diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/protocols/steps.js.erb b/app/assets/javascripts/protocols/steps.js.erb
index 3c7a501ae..ef9fb25bd 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/protocols/steps.js.erb
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/protocols/steps.js.erb
@@ -79,6 +79,7 @@ function applyCancelCallBack() {
 
     setTimeout(function() {
       initStepsComments();
+      SmartAnnotation.preventPropagation('.atwho-user-popover');
       TinyMCE.destroyAll();
     }, 1000);
 
@@ -182,6 +183,7 @@ function formCallback($form) {
 
     setTimeout(function() {
       initStepsComments();
+      SmartAnnotation.preventPropagation('.atwho-user-popover');
     }, 1000);
     return true;
   });
@@ -205,6 +207,7 @@ function formEditAjax($form) {
     toggleButtons(true);
 
     TinyMCE.destroyAll();
+    SmartAnnotation.preventPropagation('.atwho-user-popover');
     // Show the edited step
     $new_step.find(".panel-collapse:first").addClass("collapse in");
 
@@ -221,6 +224,8 @@ function formEditAjax($form) {
     applyCancelCallBack();
 
     TinyMCE.refresh();
+    SmartAnnotation.preventPropagation('.atwho-user-popover');
+
     //Rerender tables
     $form.find("[data-role='step-hot-table']").each(function()  {
       renderTable($(this));
@@ -247,6 +252,8 @@ function formNewAjax($form) {
 
     TinyMCE.init();
     TinyMCE.highlight();
+    SmartAnnotation.preventPropagation('.atwho-user-popover');
+
     //Rerender tables
     $new_step.find("div.step-result-hot-table").each(function()  {
       $(this).handsontable("render");
@@ -264,6 +271,7 @@ function formNewAjax($form) {
     formNewAjax($form);
     applyCancelOnNew();
     TinyMCE.destroyAll();
+    SmartAnnotation.preventPropagation('.atwho-user-popover');
   });
 }
 
@@ -576,6 +584,7 @@ $(document).ready(function() {
   setupAssetsLoading();
   initStepsComments();
   TinyMCE.highlight();
+  SmartAnnotation.preventPropagation('.atwho-user-popover');
 
   $(function () {
 
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/sitewide/atwho_res.js.erb b/app/assets/javascripts/sitewide/atwho_res.js.erb
index d7fe7fe15..61ba63d2a 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/sitewide/atwho_res.js.erb
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/sitewide/atwho_res.js.erb
@@ -21,6 +21,14 @@ var SmartAnnotation = (function() {
     return publicApi;
   })();
 
+  // stop the user annotation popover on click propagation
+  function atwhoStopPropagation(element) {
+    $(element).on('click', function(e) {
+      e.stopPropagation();
+      e.preventDefault();
+    });
+  }
+
   function setAtWho(field) {
     var FilterTypeEnum = Object.freeze({
       USER:       {tag: "users",
@@ -422,9 +430,10 @@ var SmartAnnotation = (function() {
     atWho.init();
   }
 
-  var publicApi = {
-    init: initialize
-  };
+  var publicApi = Object.freeze({
+    init: initialize,
+    preventPropagation: atwhoStopPropagation
+  });
 
   return publicApi;
 
diff --git a/app/assets/stylesheets/themes/scinote.scss b/app/assets/stylesheets/themes/scinote.scss
index 75d3d4ca0..2bb0847e4 100644
--- a/app/assets/stylesheets/themes/scinote.scss
+++ b/app/assets/stylesheets/themes/scinote.scss
@@ -1916,3 +1916,7 @@ th.custom-field .modal-tooltiptext {
     word-wrap: break-word;
   }
 }
+
+.popover-remove {
+  cursor: pointer;
+}