diff --git a/api/comment_delete.go b/api/comment_delete.go
index 81b8a77..69d0373 100644
--- a/api/comment_delete.go
+++ b/api/comment_delete.go
@@ -2,19 +2,26 @@ package main
 
 import (
 	"net/http"
+	"time"
 )
 
-func commentDelete(commentHex string) error {
-	if commentHex == "" {
+func commentDelete(commentHex string, deleterHex string) error {
+	if commentHex == "" || deleterHex == "" {
 		return errorMissingField
 	}
 
 	statement := `
 		UPDATE comments
-		SET deleted = true, markdown = '[deleted]', html = '[deleted]', commenterHex = 'anonymous'
+		SET
+			deleted = true,
+			markdown = '[deleted]',
+			html = '[deleted]',
+			commenterHex = 'anonymous',
+			deleterHex = $2,
+			deletionDate = $3
 		WHERE commentHex = $1;
 	`
-	_, err := db.Exec(statement, commentHex)
+	_, err := db.Exec(statement, commentHex, deleterHex, time.Now().UTC())
 
 	if err != nil {
 		// TODO: make sure this is the error is actually non-existant commentHex
@@ -65,7 +72,7 @@ func commentDeleteHandler(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		return
 	}
 
-	if err = commentDelete(*x.CommentHex); err != nil {
+	if err = commentDelete(*x.CommentHex, c.CommenterHex); err != nil {
 		bodyMarshal(w, response{"success": false, "message": err.Error()})
 		return
 	}
diff --git a/api/comment_delete_test.go b/api/comment_delete_test.go
index 14e77c7..cbaa1ab 100644
--- a/api/comment_delete_test.go
+++ b/api/comment_delete_test.go
@@ -8,15 +8,16 @@ import (
 func TestCommentDeleteBasics(t *testing.T) {
 	failTestOnError(t, setupTestEnv())
 
-	commentHex, _ := commentNew("temp-commenter-hex", "example.com", "/path.html", "root", "**foo**", "approved", time.Now().UTC())
-	commentNew("temp-commenter-hex", "example.com", "/path.html", commentHex, "**bar**", "approved", time.Now().UTC())
+	commenterHex = "temp-commenter-hex"
+	commentHex, _ := commentNew(commenterHex, "example.com", "/path.html", "root", "**foo**", "approved", time.Now().UTC())
+	commentNew(commenterHex, "example.com", "/path.html", commentHex, "**bar**", "approved", time.Now().UTC())
 
-	if err := commentDelete(commentHex); err != nil {
+	if err := commentDelete(commentHex, commenterHex); err != nil {
 		t.Errorf("unexpected error deleting comment: %v", err)
 		return
 	}
 
-	c, _, _ := commentList("temp-commenter-hex", "example.com", "/path.html", false)
+	c, _, _ := commentList(commenterHex, "example.com", "/path.html", false)
 
 	if len(c) != 0 {
 		t.Errorf("expected no comments found %d comments", len(c))
@@ -27,7 +28,7 @@ func TestCommentDeleteBasics(t *testing.T) {
 func TestCommentDeleteEmpty(t *testing.T) {
 	failTestOnError(t, setupTestEnv())
 
-	if err := commentDelete(""); err == nil {
+	if err := commentDelete("", "test-commenter-hex"); err == nil {
 		t.Errorf("expected error deleting comment with empty commentHex")
 		return
 	}
diff --git a/api/email_moderate.go b/api/email_moderate.go
index 3cefb3d..3fa3a34 100644
--- a/api/email_moderate.go
+++ b/api/email_moderate.go
@@ -7,18 +7,7 @@ import (
 
 func emailModerateHandler(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 	unsubscribeSecretHex := r.FormValue("unsubscribeSecretHex")
-	e, err := emailGetByUnsubscribeSecretHex(unsubscribeSecretHex)
-	if err != nil {
-		fmt.Fprintf(w, "error: %v", err.Error())
-		return
-	}
-
 	action := r.FormValue("action")
-	if action != "delete" && action != "approve" {
-		fmt.Fprintf(w, "error: invalid action")
-		return
-	}
-
 	commentHex := r.FormValue("commentHex")
 	if commentHex == "" {
 		fmt.Fprintf(w, "error: invalid commentHex")
@@ -26,23 +15,35 @@ func emailModerateHandler(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 	}
 
 	statement := `
-		SELECT domain
+		SELECT domain, deleted
 		FROM comments
 		WHERE commentHex = $1;
 	`
 	row := db.QueryRow(statement, commentHex)
 
 	var domain string
-	if err = row.Scan(&domain); err != nil {
+	var deleted bool
+	if err := row.Scan(&domain, &deleted); err != nil {
 		// TODO: is this the only error?
 		fmt.Fprintf(w, "error: no such comment found (perhaps it has been deleted?)")
 		return
 	}
 
+	if deleted {
+		fmt.Fprintf(w, "error: that comment has already been deleted")
+		return
+	}
+
+	e, err := emailGetByUnsubscribeSecretHex(unsubscribeSecretHex)
+	if err != nil {
+		fmt.Fprintf(w, "error: %v", err.Error())
+		return
+	}
+
 	isModerator, err := isDomainModerator(domain, e.Email)
 	if err != nil {
 		logger.Errorf("error checking if %s is a moderator: %v", e.Email, err)
-		fmt.Fprintf(w, "error checking if %s is a moderator: %v", e.Email, err)
+		fmt.Fprintf(w, "error: %v", errorInternal)
 		return
 	}
 
@@ -51,10 +52,31 @@ func emailModerateHandler(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		return
 	}
 
-	if action == "approve" {
+	// Do not use commenterGetByEmail here because we don't know which provider
+	// should be used. This was poor design on multiple fronts on my part, but
+	// let's deal with that later. For now, it suffices to match the
+	// deleter/approver with any account owned by the same email.
+	statement = `
+		SELECT commenterHex
+		FROM commenters
+		WHERE email = $1;
+	`
+	row = db.QueryRow(statement, e.Email)
+
+	var commenterHex string
+	if err = row.Scan(&commenterHex); err != nil {
+		logger.Errorf("cannot retrieve commenterHex by email %q: %v", e.Email, err)
+		fmt.Fprintf(w, "error: %v", errorInternal)
+		return
+	}
+
+	switch action {
+	case "approve":
 		err = commentApprove(commentHex)
-	} else {
-		err = commentDelete(commentHex)
+	case "delete":
+		err = commentDelete(commentHex, commenterHex)
+	default:
+		err = errorInvalidAction
 	}
 
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/api/errors.go b/api/errors.go
index bc9710a..5ab8c16 100644
--- a/api/errors.go
+++ b/api/errors.go
@@ -52,3 +52,4 @@ var errorCannotDeleteOwnerWithActiveDomains = errors.New("You cannot delete your
 var errorNoSuchOwner = errors.New("No such owner.")
 var errorCannotUpdateOauthProfile = errors.New("You cannot update the profile of an external account managed by third-party log in. Please use the appropriate platform to update your details.")
 var errorUnsupportedCommentoImportVersion = errors.New("Unsupported Commento import format version.")
+var errorInvalidAction = errors.New("Invalid action.")
diff --git a/db/20210228122203-comment-delete-log.sql b/db/20210228122203-comment-delete-log.sql
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b7ed38d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/db/20210228122203-comment-delete-log.sql
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+ALTER TABLE comments ADD deleterHex TEXT;
+ALTER TABLE comments ADD deletionDate TIMESTAMP;