diff --git a/web/src/lib/components/comment/Comment.svelte b/web/src/lib/components/comment/Comment.svelte
index af1c5a09..2d8a8005 100644
--- a/web/src/lib/components/comment/Comment.svelte
+++ b/web/src/lib/components/comment/Comment.svelte
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 		body: string;
 		bodyHtml: string | null;
 		variant?: "top" | "reply";
+		deleted?: boolean;
 		// when provided, replaces the body region (e.g. an inline edit form), leaving
 		// the avatar/handle header untouched so it doesn't shift
 		editor?: Snippet;
@@ -22,30 +23,39 @@
 		body,
 		bodyHtml,
 		variant = "top",
+		deleted = false,
 		editor
 	}: Props = $props();
 </script>
 
-<div
-	class={`flex gap-2 ${variant === "top" ? "border-b border-border-default bg-background-default px-6 py-4" : "py-4 pr-4"}`}
->
-	<div class="shrink-0">
-		<Avatar did={authorDid} handle={authorHandle} size="size-8" tiny />
+{#if deleted}
+	<div
+		class={`text-sm text-foreground-subtle italic ${variant === "top" ? "border-b border-border-default bg-background-default px-6 py-4" : "py-4 pr-4"}`}
+	>
+		This comment was deleted.
 	</div>
-	<div class="min-w-0 flex-1">
-		<div class="flex flex-wrap items-center gap-x-1 gap-y-1 text-sm text-foreground-subtle">
-			<span class="text-foreground-default">{authorHandle}</span>
-			<span class="before:mr-1 before:content-['·']">
-				<TimeAgo value={createdAt} />
-			</span>
+{:else}
+	<div
+		class={`flex gap-2 ${variant === "top" ? "border-b border-border-default bg-background-default px-6 py-4" : "py-4 pr-4"}`}
+	>
+		<div class="shrink-0">
+			<Avatar did={authorDid} handle={authorHandle} size="size-8" tiny />
+		</div>
+		<div class="min-w-0 flex-1">
+			<div class="flex flex-wrap items-center gap-x-1 gap-y-1 text-sm text-foreground-subtle">
+				<span class="text-foreground-default">{authorHandle}</span>
+				<span class="before:mr-1 before:content-['·']">
+					<TimeAgo value={createdAt} />
+				</span>
+			</div>
+			{#if editor}
+				<div class="mt-1">{@render editor()}</div>
+			{:else if bodyHtml}
+				<!-- eslint-disable-next-line svelte/no-at-html-tags -- sanitised in $lib/markup -->
+				<article class="markup mt-1">{@html bodyHtml}</article>
+			{:else if body}
+				<article class="mt-1 whitespace-pre-wrap text-foreground-default">{body}</article>
+			{/if}
 		</div>
-		{#if editor}
-			<div class="mt-1">{@render editor()}</div>
-		{:else if bodyHtml}
-			<!-- eslint-disable-next-line svelte/no-at-html-tags -- sanitised in $lib/markup -->
-			<article class="markup mt-1">{@html bodyHtml}</article>
-		{:else if body}
-			<article class="mt-1 whitespace-pre-wrap text-foreground-default">{body}</article>
-		{/if}
 	</div>
-</div>
+{/if}
diff --git a/web/src/lib/components/comment/CommentCard.svelte b/web/src/lib/components/comment/CommentCard.svelte
index 7768e088..a977ae47 100644
--- a/web/src/lib/components/comment/CommentCard.svelte
+++ b/web/src/lib/components/comment/CommentCard.svelte
@@ -118,9 +118,10 @@
 			body={thread.self.body}
 			bodyHtml={thread.self.bodyHtml}
 			variant="top"
+			deleted={thread.self.deleted}
 			editor={editingUri === thread.self.uri ? selfEditor : undefined}
 		/>
-		{#if editingUri !== thread.self.uri}
+		{#if editingUri !== thread.self.uri && !thread.self.deleted}
 			{@render commentActions(thread.self)}
 		{/if}
 	</div>
@@ -159,7 +160,9 @@
 		</div>
 	{/if}
 
-	{#if replying && currentUser}
+	{#if thread.self.deleted && !thread.self.cid}
+		<!-- deleted parent with no recoverable strongRef; nothing to reply against -->
+	{:else if replying && currentUser}
 		<div class={thread.replies.length ? "border-t border-border-default" : ""}>
 			<CommentBox
 				variant="thread"
diff --git a/web/src/lib/components/comment/comments.ts b/web/src/lib/components/comment/comments.ts
index 9b837968..52c9a408 100644
--- a/web/src/lib/components/comment/comments.ts
+++ b/web/src/lib/components/comment/comments.ts
@@ -1,10 +1,5 @@
-// client-side comment threading, ported from NewCommentList in appview/models/comment.go.
-// bobbin returns comments flat; we group replies under the top-level comment their
-// replyTo strongRef points at, and sort everything oldest-first.
-
 export interface CommentView {
 	uri: string;
-	// content hash, needed to strongRef this comment when replying to it
 	cid?: string;
 	rkey: string;
 	authorDid: string;
@@ -12,6 +7,8 @@ export interface CommentView {
 	createdAt: string;
 	body: string;
 	bodyHtml: string | null;
+	// the record is gone but we keep it to anchor its replies
+	deleted?: boolean;
 }
 
 export interface CommentThread {
@@ -19,42 +16,54 @@ export interface CommentThread {
 	replies: CommentView[];
 }
 
-// pairs a rendered view with the parent uri it replies to (null for top-level).
+// pairs a rendered view with the parent uri it replies to
 export interface ThreadInput {
 	comment: CommentView;
 	replyTo: string | null;
+	// lets us reply to a parent even after it's deleted
+	replyToCid?: string;
 }
 
 const byCreatedAt = (a: CommentView, b: CommentView) => a.createdAt.localeCompare(b.createdAt);
 
+// stand-in for a deleted parent
+export function deletedComment(uri: string, createdAt: string, cid?: string): CommentView {
+	return {
+		uri,
+		cid,
+		rkey: uri.split("/").pop() ?? "",
+		authorDid: "",
+		authorHandle: "",
+		createdAt,
+		body: "",
+		bodyHtml: null,
+		deleted: true
+	};
+}
+
 export function buildCommentThreads(inputs: ThreadInput[]): CommentThread[] {
 	const threads = new Map<string, CommentThread>();
-	const orphanReplies: ThreadInput[] = [];
 
-	for (const input of inputs) {
-		if (input.replyTo === null) {
-			threads.set(input.comment.uri, { self: input.comment, replies: [] });
+	for (const { comment, replyTo } of inputs) {
+		if (replyTo === null) {
+			threads.set(comment.uri, { self: comment, replies: [] });
 		}
 	}
 
-	for (const input of inputs) {
-		if (input.replyTo === null) continue;
-		const parent = threads.get(input.replyTo);
-		if (parent) {
-			parent.replies.push(input.comment);
-		} else {
-			// parent not found (e.g. legacy/cross-collection ref): surface as top-level
-			// so nothing is dropped.
-			orphanReplies.push(input);
+	for (const { comment, replyTo, replyToCid } of inputs) {
+		if (replyTo === null) continue;
+		let parent = threads.get(replyTo);
+		if (!parent) {
+			parent = { self: deletedComment(replyTo, comment.createdAt), replies: [] };
+			threads.set(replyTo, parent);
 		}
+		if (parent.self.deleted && replyToCid && !parent.self.cid) {
+			parent.self.cid = replyToCid;
+		}
+		parent.replies.push(comment);
 	}
 
-	for (const orphan of orphanReplies) {
-		threads.set(orphan.comment.uri, { self: orphan.comment, replies: [] });
-	}
-
-	const list = [...threads.values()];
-	list.sort((a, b) => byCreatedAt(a.self, b.self));
+	const list = [...threads.values()].sort((a, b) => byCreatedAt(a.self, b.self));
 	for (const thread of list) thread.replies.sort(byCreatedAt);
 	return list;
 }
diff --git a/web/src/routes/[handle]/[repo]/issues/[aturi]/+page.svelte b/web/src/routes/[handle]/[repo]/issues/[aturi]/+page.svelte
index 6b5118d6..f24b0ca1 100644
--- a/web/src/routes/[handle]/[repo]/issues/[aturi]/+page.svelte
+++ b/web/src/routes/[handle]/[repo]/issues/[aturi]/+page.svelte
@@ -53,11 +53,17 @@
 
 	const removeComment = (uri: string) => {
 		comments = comments
-			.filter((thread) => thread.self.uri !== uri)
-			.map((thread) => ({
-				...thread,
-				replies: thread.replies.filter((reply) => reply.uri !== uri)
-			}));
+			.map((thread) => {
+				// a deleted parent that still has replies stays as a tombstone so its
+				// replies remain grouped; otherwise drop it entirely
+				if (thread.self.uri === uri) {
+					return thread.replies.length
+						? { ...thread, self: { ...thread.self, body: "", bodyHtml: null, deleted: true } }
+						: null;
+				}
+				return { ...thread, replies: thread.replies.filter((reply) => reply.uri !== uri) };
+			})
+			.filter((thread) => thread !== null);
 	};
 
 	const handleSaved = async (saved: RecordView<IssueRecord>) => {
diff --git a/web/src/routes/[handle]/[repo]/issues/[aturi]/+page.ts b/web/src/routes/[handle]/[repo]/issues/[aturi]/+page.ts
index 83ccd604..e7fea91b 100644
--- a/web/src/routes/[handle]/[repo]/issues/[aturi]/+page.ts
+++ b/web/src/routes/[handle]/[repo]/issues/[aturi]/+page.ts
@@ -58,7 +58,8 @@ export const load: PageLoad = async (event) => {
 					body: commentBody,
 					bodyHtml: commentBodyHtml
 				},
-				replyTo: item.value.replyTo?.uri ?? null
+				replyTo: item.value.replyTo?.uri ?? null,
+				replyToCid: item.value.replyTo?.cid
 			};
 		})
 	);