diff --git a/web/index.html b/web/index.html
index 9aafeab3..cea29866 100644
--- a/web/index.html
+++ b/web/index.html
@@ -84,6 +84,12 @@
 			font-size: .6em;
 			color: var(--secondary);
 		}
+		span.nowrap {
+			white-space: nowrap;
+			text-overflow: ellipsis;
+			overflow: hidden;
+			display: block;
+		}
 		hr.sep {
 			z-index: 100;
 			margin-top: 0;
diff --git a/web/src/app.rs b/web/src/app.rs
index 90d9cf1a..0a76836c 100644
--- a/web/src/app.rs
+++ b/web/src/app.rs
@@ -20,6 +20,9 @@ pub fn App() -> impl IntoView {
 	let user_tl = Timeline::new(format!("{URL_BASE}/users/{}/outbox/page", username.get().unwrap_or_default()));
 	let context_tl = Timeline::new(format!("{URL_BASE}/outbox/page"));
 
+	let reply_controls = ReplyControls::default();
+	provide_context(reply_controls);
+
 	let screen_width = window().screen().map(|x| x.avail_width().unwrap_or_default()).unwrap_or_default();
 
 	let (menu, set_menu) = create_signal(screen_width <= 786);
diff --git a/web/src/components/object.rs b/web/src/components/object.rs
index 3a6bb390..dc02f473 100644
--- a/web/src/components/object.rs
+++ b/web/src/components/object.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,3 @@
-use std::sync::Arc;
-
 use leptos::*;
 use crate::{prelude::*, URL_SENSITIVE};
 
@@ -127,7 +125,7 @@ pub fn Object(object: crate::Object) -> impl IntoView {
 			</Summary>
 		</blockquote>
 		<div class="mt-s ml-1 rev">
-			<ReplyButton n=comments />
+			<ReplyButton n=comments target=oid.clone() />
 			<LikeButton n=likes liked=already_liked target=oid.clone() author=author_id private=!public />
 			<RepostButton n=shares target=oid />
 		</div>
@@ -199,14 +197,23 @@ pub fn LikeButton(
 }
 
 #[component]
-pub fn ReplyButton(n: u64) -> impl IntoView {
+pub fn ReplyButton(n: u64, target: String) -> impl IntoView {
+	let reply = use_context::<ReplyControls>().expect("missing reply controls context");
 	let comments = if n > 0 {
 		Some(view! { <small>{n}</small> })
 	} else {
 		None
 	};
+	let _target = target.clone(); // TODO ughhhh useless clones
 	view! {
-		<span class="emoji ml-2">{comments}" 📨"</span>
+		<span
+			class:emoji=move || !reply.reply_to.get().map_or(false, |x| x == _target)
+			class="emoji-btn cursor ml-2"
+			on:click=move |_ev| reply.reply(&target)
+		>
+			{comments}
+			" 📨"
+		</span>
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/web/src/control.rs b/web/src/control.rs
index 9602e2ee..9d02457c 100644
--- a/web/src/control.rs
+++ b/web/src/control.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-use apb::{ActivityMut, BaseMut, ObjectMut};
+use apb::{ActivityMut, Base, BaseMut, Object, ObjectMut};
 
 use leptos::*;
 use crate::prelude::*;
@@ -14,9 +14,35 @@ pub fn Navigator() -> impl IntoView {
 	}
 }
 
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, Copy, Default)]
+pub struct ReplyControls {
+	pub context: RwSignal<Option<String>>,
+	pub reply_to: RwSignal<Option<String>>,
+}
+
+impl ReplyControls {
+	pub fn reply(&self, oid: &str) {
+		if let Some(obj) = CACHE.get(oid) {
+			self.context.set(obj.context().id());
+			self.reply_to.set(obj.id().map(|x| x.to_string()));
+		}
+	}
+
+	pub fn clear(&self) {
+		self.context.set(None);
+		self.reply_to.set(None);
+	}
+}
+
+fn post_author(post_id: &str) -> Option<crate::Object> {
+	let usr = CACHE.get(post_id)?.attributed_to().id()?;
+	CACHE.get(&usr)
+}
+
 #[component]
 pub fn PostBox(username: Signal<Option<String>>, advanced: WriteSignal<bool>) -> impl IntoView {
 	let auth = use_context::<Auth>().expect("missing auth context");
+	let reply = use_context::<ReplyControls>().expect("missing reply controls");
 	let (posting, set_posting) = create_signal(false);
 	let (error, set_error) = create_signal(None);
 	let summary_ref: NodeRef<html::Input> = create_node_ref();
@@ -26,6 +52,23 @@ pub fn PostBox(username: Signal<Option<String>>, advanced: WriteSignal<bool>) ->
 	let private_ref: NodeRef<html::Input> = create_node_ref();
 	view! {
 		<div class:hidden=move || !auth.present() >
+			{move ||
+				reply.reply_to.get().map(|r| {
+					let actor_strip = post_author(&r).map(|x| view! { <ActorStrip object=x /> });
+					view! {
+						<span class="nowrap">
+							<span 
+								class="cursor emoji emoji-btn mr-s ml-s"
+								on:click=move|_| reply.clear()
+								title={format!("> {r} | ctx: {}", reply.context.get().unwrap_or_default())}
+							>
+								"📨"
+							</span>
+							<small>{actor_strip}</small>
+						</span>
+					}
+				})
+			}
 			<table class="align w-100">
 				<tr>
 					<td><input type="checkbox" on:input=move |ev| advanced.set(event_target_checked(&ev)) title="advanced" /></td>
@@ -58,6 +101,8 @@ pub fn PostBox(username: Signal<Option<String>>, advanced: WriteSignal<bool>) ->
 									.set_object_type(Some(apb::ObjectType::Note))
 									.set_summary(summary.as_deref())
 									.set_content(Some(&content))
+									.set_context(apb::Node::maybe_link(reply.context.get()))
+									.set_in_reply_to(apb::Node::maybe_link(reply.reply_to.get()))
 									.set_to(to)
 									.set_cc(cc);
 								let target_url = format!("{URL_BASE}/users/test/outbox");