diff --git a/src/lib/api/coves/types.ts b/src/lib/api/coves/types.ts
index 6c36176c..d6f9b86e 100644
--- a/src/lib/api/coves/types.ts
+++ b/src/lib/api/coves/types.ts
@@ -285,14 +285,21 @@ export interface CommentView {
   createdAt: string
   indexedAt: string
   /**
-   * The comment's record. The server returns `null` for deleted-comment
-   * tombstones, so consumers must handle the null case (or consume the
-   * normalized `CommentNodeI.comment`, whose record is guaranteed non-null
-   * by `buildCommentsTree`). Note that `isDeleted` alone is not a reliable
+   * The comment's record. The server omits this field entirely for
+   * deleted-comment tombstones (older backends returned `null`), so
+   * consumers must handle the absent/null case (or consume the normalized
+   * `CommentNodeI.comment`, whose record is guaranteed non-null by
+   * `buildCommentsTree`). Note that `isDeleted` alone is not a reliable
    * discriminant: deleted comments can still arrive with a record.
    */
-  record: CommentRecord | null
-  author: AuthorView
+  record?: CommentRecord | null
+  /**
+   * The comment's author. The server omits this field entirely for
+   * deleted-comment tombstones (older backends returned a real DID with an
+   * empty handle) so deleted-comment authors stay anonymous. Present on all
+   * non-deleted comments.
+   */
+  author?: AuthorView
   post: CommentRef
   stats: CommentStats
   embed?: PostEmbed
diff --git a/src/lib/feature/comment/Comment.svelte b/src/lib/feature/comment/Comment.svelte
index 75e9e3d2..4669322a 100644
--- a/src/lib/feature/comment/Comment.svelte
+++ b/src/lib/feature/comment/Comment.svelte
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@
     {@const creatorIsOp =
       !node.comment.isDeleted &&
       postAuthorDid !== undefined &&
-      node.comment.author.did === postAuthorDid}
+      node.comment.author?.did === postAuthorDid}
     <label
       for="comment-expand-{node.comment.uri}"
       class="flex flex-row cursor-pointer gap-2 items-center group text-sm flex-wrap w-full z-0 group relative"
@@ -169,10 +169,11 @@
         </div>
       </div>
       {@render metaSuffix?.()}
-      {#if node.comment.isDeleted}
-        <!-- Tombstones arrive with an empty handle but the author's real
-             DID; rendering UserLink would produce a bare "@" linking to
-             the profile, de-anonymizing the deleted comment. -->
+      {#if node.comment.isDeleted || !node.comment.author}
+        <!-- Deleted-comment tombstones omit `author` entirely (older
+             backends sent the real DID with an empty handle); rendering
+             UserLink would de-anonymize the deleted comment or crash on
+             the missing author, so show the placeholder instead. -->
         <span class="text-slate-500 dark:text-zinc-400 italic">
           {$t('comment.deletedAuthor')}
         </span>
diff --git a/src/lib/feature/comment/CommentActions.svelte b/src/lib/feature/comment/CommentActions.svelte
index 7c6d927d..bcc1050d 100644
--- a/src/lib/feature/comment/CommentActions.svelte
+++ b/src/lib/feature/comment/CommentActions.svelte
@@ -107,7 +107,10 @@
       {$t('post.actions.more.share')}
     </MenuButton>
     {#if profile.current?.jwt}
-      {#if profile.current?.did && profile.current.did === comment.author.did}
+      <!-- `author` is absent on deleted-comment tombstones, so `?.` keeps
+           the identity check from throwing (and correctly hides edit/delete
+           for tombstones — there is no author to match). -->
+      {#if profile.current?.did && profile.current.did === comment.author?.did}
         <MenuButton
           disabled={comment.isDeleted}
           onclick={() => onedit?.(comment)}
@@ -116,7 +119,7 @@
           {$t('post.actions.more.edit')}
         </MenuButton>
       {/if}
-      {#if profile.current?.did && profile.current.did === comment.author.did}
+      {#if profile.current?.did && profile.current.did === comment.author?.did}
         <MenuButton
           disabled={comment.isDeleted}
           color="danger-subtle"
diff --git a/src/lib/feature/comment/comments.test.ts b/src/lib/feature/comment/comments.test.ts
index b8484ed1..38e1461c 100644
--- a/src/lib/feature/comment/comments.test.ts
+++ b/src/lib/feature/comment/comments.test.ts
@@ -234,12 +234,12 @@ describe('buildCommentsTree', () => {
   })
 
   it('synthesizes a record for tombstones with undefined records', () => {
-    // The type says CommentRecord | null, but guard against a server that
-    // omits the field entirely (undefined at runtime)
+    // The server omits `record` entirely for tombstones (undefined at
+    // runtime; older backends sent an explicit null)
     const cv: CommentView = {
       ...makeCommentView(),
       isDeleted: true,
-      record: undefined as unknown as CommentView['record'],
+      record: undefined,
     }
     const thread = makeThreadComment(cv)
 
@@ -253,6 +253,41 @@ describe('buildCommentsTree', () => {
     expect(result[0].comment.record.createdAt).toBe(cv.createdAt)
   })
 
+  it('handles tombstones with author and record keys absent entirely', () => {
+    // Current backend tombstone shape: both `author` and `record` are
+    // omitted (keys absent, not null) to keep deleted-comment authors
+    // anonymous. Everything else (uri, cid, post, stats, isDeleted,
+    // timestamps) is present.
+    const base = makeCommentView()
+    const {
+      author: _author,
+      record: _record,
+      ...rest
+    } = { ...base, isDeleted: true as const }
+    const cv: CommentView = rest
+    const reply = makeCommentView({
+      uri: 'at://did:plc:testauthor1/social.coves.community.comment/c2' as AtUri,
+    })
+    const thread = makeThreadComment(cv, [makeThreadComment(reply)])
+
+    const result = buildCommentsTree([thread])
+
+    expect(result[0].comment.author).toBeUndefined()
+    expect(result[0].comment.isDeleted).toBe(true)
+    expect(result[0].comment.record).toEqual({
+      $type: 'social.coves.community.comment',
+      content: '*post.badges.deleted*',
+      reply: {
+        root: cv.post,
+        parent: cv.post,
+      },
+      createdAt: cv.createdAt,
+    })
+    expect(result[0].children).toHaveLength(1)
+    expect(result[0].children[0].comment.uri).toBe(reply.uri)
+    expect(result[0].children[0].comment.author).toEqual(makeAuthor())
+  })
+
   it('warns when a non-deleted comment has a null record', () => {
     const warnSpy = vi.spyOn(console, 'warn').mockImplementation(() => {})
     const cv: CommentView = {
diff --git a/src/routes/profile/[handle=handle]/+page.svelte b/src/routes/profile/[handle=handle]/+page.svelte
index 22ded282..83914815 100644
--- a/src/routes/profile/[handle=handle]/+page.svelte
+++ b/src/routes/profile/[handle=handle]/+page.svelte
@@ -140,7 +140,12 @@
                 class="flex items-center gap-2 text-sm text-slate-500 dark:text-zinc-400 mb-1"
               >
                 <Icon src={ChatBubbleOvalLeft} size="14" mini />
-                <UserLink user={comment.author} avatarSize={16} />
+                {#if comment.author}
+                  <UserLink user={comment.author} avatarSize={16} />
+                {:else}
+                  <!-- Deleted-comment tombstones omit `author` entirely. -->
+                  <span class="italic">{$t('comment.deletedAuthor')}</span>
+                {/if}
                 <span class="text-xs">
                   {formatRelativeDate(publishedToDate(comment.createdAt), {
                     style: 'short',