diff --git a/src/libs/ReportUtils.ts b/src/libs/ReportUtils.ts
index 26afd195e9a13..88f138a1cc353 100644
--- a/src/libs/ReportUtils.ts
+++ b/src/libs/ReportUtils.ts
@@ -9402,6 +9402,17 @@ function reasonForReportToBeInOptionList({
     const isEmptyChat = isEmptyReport(report, isReportArchived);
     const canHideReport = shouldHideReport(report, currentReportId, isReportArchived);
 
+    // Drafts already return early above, so no draft check needed here
+    if (isChatThread(report) && isEmptyChat) {
+        const isParentDeleted = !isEmptyObject(parentReportAction) && isDeletedAction(parentReportAction);
+        const isParentPendingDelete = !isEmptyObject(parentReportAction) && parentReportAction?.pendingAction === CONST.RED_BRICK_ROAD_PENDING_ACTION.DELETE;
+        const hasReplies = (parentReportAction?.childVisibleActionCount ?? 0) > 0;
+
+        if ((isParentDeleted || isParentPendingDelete) && !hasReplies) {
+            return null;
+        }
+    }
+
     // Include reports if they are pinned
     if (report.isPinned) {
         return CONST.REPORT_IN_LHN_REASONS.PINNED_BY_USER;
diff --git a/src/libs/actions/Report.ts b/src/libs/actions/Report.ts
index 05d4935f0fe7f..d52f03d7acd4e 100644
--- a/src/libs/actions/Report.ts
+++ b/src/libs/actions/Report.ts
@@ -2044,7 +2044,7 @@ function deleteReportComment(
     }
     // If the API call fails we must show the original message again, so we revert the message content back to how it was
     // and and remove the pendingAction so the strike-through clears
-    const failureData: Array<OnyxUpdate<typeof ONYXKEYS.COLLECTION.REPORT_ACTIONS>> = [
+    const failureData: Array<OnyxUpdate<typeof ONYXKEYS.COLLECTION.REPORT | typeof ONYXKEYS.COLLECTION.REPORT_ACTIONS>> = [
         {
             onyxMethod: Onyx.METHOD.MERGE,
             key: `${ONYXKEYS.COLLECTION.REPORT_ACTIONS}${originalReportID}`,
@@ -2090,6 +2090,30 @@ function deleteReportComment(
         optimisticData.push(...getOptimisticDataForAncestors(ancestors, optimisticReport?.lastVisibleActionCreated ?? '', CONST.RED_BRICK_ROAD_PENDING_ACTION.DELETE));
     }
 
+    // Force LHN re-evaluation for empty child thread by triggering an Onyx update
+    if (reportAction.childReportID && childVisibleActionCount === 0) {
+        const childReportKey: `${typeof ONYXKEYS.COLLECTION.REPORT}${string}` = `${ONYXKEYS.COLLECTION.REPORT}${reportAction.childReportID}`;
+        const childReport = allReports?.[childReportKey];
+
+        if (childReport) {
+            optimisticData.push({
+                onyxMethod: Onyx.METHOD.MERGE,
+                key: childReportKey,
+                value: {
+                    lastMessageText: '',
+                },
+            });
+
+            failureData.push({
+                onyxMethod: Onyx.METHOD.MERGE,
+                key: childReportKey,
+                value: {
+                    lastMessageText: childReport.lastMessageText ?? '',
+                },
+            });
+        }
+    }
+
     const parameters: DeleteCommentParams = {
         reportID: originalReportID,
         reportActionID,