diff --git a/contrib/pr/checkout.go b/contrib/pr/checkout.go
index 09510ac2c5756..686a3ddffaac2 100644
--- a/contrib/pr/checkout.go
+++ b/contrib/pr/checkout.go
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ import (
 	"code.gitea.io/gitea/modules/setting"
 	"code.gitea.io/gitea/modules/util"
 	"code.gitea.io/gitea/routers"
+	markup_service "code.gitea.io/gitea/services/markup"
 
 	"github.com/go-git/go-git/v5"
 	"github.com/go-git/go-git/v5/config"
@@ -112,7 +113,7 @@ func runPR() {
 	log.Printf("[PR] Setting up router\n")
 	// routers.GlobalInit()
 	external.RegisterRenderers()
-	markup.Init()
+	markup.Init(markup_service.ProcessorHelper())
 	c := routers.NormalRoutes(graceful.GetManager().HammerContext())
 
 	log.Printf("[PR] Ready for testing !\n")
diff --git a/models/fixtures/user.yml b/models/fixtures/user.yml
index b332b9ff36f47..0e3348e146a82 100644
--- a/models/fixtures/user.yml
+++ b/models/fixtures/user.yml
@@ -1220,40 +1220,3 @@
   repo_admin_change_team_access: false
   theme: ""
   keep_activity_private: false
-  
--
-  id: 34
-  lower_name: r-lyeh
-  name: r-lyeh
-  full_name: user34
-  email: user34@example.com
-  keep_email_private: true
-  email_notifications_preference: enabled
-  passwd: a3d5fcd92bae586c2e3dbe72daea7a0d27833a8d0227aa1704f4bbd775c1f3b03535b76dd93b0d4d8d22a519dca47df1547b
-  passwd_hash_algo: argon2
-  must_change_password: false
-  login_source: 0
-  login_name: user34
-  type: 0
-  salt: ZogKvWdyEx
-  max_repo_creation: -1
-  is_active: true
-  is_admin: false
-  is_restricted: false
-  allow_git_hook: false
-  allow_import_local: false
-  allow_create_organization: true
-  prohibit_login: false
-  avatar: avatar34
-  avatar_email: user34@example.com
-  use_custom_avatar: false
-  num_followers: 0
-  num_following: 0
-  num_stars: 0
-  num_repos: 0
-  num_teams: 0
-  num_members: 0
-  visibility: 0
-  repo_admin_change_team_access: false
-  theme: ""
-  keep_activity_private: false
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/models/user/user_test.go b/models/user/user_test.go
index 014bb784f4c61..5f2ac0a60c17d 100644
--- a/models/user/user_test.go
+++ b/models/user/user_test.go
@@ -96,13 +96,13 @@ func TestSearchUsers(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	testUserSuccess(&user_model.SearchUserOptions{OrderBy: "id ASC", ListOptions: db.ListOptions{Page: 1}},
-		[]int64{1, 2, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 20, 21, 24, 27, 28, 29, 30, 32, 34})
+		[]int64{1, 2, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 20, 21, 24, 27, 28, 29, 30, 32})
 
 	testUserSuccess(&user_model.SearchUserOptions{ListOptions: db.ListOptions{Page: 1}, IsActive: util.OptionalBoolFalse},
 		[]int64{9})
 
 	testUserSuccess(&user_model.SearchUserOptions{OrderBy: "id ASC", ListOptions: db.ListOptions{Page: 1}, IsActive: util.OptionalBoolTrue},
-		[]int64{1, 2, 4, 5, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 20, 21, 24, 27, 28, 29, 30, 32, 34})
+		[]int64{1, 2, 4, 5, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 20, 21, 24, 27, 28, 29, 30, 32})
 
 	testUserSuccess(&user_model.SearchUserOptions{Keyword: "user1", OrderBy: "id ASC", ListOptions: db.ListOptions{Page: 1}, IsActive: util.OptionalBoolTrue},
 		[]int64{1, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18})
diff --git a/modules/markup/html.go b/modules/markup/html.go
index 6defcc90cbc0f..ae00c3905fe8b 100644
--- a/modules/markup/html.go
+++ b/modules/markup/html.go
@@ -14,7 +14,6 @@ import (
 	"strings"
 	"sync"
 
-	"code.gitea.io/gitea/models/user"
 	"code.gitea.io/gitea/modules/base"
 	"code.gitea.io/gitea/modules/emoji"
 	"code.gitea.io/gitea/modules/git"
@@ -606,13 +605,7 @@ func mentionProcessor(ctx *RenderContext, node *html.Node) {
 		}
 		mentionedUsername := mention[1:]
 
-		// Only link if the user actually exists
-		userExists, err := user.IsUserExist(ctx.Ctx, 0, mentionedUsername)
-		if err != nil {
-			log.Error("Failed to validate user in mention %v exists, assuming it does", mention)
-			userExists = true
-		}
-		if userExists {
+		if processorHelper.IsUsernameMentionable != nil && processorHelper.IsUsernameMentionable(ctx.Ctx, mentionedUsername) {
 			replaceContent(node, loc.Start, loc.End, createLink(util.URLJoin(setting.AppURL, mentionedUsername), mention, "mention"))
 			node = node.NextSibling.NextSibling
 		} else {
diff --git a/modules/markup/markdown/markdown_test.go b/modules/markup/markdown/markdown_test.go
index 8077b679e9196..12c6288c24d12 100644
--- a/modules/markup/markdown/markdown_test.go
+++ b/modules/markup/markdown/markdown_test.go
@@ -6,11 +6,10 @@ package markdown_test
 
 import (
 	"context"
-	"path/filepath"
+	"os"
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
 
-	"code.gitea.io/gitea/models/unittest"
 	"code.gitea.io/gitea/modules/git"
 	"code.gitea.io/gitea/modules/log"
 	"code.gitea.io/gitea/modules/markup"
@@ -39,10 +38,7 @@ func TestMain(m *testing.M) {
 	if err := git.InitSimple(context.Background()); err != nil {
 		log.Fatal("git init failed, err: %v", err)
 	}
-	unittest.MainTest(m, &unittest.TestOptions{
-		GiteaRootPath: filepath.Join("..", "..", ".."),
-		FixtureFiles:  []string{"user.yml"},
-	})
+	os.Exit(m.Run())
 }
 
 func TestRender_StandardLinks(t *testing.T) {
@@ -304,8 +300,6 @@ func TestTotal_RenderWiki(t *testing.T) {
 	setting.AppURL = AppURL
 	setting.AppSubURL = AppSubURL
 
-	assert.NoError(t, unittest.PrepareTestDatabase())
-
 	answers := testAnswers(util.URLJoin(AppSubURL, "wiki/"), util.URLJoin(AppSubURL, "wiki", "raw/"))
 
 	for i := 0; i < len(sameCases); i++ {
diff --git a/modules/markup/renderer.go b/modules/markup/renderer.go
index 5f69dc72354f0..b3289cb3c3b04 100644
--- a/modules/markup/renderer.go
+++ b/modules/markup/renderer.go
@@ -19,8 +19,18 @@ import (
 	"code.gitea.io/gitea/modules/setting"
 )
 
+type ProcessorHelper struct {
+	IsUsernameMentionable func(ctx context.Context, username string) bool
+}
+
+var processorHelper ProcessorHelper
+
 // Init initialize regexps for markdown parsing
-func Init() {
+func Init(ph *ProcessorHelper) {
+	if ph != nil {
+		processorHelper = *ph
+	}
+
 	NewSanitizer()
 	if len(setting.Markdown.CustomURLSchemes) > 0 {
 		CustomLinkURLSchemes(setting.Markdown.CustomURLSchemes)
diff --git a/routers/api/v1/misc/main_test.go b/routers/api/v1/misc/main_test.go
deleted file mode 100644
index e08538b70f089..0000000000000
--- a/routers/api/v1/misc/main_test.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,19 +0,0 @@
-// Copyright 2022 The Gitea Authors. All rights reserved.
-// Use of this source code is governed by a MIT-style
-// license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
-
-package misc
-
-import (
-	"path/filepath"
-	"testing"
-
-	"code.gitea.io/gitea/models/unittest"
-)
-
-func TestMain(m *testing.M) {
-	unittest.MainTest(m, &unittest.TestOptions{
-		GiteaRootPath: filepath.Join("..", "..", "..", ".."),
-		FixtureFiles:  []string{"user.yml"},
-	})
-}
diff --git a/routers/init.go b/routers/init.go
index 0f2e993413af8..9045437f872b5 100644
--- a/routers/init.go
+++ b/routers/init.go
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ import (
 	"code.gitea.io/gitea/services/automerge"
 	"code.gitea.io/gitea/services/cron"
 	"code.gitea.io/gitea/services/mailer"
+	markup_service "code.gitea.io/gitea/services/markup"
 	repo_migrations "code.gitea.io/gitea/services/migrations"
 	mirror_service "code.gitea.io/gitea/services/mirror"
 	pull_service "code.gitea.io/gitea/services/pull"
@@ -123,7 +124,7 @@ func GlobalInitInstalled(ctx context.Context) {
 
 	highlight.NewContext()
 	external.RegisterRenderers()
-	markup.Init()
+	markup.Init(markup_service.ProcessorHelper())
 
 	if setting.EnableSQLite3 {
 		log.Info("SQLite3 support is enabled")
diff --git a/services/markup/processorhelper.go b/services/markup/processorhelper.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..60e4a933db36e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/services/markup/processorhelper.go
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+package markup
+
+import (
+	"context"
+
+	"code.gitea.io/gitea/models/user"
+	"code.gitea.io/gitea/modules/log"
+	"code.gitea.io/gitea/modules/markup"
+)
+
+func ProcessorHelper() *markup.ProcessorHelper {
+	return &markup.ProcessorHelper{
+		IsUsernameMentionable: func(ctx context.Context, username string) bool {
+			// here, you  could also try to cast the ctx to a modules/context.Context
+			// Only link if the user actually exists
+			userExists, err := user.IsUserExist(ctx, 0, username)
+			if err != nil {
+				log.Error("Failed to validate user in mention %q exists, assuming it does", username)
+				userExists = true
+			}
+			return userExists
+		},
+	}
+}