diff --git a/client/coral-admin/src/routes/Moderation/containers/Moderation.js b/client/coral-admin/src/routes/Moderation/containers/Moderation.js
index f35255732..c908404cb 100644
--- a/client/coral-admin/src/routes/Moderation/containers/Moderation.js
+++ b/client/coral-admin/src/routes/Moderation/containers/Moderation.js
@@ -432,6 +432,7 @@ const withModQueueQuery = withQuery(
     ${Object.keys(queueConfig).map(
       queue => `
       ${queue}: comments(query: {
+        excludeDeleted: true,
         statuses: ${
           queueConfig[queue].statuses
             ? `[${queueConfig[queue].statuses.join(', ')}],`
@@ -458,6 +459,7 @@ const withModQueueQuery = withQuery(
     ${Object.keys(queueConfig).map(
       queue => `
       ${queue}Count: commentCount(query: {
+        excludeDeleted: true,
         statuses: ${
           queueConfig[queue].statuses
             ? `[${queueConfig[queue].statuses.join(', ')}],`
diff --git a/graph/loaders/comments.js b/graph/loaders/comments.js
index 37d40a219..b42a636bc 100644
--- a/graph/loaders/comments.js
+++ b/graph/loaders/comments.js
@@ -94,6 +94,7 @@ const getCommentCountByQuery = (ctx, options) => {
     author_id,
     tags,
     action_type,
+    excludeDeleted,
   } = options;
 
   // If user queries for statuses other than NONE and/or ACCEPTED statuses, it needs
@@ -120,6 +121,12 @@ const getCommentCountByQuery = (ctx, options) => {
     query.merge({ author_id });
   }
 
+  if (excludeDeleted) {
+    // The null query matches documents that either contain the `deleted_at`
+    // field whose value is null or that do not contain the `deleted_at` field.
+    query.merge({ deleted_at: null });
+  }
+
   if (ctx.user != null && ctx.user.can(SEARCH_OTHERS_COMMENTS) && action_type) {
     query.merge({
       [`action_counts.${sc(action_type.toLowerCase())}`]: {
@@ -328,11 +335,12 @@ const getCommentsByQuery = async (
     sortOrder,
     sortBy,
     excludeIgnored,
+    excludeDeleted,
     tags,
     action_type,
   }
 ) => {
-  let comments = CommentModel.find();
+  const query = CommentModel.find();
 
   // Enforce that the limit must be gte 0 if this option is not true.
   if (!ALLOW_NO_LIMIT_QUERIES && limit < 0) {
@@ -350,11 +358,17 @@ const getCommentsByQuery = async (
   }
 
   if (statuses) {
-    comments = comments.where({ status: { $in: statuses } });
+    query.merge({ status: { $in: statuses } });
+  }
+
+  if (excludeDeleted) {
+    // The null query matches documents that either contain the `deleted_at`
+    // field whose value is null or that do not contain the `deleted_at` field.
+    query.merge({ deleted_at: null });
   }
 
   if (ctx.user != null && ctx.user.can(SEARCH_OTHERS_COMMENTS) && action_type) {
-    comments = comments.where({
+    query.merge({
       [`action_counts.${sc(action_type.toLowerCase())}`]: {
         $gt: 0,
       },
@@ -362,7 +376,7 @@ const getCommentsByQuery = async (
   }
 
   if (ids) {
-    comments = comments.find({
+    query.merge({
       id: {
         $in: ids,
       },
@@ -370,7 +384,7 @@ const getCommentsByQuery = async (
   }
 
   if (tags) {
-    comments = comments.find({
+    query.merge({
       'tags.tag.name': {
         $in: tags,
       },
@@ -383,17 +397,17 @@ const getCommentsByQuery = async (
     (ctx.user.can(SEARCH_OTHERS_COMMENTS) || ctx.user.id === author_id) &&
     author_id != null
   ) {
-    comments = comments.where({ author_id });
+    query.merge({ author_id });
   }
 
   if (asset_id) {
-    comments = comments.where({ asset_id });
+    query.merge({ asset_id });
   }
 
   // We perform the undefined check because, null, is a valid state for the
   // search to be with, which indicates that it is at depth 0.
   if (parent_id !== undefined) {
-    comments = comments.where({ parent_id });
+    query.merge({ parent_id });
   }
 
   if (
@@ -402,12 +416,12 @@ const getCommentsByQuery = async (
     ctx.user.ignoresUsers &&
     ctx.user.ignoresUsers.length > 0
   ) {
-    comments = comments.where({
+    query.merge({
       author_id: { $nin: ctx.user.ignoresUsers },
     });
   }
 
-  return executeWithSort(ctx, comments, { cursor, sortOrder, sortBy, limit });
+  return executeWithSort(ctx, query, { cursor, sortOrder, sortBy, limit });
 };
 
 /**
diff --git a/graph/typeDefs.graphql b/graph/typeDefs.graphql
index b5c193e3d..03c97ce58 100644
--- a/graph/typeDefs.graphql
+++ b/graph/typeDefs.graphql
@@ -418,6 +418,9 @@ input CommentsQuery {
 
   # Exclude comments ignored by the requesting user
   excludeIgnored: Boolean
+
+  # excludeDeleted when true will exclude deleted comments from the response.
+  excludeDeleted: Boolean = false
 }
 
 input RepliesQuery {
@@ -434,6 +437,9 @@ input RepliesQuery {
 
   # Exclude comments ignored by the requesting user
   excludeIgnored: Boolean
+
+  # excludeDeleted when true will exclude deleted comments from the response.
+  excludeDeleted: Boolean = false
 }
 
 # CommentCountQuery allows the ability to query comment counts by specific
@@ -463,6 +469,9 @@ input CommentCountQuery {
 
   # Filter by a specific tag name.
   tags: [String!]
+
+  # excludeDeleted when true will exclude deleted comments from the count.
+  excludeDeleted: Boolean = false
 }
 
 # UserCountQuery allows the ability to query user counts by specific
@@ -519,7 +528,7 @@ type Comment {
   replies(query: RepliesQuery = {}): CommentConnection!
 
   # replyCount is the number of replies with a depth of 1. Only direct replies
-  # to this comment are counted.
+  # to this comment are counted. Deleted comments are included in this count.
   replyCount: Int
 
   # Actions completed on the parent. Requires the `ADMIN` role.
diff --git a/services/comments.js b/services/comments.js
index 4b436b5f4..19b611089 100644
--- a/services/comments.js
+++ b/services/comments.js
@@ -39,9 +39,12 @@ module.exports = {
     const created_at = new Date();
 
     // Check to see if we are replying to a comment, and if that comment is
-    // visible.
+    // visible and that it's not deleted.
     if (parent_id !== null) {
-      const parent = await CommentModel.findOne({ id: parent_id });
+      const parent = await CommentModel.findOne({
+        id: parent_id,
+        deleted_at: null,
+      });
       if (parent === null || !parent.visible) {
         throw new ErrParentDoesNotVisible();
       }
@@ -94,6 +97,7 @@ module.exports = {
       status: {
         $in: EDITABLE_STATUSES,
       },
+      deleted_at: null,
     };
 
     // Establish the edit window (if it exists) and add the condition to the
@@ -186,8 +190,10 @@ module.exports = {
    */
   pushStatus: async (id, status, assigned_by = null) => {
     const created_at = new Date();
+
+    // Update the comment unless the comment was deleted.
     const originalComment = await CommentModel.findOneAndUpdate(
-      { id },
+      { id, deleted_at: null },
       {
         $push: {
           status_history: {