diff --git a/bookwyrm/templates/feed/status.html b/bookwyrm/templates/feed/status.html
index 903ca790..5febf4e2 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/templates/feed/status.html
+++ b/bookwyrm/templates/feed/status.html
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 {% extends 'feed/layout.html' %}
 {% load i18n %}
+{% load bookwyrm_tags %}
 
 {% block panel %}
 <header class="block">
@@ -9,7 +10,26 @@
     </a>
 </header>
 
-{% include 'feed/thread.html' with status=status depth=0 max_depth=6 is_root=True direction=0 %}
+<div class="thread-parent is-relative block">
+    <div class="thread">
+        {% for parent in ancestors %}
+        {% if parent.id %}
+        <div class="block">
+            {% include 'snippets/status/status.html' with status=parent|load_subclass %}
+        </div>
+        {% endif %}
+        {% endfor %}
+        <div class="is-main block" id="anchor-{{ status.id }}">
+            {% include 'snippets/status/status.html' with status=status main=True %}
+        </div>
+
+        {% for child in children %}
+        <div class="block">
+            {% include 'snippets/status/status.html' with status=child %}
+        </div>
+        {% endfor %}
+    </div>
+</div>
 
 {% endblock %}
 
diff --git a/bookwyrm/templates/feed/thread.html b/bookwyrm/templates/feed/thread.html
deleted file mode 100644
index c1b624e3..00000000
--- a/bookwyrm/templates/feed/thread.html
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,25 +0,0 @@
-{% load status_display %}
-
-<div class="thread-parent is-relative block">
-<div class="thread">
-{% with depth=depth|add:1 %}
-    {% if depth <= max_depth and status.reply_parent and direction <= 0 %}
-        {% with direction=-1 %}
-        {% include 'feed/thread.html' with status=status|parent is_root=False %}
-        {% endwith %}
-    {% endif %}
-
-<div{% if is_root %} class="block mt-5 is-main"{% endif %}>
-    {% include 'snippets/status/status.html' with status=status main=is_root %}
-</div>
-
-{% if depth <= max_depth and direction >= 0 %}
-    {% for reply in status|replies  %}
-        {% with direction=1 %}
-            {% include 'feed/thread.html' with status=reply is_root=False %}
-        {% endwith %}
-    {% endfor %}
-{% endif %}
-{% endwith %}
-</div>
-</div>
diff --git a/bookwyrm/templatetags/bookwyrm_tags.py b/bookwyrm/templatetags/bookwyrm_tags.py
index e683f9c2..2e03c13b 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/templatetags/bookwyrm_tags.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/templatetags/bookwyrm_tags.py
@@ -53,18 +53,24 @@ def get_next_shelf(current_shelf):
     return "to-read"
 
 
+@register.filter(name="load_subclass")
+def load_subclass(status):
+    """sometimes you didn't select_subclass"""
+    if hasattr(status, "quotation"):
+        return status.quotation
+    if hasattr(status, "review"):
+        return status.review
+    if hasattr(status, "comment"):
+        return status.comment
+    return status
+
+
 @register.simple_tag(takes_context=False)
 def related_status(notification):
     """for notifications"""
     if not notification.related_status:
         return None
-    if hasattr(notification.related_status, "quotation"):
-        return notification.related_status.quotation
-    if hasattr(notification.related_status, "review"):
-        return notification.related_status.review
-    if hasattr(notification.related_status, "comment"):
-        return notification.related_status.comment
-    return notification.related_status
+    return load_subclass(notification.related_status)
 
 
 @register.simple_tag(takes_context=True)
diff --git a/bookwyrm/views/feed.py b/bookwyrm/views/feed.py
index 0c2647ae..7f1bc22c 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/views/feed.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/views/feed.py
@@ -109,10 +109,60 @@ class Status(View):
                 status.to_activity(pure=not is_bookwyrm_request(request))
             )
 
+        visible_thread = privacy_filter(
+            request.user, models.Status.objects.filter(thread_id=status.thread_id)
+        ).values_list("id", flat=True)
+        visible_thread = list(visible_thread)
+
+        ancestors = models.Status.objects.select_subclasses().raw(
+            """
+            WITH RECURSIVE get_thread(depth, id, path) AS (
+
+                SELECT 1, st.id, ARRAY[st.id]
+                FROM bookwyrm_status st
+                WHERE id = '%s' AND id = ANY(%s)
+
+                UNION
+
+                SELECT (gt.depth + 1), st.reply_parent_id, path || st.id
+                FROM get_thread gt, bookwyrm_status st
+
+                WHERE st.id = gt.id AND depth < 5 AND st.id = ANY(%s)
+
+            )
+
+            SELECT * FROM get_thread ORDER BY path DESC;
+        """,
+            params=[status.reply_parent_id or 0, visible_thread, visible_thread],
+        )
+        children = models.Status.objects.select_subclasses().raw(
+            """
+            WITH RECURSIVE get_thread(depth, id, path) AS (
+
+                SELECT 1, st.id, ARRAY[st.id]
+                FROM bookwyrm_status st
+                WHERE reply_parent_id = '%s' AND id = ANY(%s)
+
+                UNION
+
+                SELECT (gt.depth + 1), st.id, path || st.id
+                FROM get_thread gt, bookwyrm_status st
+
+                WHERE st.reply_parent_id = gt.id AND depth < 5 AND st.id = ANY(%s)
+
+            )
+
+            SELECT * FROM get_thread ORDER BY path;
+        """,
+            params=[status.id, visible_thread, visible_thread],
+        )
+
         data = {
             **feed_page_data(request.user),
             **{
                 "status": status,
+                "children": children,
+                "ancestors": ancestors,
             },
         }
         return TemplateResponse(request, "feed/status.html", data)
diff --git a/bookwyrm/views/helpers.py b/bookwyrm/views/helpers.py
index bd31fbbc..7e469f7f 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/views/helpers.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/views/helpers.py
@@ -61,8 +61,7 @@ def privacy_filter(viewer, queryset, privacy_levels=None, following_only=False):
 
     # exclude blocks from both directions
     if not viewer.is_anonymous:
-        blocked = models.User.objects.filter(id__in=viewer.blocks.all()).all()
-        queryset = queryset.exclude(Q(user__in=blocked) | Q(user__blocks=viewer))
+        queryset = queryset.exclude(Q(user__blocked_by=viewer) | Q(user__blocks=viewer))
 
     # you can't see followers only or direct messages if you're not logged in
     if viewer.is_anonymous:
@@ -75,7 +74,7 @@ def privacy_filter(viewer, queryset, privacy_levels=None, following_only=False):
     if following_only:
         queryset = queryset.exclude(
             ~Q(  # remove everythign except
-                Q(user__in=viewer.following.all())
+                Q(user__followers=viewer)
                 | Q(user=viewer)  # user following
                 | Q(mention_users=viewer)  # is self  # mentions user
             ),