diff --git a/src/state/queries/usePostThread/__tests__/queryCache.test.ts b/src/state/queries/usePostThread/__tests__/queryCache.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..95f5e17424
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/state/queries/usePostThread/__tests__/queryCache.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+import {describe, it} from '@jest/globals'
+
+describe(`insert`, () => {
+})
diff --git a/src/state/queries/usePostThread/index.ts b/src/state/queries/usePostThread/index.ts
index 88cd2ccb60..09c2c05012 100644
--- a/src/state/queries/usePostThread/index.ts
+++ b/src/state/queries/usePostThread/index.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import {useQuery, useQueryClient} from '@tanstack/react-query'
 
 import {useModerationOpts} from '#/state/preferences/moderation-opts'
-import {getThreadPlaceholder} from '#/state/queries/usePostThread/queryCache'
+import {getThreadPlaceholder, createCacheMutator} from '#/state/queries/usePostThread/queryCache'
 import {flatten,sort} from '#/state/queries/usePostThread/traversal'
 import {
   createPostThreadQueryKey,
@@ -30,13 +30,14 @@ export function usePostThread({
   const mergeThreadgateHiddenReplies = useMergeThreadgateHiddenReplies()
 
   const enabled = isEnabled !== false && !!uri && !!moderationOpts
+  const queryKey = createPostThreadQueryKey({
+      uri,
+      params,
+    })
 
   const query = useQuery({
     enabled,
-    queryKey: createPostThreadQueryKey({
-      uri,
-      params,
-    }),
+    queryKey,
     async queryFn() {
       const {data} = await agent.app.bsky.unspecced.getPostThreadV2({
         uri: uri!,
@@ -82,12 +83,17 @@ export function usePostThread({
     },
   )
 
+  const mutator = createCacheMutator({
+    queryKey,
+    queryClient: qc,
+  })
+
   return {
     ...query,
     data: {
       slices: items,
       threadgate: query.data?.threadgate,
     },
-    insertReplies: () => {},
+    insertReplies: mutator.insertReplies,
   }
 }
diff --git a/src/state/queries/usePostThread/queryCache.ts b/src/state/queries/usePostThread/queryCache.ts
index 94bf838df7..0e8efdb80d 100644
--- a/src/state/queries/usePostThread/queryCache.ts
+++ b/src/state/queries/usePostThread/queryCache.ts
@@ -11,13 +11,73 @@ import {findAllPostsInQueryData as findAllPostsInNotifsQueryData} from '#/state/
 import {findAllPostsInQueryData as findAllPostsInFeedQueryData} from '#/state/queries/post-feed'
 import {findAllPostsInQueryData as findAllPostsInQuoteQueryData} from '#/state/queries/post-quotes'
 import {findAllPostsInQueryData as findAllPostsInSearchQueryData} from '#/state/queries/search-posts'
-import {postThreadQueryKeyRoot} from '#/state/queries/usePostThread/types'
+import {
+  postThreadQueryKeyRoot,
+  createPostThreadQueryKey,
+} from '#/state/queries/usePostThread/types'
 import {
   embedViewToThreadPlaceholder,
   postViewToThreadPlaceholder,
 } from '#/state/queries/usePostThread/views'
 import {didOrHandleUriMatches, getEmbeddedPost} from '#/state/queries/util'
 
+export function createCacheMutator({
+  queryKey,
+  queryClient,
+}: {
+  queryKey: ReturnType<typeof createPostThreadQueryKey>
+  queryClient: QueryClient
+}) {
+  return {
+    insertReplies(
+      parent: AppBskyUnspeccedDefs.ThreadItemPost,
+      replies: AppBskyUnspeccedDefs.ThreadItemPost[],
+    ) {
+      queryClient.setQueryData<AppBskyUnspeccedGetPostThreadV2.OutputSchema>(
+        queryKey,
+        queryData => {
+          if (!queryData) return
+
+          const thread = [...queryData.thread]
+
+          for (let i = 0; i < thread.length; i++) {
+            const anchor = thread[i]
+            if (!AppBskyUnspeccedDefs.isThreadItemPost(anchor)) continue
+            if (anchor.uri !== parent.uri) continue
+
+            /*
+             * Update parent data
+             */
+            anchor.post = {
+              ...anchor.post,
+              replyCount: parent.post.replyCount,
+            }
+
+            /*
+             * Splice in new replies
+             */
+            for (let ri = 0; ri < replies.length; ri++) {
+              const reply = replies[ri]
+              reply.depth = anchor.depth + 1 + ri
+              const insertIndex = i + 1 + ri
+              thread.splice(insertIndex, 0, {
+                $type: 'app.bsky.unspecced.defs#threadItemPost',
+                ...reply,
+              })
+            }
+          }
+
+          return {
+            ...queryData,
+            thread,
+          }
+        },
+      )
+    },
+    deletePost(post: AppBskyUnspeccedDefs.ThreadItemPost) {},
+  }
+}
+
 export function getThreadPlaceholder(
   queryClient: QueryClient,
   uri: string,
diff --git a/src/view/com/composer/Composer.tsx b/src/view/com/composer/Composer.tsx
index f0fefc0b89..763f19681d 100644
--- a/src/view/com/composer/Composer.tsx
+++ b/src/view/com/composer/Composer.tsx
@@ -407,15 +407,15 @@ export const ComposePost = ({
           posts = await retry(5, _e => true, async () => {
             const res = await agent.app.bsky.unspecced.getPostThreadV2({
               uri: postUri!,
-              above: 0,
+              above: 1,
               below: thread.posts.length - 1,
               branchingFactor: 1,
             })
-            if (res.data.thread.length !== thread.posts.length) {
+            const parent = res.data.thread.at(0)
+            if (!AppBskyUnspeccedDefs.isThreadItemPost(parent)) {
               throw new Error(`Not ready`)
             }
-            const anchor = res.data.thread.at(0)
-            if (!AppBskyUnspeccedDefs.isThreadItemPost(anchor)) {
+            if (res.data.thread.length !== thread.posts.length + 1) {
               throw new Error(`Not ready`)
             }
             return res.data.thread
diff --git a/src/view/screens/PostThread.tsx b/src/view/screens/PostThread.tsx
index a26512dd7d..943ce5ae23 100644
--- a/src/view/screens/PostThread.tsx
+++ b/src/view/screens/PostThread.tsx
@@ -161,8 +161,12 @@ export function Inner({uri}: {uri: string | undefined}) {
     ({post}: {post: AppBskyUnspeccedDefs.ThreadItemPost}) =>
     (_: any, posts: AppBskyUnspeccedDefs.ThreadItemPost[]) => {
       if (posts.length) {
-        // TODO get parent and update reply count?
-        insertReplies(post.uri, posts)
+        console.log('insert', posts)
+        const parent = posts.at(0)
+        const replies = posts.slice(1)
+        if (parent && replies.length) {
+          insertReplies(parent, replies)
+        }
       }
     }