diff --git a/src/components/post-mobile/post-mobile.tsx b/src/components/post-mobile/post-mobile.tsx
index 2bfcb417..d2ceef0f 100644
--- a/src/components/post-mobile/post-mobile.tsx
+++ b/src/components/post-mobile/post-mobile.tsx
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ import useProgressiveRender from '../../hooks/use-progressive-render';
 import useFreshReplies from '../../hooks/use-fresh-replies';
 import { BOARD_REPLIES_PREVIEW_FETCH_SIZE, BOARD_REPLIES_PREVIEW_VISIBLE_COUNT, REPLIES_PER_PAGE } from '../../lib/constants';
 import { filterRepliesForDisplay, getPreviewDisplayReplies } from '../../lib/utils/replies-preview-utils';
+import { getRenderableMobileBacklinks } from '../../lib/utils/reply-backlink-utils';
 import { getThreadTopNavigationState, scrollThreadContainerToTop } from '../../lib/utils/thread-scroll-utils';
 
 const { addChallenge } = useChallengesStore.getState();
@@ -476,46 +477,24 @@ interface ReplyBacklinksProps extends PostProps {
 
 const ReplyBacklinks = ({ post, quotedByMap, directRepliesByParentCid }: ReplyBacklinksProps) => {
   const { cid, parentCid } = post || {};
-  const directReplies = directRepliesByParentCid?.get(cid) || [];
+  const { opBacklinks, directReplyBacklinks, quotedReplyBacklinks } = getRenderableMobileBacklinks({
+    cid,
+    parentCid,
+    quotedByMap,
+    directRepliesByParentCid,
+  });
 
-  const opBacklinks =
-    cid &&
-    !parentCid &&
-    quotedByMap
-      ?.get(cid)
-      ?.map(
-        (reply: Comment) =>
-          reply?.cid &&
-          reply?.number &&
-          !(reply?.deleted || reply?.removed) && <ReplyQuotePreview key={`op-bl-${reply.cid}`} isBacklinkReply={true} backlinkReply={reply} />,
-      )
-      .filter(Boolean);
-
-  const replyBacklinks = cid && parentCid && (directReplies.length > 0 || quotedByMap?.get(cid)?.length) && (
-    <>
-      {directReplies.map(
-        (reply: Comment) =>
-          reply?.parentCid === cid &&
-          reply?.cid &&
-          reply?.number &&
-          !(reply?.deleted || reply?.removed) && <ReplyQuotePreview key={reply.cid} isBacklinkReply={true} backlinkReply={reply} />,
-      )}
-      {quotedByMap
-        ?.get(cid)
-        ?.map(
-          (reply: Comment) =>
-            reply?.parentCid !== cid &&
-            reply?.cid &&
-            reply?.number &&
-            !(reply?.deleted || reply?.removed) && <ReplyQuotePreview key={`qb-${reply.cid}`} isBacklinkReply={true} backlinkReply={reply} />,
-        )}
-    </>
-  );
-
-  return opBacklinks?.length > 0 || replyBacklinks ? (
+  return opBacklinks.length > 0 || directReplyBacklinks.length > 0 || quotedReplyBacklinks.length > 0 ? (
     <div className={styles.mobileReplyBacklinks}>
-      {opBacklinks}
-      {replyBacklinks}
+      {opBacklinks.map((reply: Comment) => (
+        <ReplyQuotePreview key={`op-bl-${reply.cid}`} isBacklinkReply={true} backlinkReply={reply} />
+      ))}
+      {directReplyBacklinks.map((reply: Comment) => (
+        <ReplyQuotePreview key={reply.cid} isBacklinkReply={true} backlinkReply={reply} />
+      ))}
+      {quotedReplyBacklinks.map((reply: Comment) => (
+        <ReplyQuotePreview key={`qb-${reply.cid}`} isBacklinkReply={true} backlinkReply={reply} />
+      ))}
     </div>
   ) : null;
 };
diff --git a/src/lib/utils/__tests__/reply-backlink-utils.test.ts b/src/lib/utils/__tests__/reply-backlink-utils.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..0c84b6a3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/lib/utils/__tests__/reply-backlink-utils.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+import type { Comment } from '@bitsocialnet/bitsocial-react-hooks';
+import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest';
+import { getRenderableMobileBacklinks } from '../reply-backlink-utils';
+
+const createReply = (overrides: Partial<Comment> = {}) =>
+  ({
+    cid: 'reply-cid',
+    parentCid: 'target-cid',
+    subplebbitAddress: 'music.eth',
+    ...overrides,
+  }) as Comment;
+
+describe('getRenderableMobileBacklinks', () => {
+  it('does not report mobile reply backlinks until a renderable backlink exists', () => {
+    const unpublishedReply = createReply({
+      number: undefined,
+    });
+
+    const beforePublish = getRenderableMobileBacklinks({
+      cid: 'target-cid',
+      parentCid: 'op-cid',
+      quotedByMap: new Map([['target-cid', [unpublishedReply]]]),
+      directRepliesByParentCid: new Map([['target-cid', [unpublishedReply]]]),
+    });
+
+    expect(beforePublish.directReplyBacklinks).toHaveLength(0);
+    expect(beforePublish.quotedReplyBacklinks).toHaveLength(0);
+
+    const publishedReply = createReply({
+      cid: 'published-reply-cid',
+      number: 42,
+    });
+
+    const afterPublish = getRenderableMobileBacklinks({
+      cid: 'target-cid',
+      parentCid: 'op-cid',
+      quotedByMap: new Map([['target-cid', [publishedReply]]]),
+      directRepliesByParentCid: new Map([['target-cid', [publishedReply]]]),
+    });
+
+    expect(afterPublish.directReplyBacklinks).toEqual([publishedReply]);
+    expect(afterPublish.quotedReplyBacklinks).toHaveLength(0);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/lib/utils/reply-backlink-utils.ts b/src/lib/utils/reply-backlink-utils.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b02979a6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/lib/utils/reply-backlink-utils.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+import type { Comment } from '@bitsocialnet/bitsocial-react-hooks';
+
+interface GetRenderableMobileBacklinksArgs {
+  cid?: string;
+  parentCid?: string;
+  quotedByMap?: Map<string, Comment[]>;
+  directRepliesByParentCid?: Map<string, Comment[]>;
+}
+
+interface RenderableMobileBacklinks {
+  opBacklinks: Comment[];
+  directReplyBacklinks: Comment[];
+  quotedReplyBacklinks: Comment[];
+}
+
+const isRenderableBacklinkReply = (reply?: Comment) => Boolean(reply?.cid && typeof reply.number === 'number' && !(reply.deleted || reply.removed));
+
+export const getRenderableMobileBacklinks = ({ cid, parentCid, quotedByMap, directRepliesByParentCid }: GetRenderableMobileBacklinksArgs): RenderableMobileBacklinks => {
+  if (!cid) {
+    return {
+      opBacklinks: [],
+      directReplyBacklinks: [],
+      quotedReplyBacklinks: [],
+    };
+  }
+
+  const quotedReplies = quotedByMap?.get(cid) ?? [];
+
+  if (!parentCid) {
+    return {
+      opBacklinks: quotedReplies.filter(isRenderableBacklinkReply),
+      directReplyBacklinks: [],
+      quotedReplyBacklinks: [],
+    };
+  }
+
+  const directReplies = directRepliesByParentCid?.get(cid) ?? [];
+
+  return {
+    opBacklinks: [],
+    directReplyBacklinks: directReplies.filter((reply) => reply?.parentCid === cid && isRenderableBacklinkReply(reply)),
+    quotedReplyBacklinks: quotedReplies.filter((reply) => reply?.parentCid !== cid && isRenderableBacklinkReply(reply)),
+  };
+};