diff --git a/src/screens/PostThread/components/ReadMore.tsx b/src/screens/PostThread/components/ReadMore.tsx
index a6b6564db3..ee7a97706e 100644
--- a/src/screens/PostThread/components/ReadMore.tsx
+++ b/src/screens/PostThread/components/ReadMore.tsx
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ import {View} from 'react-native'
 import {msg, Plural, Trans} from '@lingui/macro'
 import {useLingui} from '@lingui/react'
 
-import {makeProfileLink} from '#/lib/routes/links'
 import {type PostThreadParams, type Slice} from '#/state/queries/usePostThread'
 import {
   LINEAR_AVI_WIDTH,
@@ -28,19 +27,22 @@ export function ReadMore({
   const indent = Math.max(0, item.indent - 1)
 
   const spacers = isTreeView
-    ? Array.from(Array(indent)).map((_, n: number) => (
+    ? Array.from(Array(indent)).map((_, n: number) => {
+      const isSkipped = item.skippedIndents.has(n)
+      return (
         <View
           key={`${item.key}-padding-${n}`}
           style={[
             t.atoms.border_contrast_low,
             {
-              borderRightWidth: REPLY_LINE_WIDTH,
+              borderRightWidth: isSkipped ? 0 : REPLY_LINE_WIDTH,
               width: TREE_INDENT + TREE_AVI_WIDTH / 2,
               left: 1,
             },
           ]}
         />
-      ))
+      )
+    })
     : null
 
   return (
@@ -63,14 +65,7 @@ export function ReadMore({
       />
       <Link
         label={_(msg`Read more replies`)}
-        to={makeProfileLink(
-          {
-            did: item.nextAnchorUri.host,
-            handle: item.nextAnchor.value.post.author.handle,
-          },
-          'post',
-          item.nextAnchorUri.rkey,
-        )}
+        to={item.href}
         style={[a.pt_sm, a.pb_md, a.gap_xs]}>
         {({hovered, pressed}) => {
           return (
@@ -83,8 +78,8 @@ export function ReadMore({
                   (hovered || pressed) && a.underline,
                 ]}>
                 <Trans>
-                  Read {item.replyCount} more{' '}
-                  <Plural one="reply" other="replies" value={item.replyCount} />
+                  Read {item.moreReplies} more{' '}
+                  <Plural one="reply" other="replies" value={item.moreReplies} />
                 </Trans>
               </Text>
             </>
diff --git a/src/state/queries/usePostThread/index.ts b/src/state/queries/usePostThread/index.ts
index b553399dc5..8c4b509359 100644
--- a/src/state/queries/usePostThread/index.ts
+++ b/src/state/queries/usePostThread/index.ts
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ export function usePostThread({
       const {data} = await agent.app.bsky.unspecced.getPostThreadV2({
         anchor: params.anchor!,
         branchingFactor: params.view === 'linear' ? 1 : 3, // 100 TODO
-        below: 6,
+        below: 3,
         sort: params.sort,
         prioritizeFollowedUsers: params.prioritizeFollowedUsers,
       })
diff --git a/src/state/queries/usePostThread/traversal.ts b/src/state/queries/usePostThread/traversal.ts
index 537cc2532e..6c7d9e331c 100644
--- a/src/state/queries/usePostThread/traversal.ts
+++ b/src/state/queries/usePostThread/traversal.ts
@@ -32,7 +32,6 @@ export function flatten(
   },
 ) {
   const flattened: Slice[] = sorted.items
-  const parents = []
 
   for (let i = 0; i < flattened.length; i++) {
     const item = flattened[i]
@@ -49,103 +48,6 @@ export function flatten(
           key: 'replyComposer',
         })
       }
-
-      const deepestParent = parents[parents.length - 1]
-
-      if (deepestParent) {
-        // next item is a sibling or an aunt/uncle
-        if (item.depth <= deepestParent.depth) {
-          for (let pi = parents.length - 1; pi >= 0; pi--) {
-            const parent = parents[pi]
-
-            if (item.depth <= parent.depth) {
-              /*
-               * Find the previous post item and set the read more flags
-               */
-              for (let ui = i - 1; ui >= 0; ui--) {
-                let prev = flattened[ui]
-                if (prev.type === 'threadPost') {
-                  prev.ui.precedesParentReadMore =
-                    prev.ui.indent - 1 === parent.ui.indent // true
-                  prev.ui.precedesChildReadMore =
-                    prev.ui.indent === item.ui.indent
-                  break
-                }
-              }
-
-              flattened.splice(
-                i + 1 + (pi - parents.length),
-                0,
-                views.readMore({
-                  parent,
-                }),
-              )
-              parents.pop()
-
-              // skip next iteration
-              i++
-
-              if (view === 'linear') {
-                break
-              }
-            } else {
-              break
-            }
-          }
-        }
-      }
-
-      if (item.value.moreReplies > 0) {
-        parents.push(item)
-      }
-
-      const isLastIteration = i === flattened.length - 1
-
-      if (isLastIteration) {
-        const deepestParent = parents[parents.length - 1]
-
-        if (deepestParent) {
-          // next item is a sibling or an aunt/uncle
-          if (deepestParent.depth <= item.depth) {
-            for (let pi = parents.length - 1; pi >= 0; pi--) {
-              const parent = parents[pi]
-              if (parent.depth <= item.depth) {
-                /*
-                 * Find the previous post item and set the read more flags
-                 */
-                for (let ui = i; ui >= 0; ui--) {
-                  let prev = flattened[ui]
-                  if (prev.type === 'threadPost') {
-                    prev.ui.precedesParentReadMore =
-                      prev.ui.indent - 1 === parent.ui.indent
-                    prev.ui.precedesChildReadMore =
-                      prev.ui.indent === item.ui.indent
-                    break
-                  }
-                }
-
-                flattened.splice(
-                  i + 2 + (pi - parents.length),
-                  0,
-                  views.readMore({
-                    parent,
-                  }),
-                )
-                parents.pop()
-
-                // skip next iteration
-                i++
-
-                if (view === 'linear') {
-                  break
-                }
-              } else {
-                break
-              }
-            }
-          }
-        }
-      }
     }
   }
 
@@ -310,10 +212,23 @@ export function sort(
         continue traversal
       } else if (AppBskyUnspeccedGetPostThreadV2.isThreadItemPost(item.value)) {
         if (parentMetadata) {
+          if (metadata) {
+            metadata.replyIndex = parentMetadata.seenReplies
+          }
+
           parentMetadata.seenReplies += 1
+
           if (metadata) {
             metadata.isLastSibling =
-              parentMetadata.replies === parentMetadata.seenReplies
+              parentMetadata.replies - parentMetadata.unhydratedReplies ===
+              parentMetadata.seenReplies
+
+            if (
+              parentMetadata.unhydratedReplies > 0 &&
+              metadata.isLastSibling
+            ) {
+              metadata.upcomingParentReadMore = parentMetadata
+            }
           }
         }
 
@@ -369,8 +284,16 @@ export function sort(
                 if (childParentMetadata) {
                   childParentMetadata.seenReplies += 1
                   childMetadata.isLastSibling =
-                    childParentMetadata.replies ===
+                    childParentMetadata.replies -
+                      childParentMetadata.unhydratedReplies ===
                     childParentMetadata.seenReplies
+
+                  if (
+                    childParentMetadata.unhydratedReplies > 0 &&
+                    childMetadata.isLastSibling
+                  ) {
+                    childMetadata.upcomingParentReadMore = childParentMetadata
+                  }
                 }
                 metadatas.set(item.uri, childMetadata)
                 metadatas.set(childMetadata.text, childMetadata) // TODO debugging
@@ -418,7 +341,9 @@ export function sort(
     }
   }
 
-  for (const item of items) {
+  for (let i = 0; i < items.length; i++) {
+    const item = items[i]
+
     if (item.type === 'threadPost') {
       const metadata = metadatas.get(item.uri)
       if (metadata) {
@@ -426,9 +351,31 @@ export function sort(
           metadata.skippedIndents = new Set([
             ...metadata.parentMetadata.skippedIndents,
           ])
+
+          if (
+            metadata.isLastSibling &&
+            metadata.parentMetadata.unhydratedReplies <= 0
+          ) {
+            metadata.skippedIndents.add(item.depth - 2)
+          }
         }
-        if (metadata.isLastSibling) {
-          metadata.skippedIndents.add(item.depth - 2)
+
+        if (
+          metadata.unhydratedReplies > 0 &&
+          (metadata.nextItemDepth === undefined ||
+            metadata.nextItemDepth <= item.depth)
+        ) {
+          items.splice(i + 1, 0, views.readMore(metadata))
+          i++
+        }
+
+        if (metadata.upcomingParentReadMore && metadata.isDeadEnd) {
+          items.splice(
+            i + 1,
+            0,
+            views.readMore(metadata.upcomingParentReadMore),
+          )
+          i++
         }
 
         item.ui = getThreadPostUI(metadata)
@@ -436,8 +383,6 @@ export function sort(
     }
   }
 
-  // console.log(metadatas)
-
   return {
     items,
     hidden,
diff --git a/src/state/queries/usePostThread/types.ts b/src/state/queries/usePostThread/types.ts
index 8d509ce43a..2b9a360f59 100644
--- a/src/state/queries/usePostThread/types.ts
+++ b/src/state/queries/usePostThread/types.ts
@@ -101,14 +101,13 @@ export type Slice =
       type: 'readMore'
       key: string
       indent: number
-      replyCount: number
-      nextAnchor: Extract<Slice, {type: 'threadPost'}>
-      nextAnchorUri: AtUri
+      href: string
+      moreReplies: number
+      skippedIndents: Set<number>
     }
 
 export type TraversalMetadata = {
   depth: number
-  indent: number
   replies: number
   unhydratedReplies: number
   seenReplies: number
diff --git a/src/state/queries/usePostThread/utils.ts b/src/state/queries/usePostThread/utils.ts
index 509c340bf2..2800ace92b 100644
--- a/src/state/queries/usePostThread/utils.ts
+++ b/src/state/queries/usePostThread/utils.ts
@@ -65,11 +65,9 @@ export function getTraversalMetadata({
   const hasBranchingReplies = replies > 1 && replies - unhydratedReplies > 1
 
   return {
+    uri: item.uri,
     depth: item.depth,
-    // TODO maybe not used
-    indent: parentMetadata?.hasBranchingReplies
-      ? item.depth
-      : parentMetadata?.indent || item.depth,
+    authorHandle: item.value.post.author.handle,
     replies,
     unhydratedReplies,
     seenReplies: 0,
@@ -79,6 +77,13 @@ export function getTraversalMetadata({
     skippedIndents: new Set(),
     prevItemDepth: prevItem?.depth,
     nextItemDepth: nextItem?.depth,
+    /*
+     * If there are no slices below this one, or the next slice is less
+     * indented than the computed indent for this post.
+     */
+    isDeadEnd: nextItem?.depth === undefined || nextItem?.depth < item.depth,
+
+    upcomingParentReadMore: parentMetadata?.upcomingParentReadMore || undefined,
 
     // TODO non-spec
     text: getPostRecord(item.value.post).text,
@@ -87,25 +92,27 @@ export function getTraversalMetadata({
 
 export function getThreadPostUI({
   depth,
-  indent,
   replies,
   parentMetadata,
   prevItemDepth,
-  nextItemDepth,
+  isDeadEnd,
   skippedIndents,
+  seenReplies,
+  unhydratedReplies,
 }: TraversalMetadata): Extract<Slice, {type: 'threadPost'}>['ui'] {
+  const isReplyAndHasReplies = depth > 0 && replies > 0 && ((replies - unhydratedReplies) === seenReplies || seenReplies > 0)
   return {
     isAnchor: depth === 0,
     showParentReplyLine:
       !!prevItemDepth && prevItemDepth !== 0 && prevItemDepth < depth,
-    showChildReplyLine: replies > 0,
+    showChildReplyLine: depth < 0 || isReplyAndHasReplies,
     indent: depth,
     parentHasBranchingReplies: !!parentMetadata?.hasBranchingReplies,
     /*
      * If there are no slices below this one, or the next slice is less
      * indented than the computed indent for this post.
      */
-    isDeadEnd: nextItemDepth === undefined || nextItemDepth < indent,
+    isDeadEnd, //nextItemDepth === undefined || nextItemDepth < depth,
     skippedIndents,
   }
 }
diff --git a/src/state/queries/usePostThread/views.ts b/src/state/queries/usePostThread/views.ts
index 8619332e24..945a57ca20 100644
--- a/src/state/queries/usePostThread/views.ts
+++ b/src/state/queries/usePostThread/views.ts
@@ -8,7 +8,8 @@ import {
   type ModerationOpts,
 } from '@atproto/api'
 
-import {type Slice} from '#/state/queries/usePostThread/types'
+import {makeProfileLink} from '#/lib/routes/links'
+import {type Slice, type TraversalMetadata} from '#/state/queries/usePostThread/types'
 
 export function threadPostNoUnauthenticated({
   uri,
@@ -94,19 +95,28 @@ export function threadPost({
 }
 
 export function readMore({
-  parent,
-}: {
-  parent: Extract<Slice, {type: 'threadPost'}>
-}) {
+  uri,
+  authorHandle,
+  unhydratedReplies: moreReplies,
+  depth: indent,
+  skippedIndents,
+}: TraversalMetadata): Extract<Slice, {type: 'readMore'}> {
+  const urip = new AtUri(uri)
+  const href = makeProfileLink(
+    {
+      did: urip.host,
+      handle: authorHandle,
+    },
+    'post',
+    urip.rkey,
+  )
   return {
     type: 'readMore' as const,
-    key: `readMore:${parent.uri}`,
-    indent: parent.ui.parentHasBranchingReplies
-      ? parent.depth
-      : parent.ui.indent,
-    replyCount: parent.value.moreReplies,
-    nextAnchor: parent,
-    nextAnchorUri: new AtUri(parent.uri),
+    key: `readMore:${uri}`,
+    href,
+    moreReplies,
+    indent,
+    skippedIndents,
   }
 }