diff --git a/desktop/src/features/messages/lib/draftSync.test.mjs b/desktop/src/features/messages/lib/draftSync.test.mjs
index 76d2f4fb6..ff6ba17eb 100644
--- a/desktop/src/features/messages/lib/draftSync.test.mjs
+++ b/desktop/src/features/messages/lib/draftSync.test.mjs
@@ -203,6 +203,58 @@ test("test_tombstone_failure_sidecar_suppresses_remote_resurrection", async () =
   );
 });
 
+test("test_remote_tombstone_blocks_stale_cleanup_publish", async () => {
+  setup();
+  const remote = wrapped({
+    id: "remote-draft",
+    createdAt: 1,
+    address: "address-a",
+    channelId: channelA,
+    content: "cipher",
+  });
+  const tombstone = wrapped({
+    id: "remote-tombstone",
+    createdAt: 2,
+    address: "address-a",
+    channelId: channelA,
+    content: "",
+  });
+  let events = [remote];
+  const published = [];
+  const manager = new DraftSyncManager(pubkey, "wss://relay.example", {
+    decrypt: async () => payload(channelA, "draft"),
+    deriveAddress: async () => "address-a",
+    encrypt: async (content) => content,
+    fetchEvents: async () => events,
+    sign: async (input) => ({
+      id: "stale-cleanup-publish",
+      created_at: input.createdAt ?? 0,
+      kind: input.kind,
+      pubkey,
+      content: input.content,
+      sig: "",
+      tags: input.tags,
+    }),
+    publishEvent: async (event) => published.push(event),
+  });
+
+  await manager.fetchAllOwnDrafts();
+  events = [tombstone];
+  await manager.fetchAllOwnDrafts();
+
+  // Models the mounted composer's stale cleanup after the remote delete. The
+  // unconditional tombstone abort must remove this local write without
+  // publishing it back to the relay.
+  const stale = draft(channelA, "stale cleanup content");
+  saveDraftEntry(channelA, stale);
+  manager.queuePublish(channelA, stale);
+  await manager.flushPublishes();
+  await manager.destroy();
+
+  assert.deepEqual(published, []);
+  assert.equal(loadDraftEntry(channelA), undefined);
+});
+
 test("test_remote_tombstone_removes_known_draft", async () => {
   setup();
   const remote = wrapped({
@@ -545,56 +597,3 @@ test("test_stale_tombstone_completion_preserves_rebased_delete", async () => {
   assert.ok(retried.some((event) => event.content === ""));
   assert.ok(retried.every((event) => event.created_at > draftEvent.created_at));
 });
-
-test("test_remote_tombstone_during_publish_allows_later_draft", async () => {
-  setup();
-  const published = [];
-  const draftPublish = deferred();
-  const remoteTombstone = wrapped({
-    id: "remote-tombstone",
-    createdAt: Math.floor(Date.now() / 1_000) + 100,
-    address: "address-a",
-    channelId: channelA,
-    content: "",
-  });
-  const manager = new DraftSyncManager(pubkey, "wss://relay.example", {
-    deriveAddress: async () => "address-a",
-    encrypt: async (content) => content,
-    fetchEvents: async () => [],
-    sign: async (input) => ({
-      id: `signed-${published.length}`,
-      created_at: input.createdAt ?? 0,
-      kind: input.kind,
-      pubkey,
-      content: input.content,
-      sig: "",
-      tags: input.tags,
-    }),
-    publishEvent: async (event) => {
-      published.push(event);
-      if (published.length === 1) await draftPublish.promise;
-    },
-  });
-
-  manager.queuePublish(channelA, draft(channelA, "raced draft"));
-  const flush = manager.flushPublishes();
-  while (published.length === 0) await Promise.resolve();
-  await manager.mergeEvent(remoteTombstone);
-  draftPublish.resolve();
-  await flush;
-
-  assert.equal(
-    localStorage.getItem(`buzz-draft-sync.v1:wss://relay.example:${pubkey}`),
-    "{}",
-  );
-
-  manager.queuePublish(channelA, draft(channelA, "new draft"));
-  await manager.flushPublishes();
-  await manager.destroy();
-
-  const newDraft = published.find((event) =>
-    event.content.includes("new draft"),
-  );
-  assert.ok(newDraft);
-  assert.ok(newDraft.created_at > remoteTombstone.created_at);
-});
diff --git a/desktop/src/features/messages/lib/draftSync.ts b/desktop/src/features/messages/lib/draftSync.ts
index 8041e6b6e..2c13df7a9 100644
--- a/desktop/src/features/messages/lib/draftSync.ts
+++ b/desktop/src/features/messages/lib/draftSync.ts
@@ -33,7 +33,6 @@ type PendingPublish = {
   draft: DraftState;
   channelId: string;
   address?: string;
-  base?: RemoteHead;
 };
 type PendingDeletion = {
   draftKey: string;
@@ -126,7 +125,6 @@ export class DraftSyncManager {
       draftKey,
       draft,
       channelId: draft.channelId,
-      base: entry.remoteHead?.content === "" ? entry.remoteHead : undefined,
     };
     this.state.set(draftKey, entry);
     // Resolve the opaque address while the draft is alive so normal delete
@@ -254,7 +252,7 @@ export class DraftSyncManager {
         this.reschedulePublishes();
         return;
       }
-      if (state.remoteHead?.content === "" && !pending.base) {
+      if (state.remoteHead?.content === "") {
         state.pendingPublish = undefined;
         removeRemoteDraftEntry(pending.draftKey);
         this.reschedulePublishes();
diff --git a/desktop/src/features/messages/lib/useDrafts.ts b/desktop/src/features/messages/lib/useDrafts.ts
index 589c6b568..f3821985e 100644
--- a/desktop/src/features/messages/lib/useDrafts.ts
+++ b/desktop/src/features/messages/lib/useDrafts.ts
@@ -12,7 +12,9 @@ import { setLocalStorageItemWithRecovery } from "@/shared/lib/localStorageQuota"
 // so any component consuming `useDraftsSnapshot()` re-renders immediately.
 
 type Subscriber = () => void;
+type RemoteDraftRemovalSubscriber = (draftKey: string) => void;
 const _subscribers = new Set<Subscriber>();
+const _remoteDraftRemovalSubscribers = new Set<RemoteDraftRemovalSubscriber>();
 let _version = 0;
 
 /** Notify all active subscribers. Called by every write path. */
@@ -30,6 +32,16 @@ function subscribeToStore(callback: Subscriber): () => void {
   };
 }
 
+/** Subscribe to explicit remote NIP-37 tombstone removals. */
+export function subscribeToRemoteDraftRemovals(
+  callback: RemoteDraftRemovalSubscriber,
+): () => void {
+  _remoteDraftRemovalSubscribers.add(callback);
+  return () => {
+    _remoteDraftRemovalSubscribers.delete(callback);
+  };
+}
+
 function getStoreSnapshot(): number {
   return _version;
 }
@@ -272,6 +284,9 @@ export function removeRemoteDraftEntry(draftKey: string): void {
   if (!map.delete(draftKey)) return;
   flushStore(map);
   notifySubscribers();
+  for (const subscriber of _remoteDraftRemovalSubscribers) {
+    subscriber(draftKey);
+  }
 }
 
 export function clearDraftEntry(draftKey: string): void {
diff --git a/desktop/src/features/messages/ui/MessageComposerDraftImagePersist.test.mjs b/desktop/src/features/messages/ui/MessageComposerDraftImagePersist.test.mjs
index ba4c1a22e..a81069061 100644
--- a/desktop/src/features/messages/ui/MessageComposerDraftImagePersist.test.mjs
+++ b/desktop/src/features/messages/ui/MessageComposerDraftImagePersist.test.mjs
@@ -400,3 +400,81 @@ test("strictmode_draft_no_draft_cleanup_persists_empty_imeta", async () => {
 
   await handle.unmount();
 });
+
+/**
+ * A remote tombstone is a delete-wins signal, not an ordinary missing-store
+ * entry. The mounted composer must clear its snapshot before cleanup so stale
+ * editor text cannot recreate the deleted draft or queue a relay publish.
+ */
+test("remote_tombstone_clears_mounted_snapshot_before_cleanup", async () => {
+  const DRAFT_KEY = "chan-lifecycle-remote-delete";
+  setupStore("pubkey-lifecycle-remote-delete");
+  persistDraftEntry(
+    DRAFT_KEY,
+    "stale editor text",
+    DRAFT_KEY,
+    [IMG_A],
+    [IMG_A.url],
+  );
+
+  let editorContent = "stale editor text";
+  let pendingImeta = [IMG_A];
+  const spoileredRef = { current: new Set([IMG_A.url]) };
+  const persisted = [];
+
+  function HarnessComposer() {
+    useDraftPersistLifecycle({
+      effectiveDraftKey: DRAFT_KEY,
+      channelId: DRAFT_KEY,
+      loadDraft: (key) => loadDraftEntry(key),
+      persistDraft: (key, content, channelId, imeta, spoileredUrls) => {
+        persisted.push({ content, imeta, spoileredUrls });
+        persistDraftEntry(key, content, channelId, imeta, spoileredUrls);
+      },
+      livePendingImeta: pendingImeta,
+      setPendingImeta: (imeta) => {
+        pendingImeta = imeta;
+      },
+      setContent: (content) => {
+        editorContent = content;
+      },
+      clearContent: () => {
+        editorContent = "";
+      },
+      setSpoileredAttachmentUrls: (urls) => {
+        spoileredRef.current = urls;
+      },
+      spoileredAttachmentUrlsRef: spoileredRef,
+      syncComposerContentFromEditor: () => editorContent,
+    });
+
+    return null;
+  }
+
+  const handle = await mountStrictMode(HarnessComposer);
+  persisted.length = 0;
+  const { removeRemoteDraftEntry } = await import("../lib/useDrafts.ts");
+  await act(async () => {
+    removeRemoteDraftEntry(DRAFT_KEY);
+  });
+  await handle.unmount();
+
+  assert.equal(editorContent, "", "remote delete clears mounted editor text");
+  assert.deepEqual(pendingImeta, [], "remote delete clears pending images");
+  assert.deepEqual(
+    [...spoileredRef.current],
+    [],
+    "remote delete clears spoiler state",
+  );
+  assert.equal(
+    loadDraftEntry(DRAFT_KEY),
+    undefined,
+    "cleanup does not recreate draft",
+  );
+  assert.ok(
+    persisted.every(
+      ({ content, imeta }) => content === "" && imeta.length === 0,
+    ),
+    "cleanup never persists the stale draft contents",
+  );
+});
diff --git a/desktop/src/features/messages/ui/useDraftPersistSnapshot.ts b/desktop/src/features/messages/ui/useDraftPersistSnapshot.ts
index 6fcfc79ef..adb31d16d 100644
--- a/desktop/src/features/messages/ui/useDraftPersistSnapshot.ts
+++ b/desktop/src/features/messages/ui/useDraftPersistSnapshot.ts
@@ -2,7 +2,10 @@ import * as React from "react";
 
 import type { ImetaMedia } from "@/features/messages/lib/imetaMediaMarkdown";
 import { syncDraftChannel } from "@/features/messages/lib/draftSync";
-import type { DraftState } from "@/features/messages/lib/useDrafts";
+import {
+  subscribeToRemoteDraftRemovals,
+  type DraftState,
+} from "@/features/messages/lib/useDrafts";
 
 type UseDraftPersistLifecycleParams = {
   effectiveDraftKey: string | null | undefined;
@@ -121,4 +124,24 @@ export function useDraftPersistLifecycle({
       }
     };
   }, [effectiveDraftKey]);
+
+  // Remote tombstones are an explicit delete-wins signal. Do not infer this
+  // from store absence: an unsaved composer may legitimately have no entry.
+  React.useEffect(() => {
+    if (!effectiveDraftKey) return;
+    return subscribeToRemoteDraftRemovals((draftKey) => {
+      if (draftKey !== effectiveDraftKey) return;
+      clearContent();
+      pendingImetaForPersistRef.current = [];
+      setPendingImeta([]);
+      spoileredAttachmentUrlsRef.current = new Set();
+      setSpoileredAttachmentUrls(new Set());
+    });
+  }, [
+    effectiveDraftKey,
+    clearContent,
+    setPendingImeta,
+    setSpoileredAttachmentUrls,
+    spoileredAttachmentUrlsRef,
+  ]);
 }