diff --git a/appview/ingester.go b/appview/ingester.go
index 59d011ae..dbbd125e 100644
--- a/appview/ingester.go
+++ b/appview/ingester.go
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import (
 	"tangled.sh/tangled.sh/core/appview/db"
 	"tangled.sh/tangled.sh/core/appview/pages/markup"
 	"tangled.sh/tangled.sh/core/appview/serververify"
+	"tangled.sh/tangled.sh/core/appview/validator"
 	"tangled.sh/tangled.sh/core/idresolver"
 	"tangled.sh/tangled.sh/core/rbac"
 )
@@ -28,6 +29,7 @@ type Ingester struct {
 	IdResolver *idresolver.Resolver
 	Config     *config.Config
 	Logger     *slog.Logger
+	Validator  *validator.Validator
 }
 
 type processFunc func(ctx context.Context, e *models.Event) error
@@ -875,9 +877,8 @@ func (i *Ingester) ingestIssueComment(e *models.Event) error {
 			return fmt.Errorf("failed to parse comment from record: %w", err)
 		}
 
-		sanitizer := markup.NewSanitizer()
-		if sb := strings.TrimSpace(sanitizer.SanitizeDefault(comment.Body)); sb == "" {
-			return fmt.Errorf("body is empty after HTML sanitization")
+		if err := i.Validator.ValidateIssueComment(comment); err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("failed to validate comment: %w", err)
 		}
 
 		_, err = db.AddIssueComment(ddb, *comment)
diff --git a/appview/issues/issues.go b/appview/issues/issues.go
index bbe1036b..de509f41 100644
--- a/appview/issues/issues.go
+++ b/appview/issues/issues.go
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@ func New(
 	db *db.DB,
 	config *config.Config,
 	notifier notify.Notifier,
+	validator *validator.Validator,
 ) *Issues {
 	return &Issues{
 		oauth:        oauth,
@@ -102,7 +103,6 @@ func (rp *Issues) RepoSingleIssue(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		Reactions:            reactionCountMap,
 		UserReacted:          userReactions,
 	})
-
 }
 
 func (rp *Issues) CloseIssue(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
diff --git a/appview/pages/templates/layouts/repobase.html b/appview/pages/templates/layouts/repobase.html
index 23668d1b..5ec26337 100644
--- a/appview/pages/templates/layouts/repobase.html
+++ b/appview/pages/templates/layouts/repobase.html
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@
     </section>
 
     <section
-        class="w-full flex flex-col drop-shadow-sm"
+        class="w-full flex flex-col"
     >
         <nav class="w-full pl-4 overflow-auto">
             <div class="flex z-60">
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@
             </div>
         </nav>
         <section
-            class="bg-white dark:bg-gray-800 p-6 rounded relative w-full mx-auto drop-shadow-sm dark:text-white"
+            class="bg-white dark:bg-gray-800 p-6 rounded relative w-full mx-auto dark:text-white"
         >
             {{ block "repoContent" . }}{{ end }}
         </section>
diff --git a/appview/pages/templates/repo/issues/fragments/commentList.html b/appview/pages/templates/repo/issues/fragments/commentList.html
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..da98f53b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/appview/pages/templates/repo/issues/fragments/commentList.html
@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+{{ define "repo/issues/fragments/commentList" }}
+  <div class="flex flex-col gap-8">
+    {{ range $item := .CommentList }}
+      {{ template "commentListing" (list $ .) }}
+    {{ end }}
+  <div>
+{{ end }}
+
+{{ define "commentListing" }}
+  {{ $root := index . 0 }}
+  {{ $comment := index . 1 }}
+  {{ $params :=
+        (dict
+          "RepoInfo" $root.RepoInfo
+          "LoggedInUser" $root.LoggedInUser
+          "Issue" $root.Issue
+          "Comment" $comment.Self) }}
+
+  <div class="rounded border border-gray-300 dark:border-gray-700 w-full overflow-hidden shadow-sm">
+    {{ template "topLevelComment" $params }}
+
+    <div class="relative ml-4 border-l border-gray-300 dark:border-gray-700">
+      {{ range $index, $reply := $comment.Replies }}
+        <div class="relative ">
+          <!-- Horizontal connector -->
+          <div class="absolute left-0 top-6 w-4 h-px bg-gray-300 dark:bg-gray-700"></div>
+
+          <div class="pl-2">
+            {{
+              template "replyComment"
+              (dict
+                "RepoInfo" $root.RepoInfo
+                "LoggedInUser" $root.LoggedInUser
+                "Issue" $root.Issue
+                "Comment" $reply)
+            }}
+          </div>
+        </div>
+      {{ end }}
+    </div>
+
+    {{ if $root.LoggedInUser }}
+      {{ template "repo/issues/fragments/replyIssueCommentPlaceholder" $params }}
+    {{ else }}
+      <div class="p-2 border-t border-gray-300 dark:border-gray-700 text-gray-500 dark:text-gray-400">
+        <a class="underline" href="/login">login</a> to reply to this discussion
+      </div>
+    {{ end }}
+  </div>
+{{ end }}
+
+{{ define "topLevelComment" }}
+<div class="rounded px-6 py-4 bg-white dark:bg-gray-800">
+  {{ template "repo/issues/fragments/issueCommentHeader" . }}
+  {{ template "repo/issues/fragments/issueCommentBody" . }}
+</div>
+{{ end }}
+
+{{ define "replyComment" }}
+<div class="p-4 w-full mx-auto overflow-hidden">
+  {{ template "repo/issues/fragments/issueCommentHeader" . }}
+  {{ template "repo/issues/fragments/issueCommentBody" . }}
+</div>
+{{ end }}
diff --git a/appview/pages/templates/repo/issues/fragments/replyIssueCommentPlaceholder.html b/appview/pages/templates/repo/issues/fragments/replyIssueCommentPlaceholder.html
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..4cd53b63
--- /dev/null
+++ b/appview/pages/templates/repo/issues/fragments/replyIssueCommentPlaceholder.html
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+{{ define "repo/issues/fragments/replyIssueCommentPlaceholder" }}
+  <div class="p-2 border-t flex gap-2 items-center border-gray-300 dark:border-gray-700">
+    <img
+        src="{{ tinyAvatar .LoggedInUser.Did }}"
+        alt=""
+        class="rounded-full h-6 w-6 mr-1 border border-gray-300 dark:border-gray-700"
+    />
+    <input
+      class="w-full py-2 border-none focus:outline-none"
+      placeholder="Leave a reply..."
+      hx-get="/{{ .RepoInfo.FullName }}/issues/{{ .Issue.IssueId }}/comment/{{ .Comment.Id }}/reply"
+      hx-trigger="focus"
+      hx-target="closest div"
+      hx-swap="outerHTML"
+      >
+    </input>
+  </div>
+{{ end }}
diff --git a/appview/pages/templates/repo/issues/issue.html b/appview/pages/templates/repo/issues/issue.html
index 8ef2545d..40343789 100644
--- a/appview/pages/templates/repo/issues/issue.html
+++ b/appview/pages/templates/repo/issues/issue.html
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 {{ end }}
 
 {{ define "repoContent" }}
-    <header class="pb-4">
+    <header class="pb-2">
       <h1 class="text-2xl">
       {{ .Issue.Title | description }}
       <span class="text-gray-500 dark:text-gray-400">#{{ .Issue.IssueId }}</span>
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@
         </div>
 
         {{ if .Issue.Body }}
-            <article id="body" class="mt-8 prose dark:prose-invert">
+            <article id="body" class="mt-4 prose dark:prose-invert">
                 {{ .Issue.Body | markdown }}
             </article>
         {{ end }}
diff --git a/appview/state/router.go b/appview/state/router.go
index 86edfd7d..fe28e712 100644
--- a/appview/state/router.go
+++ b/appview/state/router.go
@@ -232,7 +232,7 @@ func (s *State) StringsRouter(mw *middleware.Middleware) http.Handler {
 }
 
 func (s *State) IssuesRouter(mw *middleware.Middleware) http.Handler {
-	issues := issues.New(s.oauth, s.repoResolver, s.pages, s.idResolver, s.db, s.config, s.notifier)
+	issues := issues.New(s.oauth, s.repoResolver, s.pages, s.idResolver, s.db, s.config, s.notifier, s.validator)
 	return issues.Router(mw)
 }
 
diff --git a/appview/state/state.go b/appview/state/state.go
index 9abda38a..932a129f 100644
--- a/appview/state/state.go
+++ b/appview/state/state.go
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ import (
 	"tangled.sh/tangled.sh/core/appview/pages"
 	posthogService "tangled.sh/tangled.sh/core/appview/posthog"
 	"tangled.sh/tangled.sh/core/appview/reporesolver"
+	"tangled.sh/tangled.sh/core/appview/validator"
 	xrpcclient "tangled.sh/tangled.sh/core/appview/xrpcclient"
 	"tangled.sh/tangled.sh/core/eventconsumer"
 	"tangled.sh/tangled.sh/core/idresolver"
@@ -53,6 +54,7 @@ type State struct {
 	knotstream    *eventconsumer.Consumer
 	spindlestream *eventconsumer.Consumer
 	logger        *slog.Logger
+	validator     *validator.Validator
 }
 
 func Make(ctx context.Context, config *config.Config) (*State, error) {
@@ -73,11 +75,10 @@ func Make(ctx context.Context, config *config.Config) (*State, error) {
 	}
 
 	pgs := pages.NewPages(config, res)
-
 	cache := cache.New(config.Redis.Addr)
 	sess := session.New(cache)
-
 	oauth := oauth.NewOAuth(config, sess)
+	validator := validator.New(d)
 
 	posthog, err := posthog.NewWithConfig(config.Posthog.ApiKey, posthog.Config{Endpoint: config.Posthog.Endpoint})
 	if err != nil {
@@ -121,6 +122,7 @@ func Make(ctx context.Context, config *config.Config) (*State, error) {
 		IdResolver: res,
 		Config:     config,
 		Logger:     tlog.New("ingester"),
+		Validator:  validator,
 	}
 	err = jc.StartJetstream(ctx, ingester.Ingest())
 	if err != nil {
@@ -160,6 +162,7 @@ func Make(ctx context.Context, config *config.Config) (*State, error) {
 		knotstream,
 		spindlestream,
 		slog.Default(),
+		validator,
 	}
 
 	return state, nil
diff --git a/appview/validator/issue.go b/appview/validator/issue.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b505d456
--- /dev/null
+++ b/appview/validator/issue.go
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+package validator
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"strings"
+
+	"tangled.sh/tangled.sh/core/appview/db"
+	"tangled.sh/tangled.sh/core/appview/pages/markup"
+)
+
+func (v *Validator) ValidateIssueComment(comment *db.IssueComment) error {
+	// if comments have parents, only ingest ones that are 1 level deep
+	if comment.ReplyTo != nil {
+		parents, err := db.GetIssueComments(v.db, db.FilterEq("at_uri", *comment.ReplyTo))
+		if err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("failed to fetch parent comment: %w", err)
+		}
+		if len(parents) != 1 {
+			return fmt.Errorf("incorrect number of parent comments returned: %d", len(parents))
+		}
+
+		// depth check
+		parent := parents[0]
+		if parent.ReplyTo != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("incorrect depth, this comment is replying at depth >1")
+		}
+	}
+
+	sanitizer := markup.NewSanitizer()
+	if sb := strings.TrimSpace(sanitizer.SanitizeDefault(comment.Body)); sb == "" {
+		return fmt.Errorf("body is empty after HTML sanitization")
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/appview/validator/validator.go b/appview/validator/validator.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..cd1f41df
--- /dev/null
+++ b/appview/validator/validator.go
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+package validator
+
+import "tangled.sh/tangled.sh/core/appview/db"
+
+type Validator struct {
+	db *db.DB
+}
+
+func New(db *db.DB) *Validator {
+	return &Validator{
+		db: db,
+	}
+}