diff --git a/fluxer_api/src/api/channel/repositories/message/MessageDeletionRepository.test.ts b/fluxer_api/src/api/channel/repositories/message/MessageDeletionRepository.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..bf2b93efc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/fluxer_api/src/api/channel/repositories/message/MessageDeletionRepository.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,120 @@
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: AGPL-3.0-or-later
+
+import * as BucketUtils from '@fluxer/snowflake/src/SnowflakeBuckets';
+import {afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it} from 'vitest';
+import {createChannelID, createMessageID, createUserID, type MessageID} from '../../../BrandedTypes';
+import {setCassandraQueryExecutorForTesting, upsertOne} from '../../../database/CassandraQueryExecution';
+import type {KvQueryMeta} from '../../../database/CassandraTypes';
+import type {MessageRow} from '../../../database/types/MessageTypes';
+import {Messages} from '../../../Tables';
+import {InMemoryCassandraQueryExecutor} from '../../../test/InMemoryCassandraQueryExecutor';
+import {MessageDataRepository} from './MessageDataRepository';
+import {MessageDeletionRepository} from './MessageDeletionRepository';
+
+class BatchRecordingCassandraQueryExecutor extends InMemoryCassandraQueryExecutor {
+	readonly batchedQueries: Array<string> = [];
+
+	override async executeBatch(queries: Array<{query: string; params: object; meta?: KvQueryMeta}>): Promise<void> {
+		for (const {query} of queries) {
+			this.batchedQueries.push(query);
+		}
+		await super.executeBatch(queries);
+	}
+
+	override reset(): void {
+		super.reset();
+		this.batchedQueries.length = 0;
+	}
+
+	countReactionDeletes(): number {
+		return this.batchedQueries.filter((query) => /^\s*DELETE FROM message_reactions\b/.test(query)).length;
+	}
+}
+
+const CHANNEL_ID = createChannelID(10n);
+const AUTHOR_ID = createUserID(20n);
+
+let executor: BatchRecordingCassandraQueryExecutor;
+
+function buildMessageRow(messageId: MessageID, hasReaction: boolean | null): MessageRow {
+	return {
+		channel_id: CHANNEL_ID,
+		bucket: BucketUtils.makeBucket(messageId),
+		message_id: messageId,
+		author_id: AUTHOR_ID,
+		type: 0,
+		webhook_id: null,
+		webhook_name: null,
+		webhook_avatar_hash: null,
+		content: 'hello',
+		edited_timestamp: null,
+		pinned_timestamp: null,
+		flags: 0,
+		mention_everyone: false,
+		mention_users: null,
+		mention_roles: null,
+		mention_channels: null,
+		attachments: null,
+		embeds: null,
+		sticker_items: null,
+		message_reference: null,
+		message_snapshots: null,
+		call: null,
+		nsfw_emojis: null,
+		has_reaction: hasReaction,
+		version: 1,
+	};
+}
+
+async function seedMessage(messageId: MessageID, hasReaction: boolean | null): Promise<void> {
+	await upsertOne(Messages.upsertAll(buildMessageRow(messageId, hasReaction)));
+}
+
+function createRepository(): MessageDeletionRepository {
+	return new MessageDeletionRepository(new MessageDataRepository());
+}
+
+describe('MessageDeletionRepository reaction tombstones', () => {
+	beforeEach(() => {
+		executor = new BatchRecordingCassandraQueryExecutor();
+		setCassandraQueryExecutorForTesting(executor);
+	});
+	afterEach(() => {
+		executor.reset();
+		setCassandraQueryExecutorForTesting(null);
+	});
+	it('skips the reaction delete when the message never had a reaction', async () => {
+		const messageId = createMessageID(100n);
+		await seedMessage(messageId, false);
+		await createRepository().deleteMessage(CHANNEL_ID, messageId, AUTHOR_ID);
+		expect(executor.countReactionDeletes()).toBe(0);
+	});
+	it('still deletes reactions when the message has one', async () => {
+		const messageId = createMessageID(101n);
+		await seedMessage(messageId, true);
+		await createRepository().deleteMessage(CHANNEL_ID, messageId, AUTHOR_ID);
+		expect(executor.countReactionDeletes()).toBe(1);
+	});
+	it('still deletes reactions when the message predates the has_reaction column', async () => {
+		const messageId = createMessageID(102n);
+		await seedMessage(messageId, null);
+		await createRepository().deleteMessage(CHANNEL_ID, messageId, AUTHOR_ID);
+		expect(executor.countReactionDeletes()).toBe(1);
+	});
+	it('still deletes reactions when the message row is gone', async () => {
+		await createRepository().deleteMessage(CHANNEL_ID, createMessageID(103n), AUTHOR_ID);
+		expect(executor.countReactionDeletes()).toBe(1);
+	});
+	it('only deletes reactions for the reacted messages in a bulk delete', async () => {
+		const unreacted = [createMessageID(200n), createMessageID(201n), createMessageID(202n)];
+		const reacted = createMessageID(203n);
+		const legacy = createMessageID(204n);
+		for (const messageId of unreacted) {
+			await seedMessage(messageId, false);
+		}
+		await seedMessage(reacted, true);
+		await seedMessage(legacy, null);
+		await createRepository().bulkDeleteMessages(CHANNEL_ID, [...unreacted, reacted, legacy]);
+		expect(executor.countReactionDeletes()).toBe(2);
+	});
+});
diff --git a/fluxer_api/src/api/channel/repositories/message/MessageDeletionRepository.ts b/fluxer_api/src/api/channel/repositories/message/MessageDeletionRepository.ts
index 7048367da..cb5142388 100644
--- a/fluxer_api/src/api/channel/repositories/message/MessageDeletionRepository.ts
+++ b/fluxer_api/src/api/channel/repositories/message/MessageDeletionRepository.ts
@@ -81,19 +81,21 @@ export class MessageDeletionRepository {
 				}),
 			);
 		}
-		batch.addPrepared(
-			MessageReactions.delete({
-				where: [
-					MessageReactions.where.eq('channel_id'),
-					MessageReactions.where.eq('bucket'),
-					MessageReactions.where.eq('message_id'),
-				],
-			}).bind({
-				channel_id: channelId,
-				bucket,
-				message_id: messageId,
-			}),
-		);
+		if (message?.hasReaction !== false) {
+			batch.addPrepared(
+				MessageReactions.delete({
+					where: [
+						MessageReactions.where.eq('channel_id'),
+						MessageReactions.where.eq('bucket'),
+						MessageReactions.where.eq('message_id'),
+					],
+				}).bind({
+					channel_id: channelId,
+					bucket,
+					message_id: messageId,
+				}),
+			);
+		}
 		if (message?.attachments) {
 			for (const attachment of message.attachments) {
 				batch.addPrepared(