diff --git a/bookwyrm/templates/feed/status.html b/bookwyrm/templates/feed/status.html
index 903ca790..429c657d 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/templates/feed/status.html
+++ b/bookwyrm/templates/feed/status.html
@@ -9,7 +9,19 @@
     </a>
 </header>
 
-{% include 'feed/thread.html' with status=status depth=0 max_depth=6 is_root=True direction=0 %}
+<div class="thread-parent is-relative block">
+    <div class="thread">
+        <div class="is-main block">
+            {% include 'snippets/status/status.html' with status=status main=True %}
+        </div>
+
+        {% for child in children %}
+        <div class="block">
+            {% include 'snippets/status/status.html' with status=child %}
+        </div>
+        {% endfor %}
+    </div>
+</div>
 
 {% endblock %}
 
diff --git a/bookwyrm/templates/feed/thread.html b/bookwyrm/templates/feed/thread.html
deleted file mode 100644
index c1b624e3..00000000
--- a/bookwyrm/templates/feed/thread.html
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,25 +0,0 @@
-{% load status_display %}
-
-<div class="thread-parent is-relative block">
-<div class="thread">
-{% with depth=depth|add:1 %}
-    {% if depth <= max_depth and status.reply_parent and direction <= 0 %}
-        {% with direction=-1 %}
-        {% include 'feed/thread.html' with status=status|parent is_root=False %}
-        {% endwith %}
-    {% endif %}
-
-<div{% if is_root %} class="block mt-5 is-main"{% endif %}>
-    {% include 'snippets/status/status.html' with status=status main=is_root %}
-</div>
-
-{% if depth <= max_depth and direction >= 0 %}
-    {% for reply in status|replies  %}
-        {% with direction=1 %}
-            {% include 'feed/thread.html' with status=reply is_root=False %}
-        {% endwith %}
-    {% endfor %}
-{% endif %}
-{% endwith %}
-</div>
-</div>
diff --git a/bookwyrm/views/feed.py b/bookwyrm/views/feed.py
index 0c2647ae..f79b1515 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/views/feed.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/views/feed.py
@@ -109,10 +109,30 @@ class Status(View):
                 status.to_activity(pure=not is_bookwyrm_request(request))
             )
 
+        children = models.Status.objects.select_subclasses().raw("""
+            WITH RECURSIVE get_thread(depth, id, path) AS (
+
+                SELECT 1, st.id, ARRAY[st.id]
+                FROM bookwyrm_status st
+                WHERE reply_parent_id = '%s'
+
+                UNION
+
+                SELECT (gt.depth + 1), st.id, path || st.id
+                FROM get_thread gt, bookwyrm_status st
+
+                WHERE st.reply_parent_id = gt.id AND depth < 5
+
+            )
+
+            SELECT * FROM get_thread ORDER BY path;
+        """, params=[status.id])
+
         data = {
             **feed_page_data(request.user),
             **{
                 "status": status,
+                "children": children,
             },
         }
         return TemplateResponse(request, "feed/status.html", data)