diff --git a/SPEC.md b/SPEC.md
index 88ad55e..717e866 100644
--- a/SPEC.md
+++ b/SPEC.md
@@ -1954,3 +1954,7 @@ actions. Role values exist on the account model; `GET /debug/accounts` and
 - Internationalization (English only)
 - Platform custody of **receiver** funds (receiving stays LUD-16 only)
 - Arbitrary LNDHub URLs (the external spend worker uses lightning.space only)
+
+### DELETE /messages/:id
+
+Bearer founder/moderator only (live account role). Deletes the post, direct replies and associated stored media via the existing store; leaves gift records and external relay copies unchanged. Returns 204; unauthorized 401; forbidden 403; invalid/missing UUID 404; storage failure 503. Durable mutations retain the db_change trigger audit trail.
diff --git a/docs/handbook/endpoints.md b/docs/handbook/endpoints.md
index 8494990..0810daa 100644
--- a/docs/handbook/endpoints.md
+++ b/docs/handbook/endpoints.md
@@ -398,3 +398,10 @@
 - **Errors:** 401 without session; 400 for unknown step, `step: "rules"`, or bad JSON.
 - **Used by:** App onboarding skip controls (api-first; app proxy may follow later).
 - **Auth:** `Authorization: Bearer` session.
+
+## Endpoint: DELETE /messages/:id
+
+- **Purpose:** Remove a forum post (or reply) from 21.gifts, with direct replies and stored media, through the existing message store deletion.
+- **Auth:** Bearer session required. Only the live founder or moderator role is allowed; authors with basis/verified roles receive 403 even on their own posts.
+- **Returns:** 204 without a body; 401 without a valid session; 403 for other roles; 404 for invalid or missing ids; 503 on storage failure.
+- **Side effects:** Existing store cleanup removes photos, videos, invoice attempts and zap receipts for deleted rows. Gift records are unchanged. Postgres db_change triggers record durable deletions; structured audit events include the acting account id. Already published copies on external Nostr relays are outside this local deletion.
diff --git a/docs/handbook/functions.md b/docs/handbook/functions.md
index c1123de..8827d12 100644
--- a/docs/handbook/functions.md
+++ b/docs/handbook/functions.md
@@ -602,6 +602,8 @@
 - **Returns / side effects:** Hono app mounted at `/messages`. 401 without session on list/create/replies/invoice; 409 `{ error: 'missing_requirements', missing }` when action gates fail; 400 on bad body / invalid text / bad media / unpaid note / author's-wallet / LNURL failures; 404 for bad `inReplyTo` / missing rows; 429 rate limits; 503 on store/KEK/sign failure. Signed-in list/replies/create may include `accountId`; public `GET /:id` never includes it.
 - **Used by:** `createApp`.
 
+DELETE /messages/:id permits only a live founder or moderator session, delegates to MessageStore.deleteById, and logs the actor and message id. Returns 204, 401, 403, 404, or 503.
+
 ## Function: contactRoutes
 
 - **Purpose:** Hono sub-app for the private in-app contact mailbox: `POST /` only (no member GET). After auth, `requireAction(account, 'contact.post')` (rules + name). After the platform account exists, persists the contact row first, then opens/appends the member→platform conversation thread. Conversation append failure logs `conversations.contact_sync.failed` and still 200.
diff --git a/e2e/forum-replies.spec.ts b/e2e/forum-replies.spec.ts
index 3241c68..75090b6 100644
--- a/e2e/forum-replies.spec.ts
+++ b/e2e/forum-replies.spec.ts
@@ -71,6 +71,18 @@ test('e2e: forum note, public read, reply, and replyCount against the booted API
     (await list.json()) as { messages: Array<{ id: string; replyCount?: number }> }
   ).messages;
   expect(listedNotes.find((row) => row.id === note.id)?.replyCount).toBe(1);
+  expect((await request.delete('/messages/' + note.id)).status()).toBe(401);
+  expect((await request.delete('/messages/' + note.id, { headers: auth })).status()).toBe(403);
+  const promoted = await request.patch('/debug/accounts/' + ada?.id, {
+    headers: DEBUG,
+    data: { role: 'moderator' },
+  });
+  expect(promoted.status()).toBe(200);
+  expect((await request.delete('/messages/' + note.id, { headers: auth })).status()).toBe(204);
+  expect((await request.get('/messages/' + note.id)).status()).toBe(404);
+  expect((await request.get('/messages/' + note.id + '/replies', { headers: auth })).status()).toBe(
+    404,
+  );
 });
 
 test('Function: issueSession — POST /debug/accounts/:id/session with the e2e token is 200', async ({
@@ -101,3 +113,7 @@ test('Function: issueSession — POST /debug/accounts/:id/session with the e2e t
   const me = await request.get('/me', { headers: { authorization: `Bearer ${token}` } });
   expect(me.status()).toBe(200);
 });
+
+test('DELETE /messages/:id denies unauthenticated requests', async ({ request }) => {
+  expect((await request.delete('/messages/:id')).status()).toBe(401);
+});
diff --git a/src/__tests__/routes/messages.test.ts b/src/__tests__/routes/messages.test.ts
index a1e3d0b..63c0247 100644
--- a/src/__tests__/routes/messages.test.ts
+++ b/src/__tests__/routes/messages.test.ts
@@ -3211,3 +3211,92 @@ describe('forum video', () => {
     }
   });
 });
+
+describe('DELETE /messages/:id moderation', () => {
+  const id = '11111111-1111-4111-8111-111111111111';
+  const childId = '22222222-2222-4222-8222-222222222222';
+
+  it('requires a session', async () => {
+    const app = mount(await namedStore('Ada'));
+    expect((await app.request('/messages/' + id, { method: 'DELETE' })).status).toBe(401);
+  });
+
+  it.each(['basis', 'verified'] as const)('denies %s even for their own note', async (role) => {
+    const auth = await namedStore('Ada');
+    const account = (await auth.getAccount('acc'))!;
+    await auth.updateAccount({ ...account, role });
+    const store = new InMemoryMessageStore();
+    const app = mount(auth, store);
+    const spy = vi.spyOn(store, 'deleteById');
+    expect((await app.request('/messages/' + id, { method: 'DELETE', headers: AUTH })).status).toBe(
+      403,
+    );
+    expect(spy).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+
+  it.each(['founder', 'moderator'] as const)(
+    'allows %s to delete another author and its replies/photo',
+    async (role) => {
+      const auth = await namedStore('Ada');
+      await auth.updateAccount({ ...(await auth.getAccount('acc'))!, role });
+      const store = new InMemoryMessageStore();
+      const parent = {
+        id,
+        accountId: 'another-author',
+        name: 'Bob',
+        text: 'A post',
+        createdAt: new Date(now()),
+        hasPhoto: true,
+        ...unsignedNostrDefaults(),
+      };
+      await store.create(parent, { contentType: 'image/jpeg', bytes: JPEG_BYTES });
+      await store.create({
+        ...parent,
+        id: childId,
+        parentId: id,
+        text: 'A reply',
+        hasPhoto: false,
+      });
+      const app = mount(auth, store);
+      const response = await app.request('/messages/' + id, { method: 'DELETE', headers: AUTH });
+      expect(response.status).toBe(204);
+      expect(await response.text()).toBe('');
+      expect(await store.getById(id)).toBeUndefined();
+      expect(await store.getById(childId)).toBeUndefined();
+      expect(await store.getPhoto(id)).toBeNull();
+      expect((await app.request('/messages/' + id)).status).toBe(404);
+      expect((await app.request('/messages/' + id + '/photo')).status).toBe(404);
+      expect(parsedEvents(warn)).toContainEqual(
+        expect.objectContaining({ messageId: id, accountId: 'acc', role }),
+      );
+    },
+  );
+
+  it('rejects a demoted moderator using the same session', async () => {
+    const auth = await namedStore('Ada');
+    const account = (await auth.getAccount('acc'))!;
+    await auth.updateAccount({ ...account, role: 'moderator' });
+    const app = mount(auth);
+    await auth.updateAccount({ ...account, role: 'basis' });
+    expect((await app.request('/messages/' + id, { method: 'DELETE', headers: AUTH })).status).toBe(
+      403,
+    );
+  });
+
+  it('returns 404 for malformed or missing ids and 503 on storage failure', async () => {
+    const auth = await namedStore('Ada');
+    await auth.updateAccount({ ...(await auth.getAccount('acc'))!, role: 'founder' });
+    const store = new InMemoryMessageStore();
+    const app = mount(auth, store);
+    expect(
+      (await app.request('/messages/bad-id', { method: 'DELETE', headers: AUTH })).status,
+    ).toBe(404);
+    expect((await app.request('/messages/' + id, { method: 'DELETE', headers: AUTH })).status).toBe(
+      404,
+    );
+    vi.spyOn(store, 'deleteById').mockRejectedValue(new Error('storage unavailable'));
+    expect((await app.request('/messages/' + id, { method: 'DELETE', headers: AUTH })).status).toBe(
+      503,
+    );
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/routes/messages.ts b/src/routes/messages.ts
index 5c1319a..6920342 100644
--- a/src/routes/messages.ts
+++ b/src/routes/messages.ts
@@ -586,6 +586,30 @@ export function messagesRoutes(deps: MessagesRouteDeps): Hono {
         return c.json({ error: 'Messages are unavailable' }, 503);
       }
     })
+    .delete('/:id', async (c) => {
+      const account = await authedAccount(deps, c.req.header('authorization'));
+      if (account === null) {
+        return c.json({ error: 'Unauthorized' }, 401);
+      }
+      if (account.role !== 'founder' && account.role !== 'moderator') {
+        return c.json({ error: 'Forbidden' }, 403);
+      }
+      const id = c.req.param('id');
+      if (!MESSAGE_ID_RE.test(id)) {
+        return c.json({ error: 'Not found' }, 404);
+      }
+      try {
+        const removed = await deps.store.deleteById(id);
+        if (!removed) {
+          return c.json({ error: 'Not found' }, 404);
+        }
+        logEvent('messages.deleted', { messageId: id, accountId: account.id, role: account.role });
+        return c.body(null, 204);
+      } catch {
+        logEvent('messages.delete.failed', { messageId: id, accountId: account.id });
+        return c.json({ error: 'Could not delete message' }, 503);
+      }
+    })
     .get('/:id', async (c) => {
       const id = c.req.param('id');
       if (!MESSAGE_ID_RE.test(id)) {