diff --git a/polygerrit-ui/app/elements/change/gr-reply-dialog/gr-reply-dialog_html.ts b/polygerrit-ui/app/elements/change/gr-reply-dialog/gr-reply-dialog_html.ts
index ad5b6a32d1..3cc32b244b 100644
--- a/polygerrit-ui/app/elements/change/gr-reply-dialog/gr-reply-dialog_html.ts
+++ b/polygerrit-ui/app/elements/change/gr-reply-dialog/gr-reply-dialog_html.ts
@@ -321,13 +321,13 @@ export const htmlTemplate = html`
       <div class="attentionDetailsTitle">
         <iron-icon class="attention-icon" icon="gr-icons:attention"></iron-icon>
         <span>Bring to attention of ...</span>
-        <span class="selectUsers">(select users)</span>
+        <span class="selectUsers">(click chips to select users)</span>
       </div>
       <div class="peopleList">
         <div class="peopleListLabel">Owner</div>
         <gr-account-label
           account="[[_owner]]"
-          show-attention="[[_computeHasNewAttention(_owner, _newAttentionSet)]]"
+          force-attention="[[_computeHasNewAttention(_owner, _newAttentionSet)]]"
           blurred="[[!_computeHasNewAttention(_owner, _newAttentionSet)]]"
           hide-hovercard=""
           on-click="_handleAttentionClick"
@@ -339,7 +339,7 @@ export const htmlTemplate = html`
         <template is="dom-repeat" items="[[_reviewers]]" as="account">
           <gr-account-label
             account="[[account]]"
-            show-attention="[[_computeHasNewAttention(account, _newAttentionSet)]]"
+            force-attention="[[_computeHasNewAttention(account, _newAttentionSet)]]"
             blurred="[[!_computeHasNewAttention(account, _newAttentionSet)]]"
             hide-hovercard=""
             on-click="_handleAttentionClick"
@@ -352,7 +352,7 @@ export const htmlTemplate = html`
         <template is="dom-repeat" items="[[_ccs]]" as="account">
           <gr-account-label
             account="[[account]]"
-            show-attention="[[_computeHasNewAttention(account, _newAttentionSet)]]"
+            force-attention="[[_computeHasNewAttention(account, _newAttentionSet)]]"
             blurred="[[!_computeHasNewAttention(account, _newAttentionSet)]]"
             hide-hovercard=""
             on-click="_handleAttentionClick"
diff --git a/polygerrit-ui/app/elements/shared/gr-account-label/gr-account-label.js b/polygerrit-ui/app/elements/shared/gr-account-label/gr-account-label.js
index efb7c0ea51..a6c2bd782f 100644
--- a/polygerrit-ui/app/elements/shared/gr-account-label/gr-account-label.js
+++ b/polygerrit-ui/app/elements/shared/gr-account-label/gr-account-label.js
@@ -48,6 +48,15 @@ class GrAccountLabel extends GestureEventListeners(
        */
       change: Object,
       voteableText: String,
+      /**
+       * Should this user be considered to be in the attention set, regardless
+       * of the current state of the change object? This can be used in a widget
+       * that allows the user to make adjustments to the attention set.
+       */
+      forceAttention: {
+        type: Boolean,
+        value: false,
+      },
       /**
        * Should attention set related features be shown in the component? Note
        * that the information whether the user is in the attention set or not is
@@ -90,19 +99,17 @@ class GrAccountLabel extends GestureEventListeners(
     this.$.restAPI.getConfig().then(config => { this._config = config; });
   }
 
-  get isAttentionSetEnabled() {
-    return !!this._config && !!this._config.change
-        && !!this._config.change.enable_attention_set
-        && !!this.highlightAttention && !!this.change && !!this.account;
+  _isAttentionSetEnabled(config, highlight, account, change) {
+    return !!config && !!config.change
+        && !!config.change.enable_attention_set
+        && !!highlight && !!change && !!account;
   }
 
-  get hasAttention() {
-    if (!this.isAttentionSetEnabled || !this.change.attention_set) return false;
-    return this.change.attention_set.hasOwnProperty(this.account._account_id);
-  }
-
-  _computeShowAttentionIcon(config, highlightAttention, account, change) {
-    return this.isAttentionSetEnabled && this.hasAttention;
+  _hasAttention(config, highlight, account, change, force) {
+    if (force) return true;
+    return this._isAttentionSetEnabled(config, highlight, account, change)
+        && change.attention_set
+        && change.attention_set.hasOwnProperty(account._account_id);
   }
 
   _computeName(account, config) {
diff --git a/polygerrit-ui/app/elements/shared/gr-account-label/gr-account-label_html.ts b/polygerrit-ui/app/elements/shared/gr-account-label/gr-account-label_html.ts
index c26e304521..b338c4c512 100644
--- a/polygerrit-ui/app/elements/shared/gr-account-label/gr-account-label_html.ts
+++ b/polygerrit-ui/app/elements/shared/gr-account-label/gr-account-label_html.ts
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ export const htmlTemplate = html`
     </template>
     <template
       is="dom-if"
-      if="[[_computeShowAttentionIcon(_config, highlightAttention, account, change)]]"
+      if="[[_hasAttention(_config, highlightAttention, account, change, forceAttention)]]"
     >
       <iron-icon class="attention" icon="gr-icons:attention"></iron-icon>
     </template>