 	private Widget getUserTemplate(ItemBean user, int displayIndex, boolean hasPhoto) {
 		if (hasPhoto)
-				return new WithPhotoTemplate(this, user, displayIndex);
+			return new WithPhotoTemplate(this, user, displayIndex);
 		return new NoPhotoTemplate(this, user, displayIndex);
 	}