diff --git a/api/resolvers/item.js b/api/resolvers/item.js
index 7ed1b3a9..6fe0d88a 100644
--- a/api/resolvers/item.js
+++ b/api/resolvers/item.js
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ import { getMetadata, metadataRuleSets } from 'page-metadata-parser'
 import domino from 'domino'
 import {
   BOOST_MIN, ITEM_SPAM_INTERVAL,
-  MAX_TITLE_LENGTH, ITEM_FILTER_THRESHOLD, DONT_LIKE_THIS_COST
+  MAX_TITLE_LENGTH, ITEM_FILTER_THRESHOLD, DONT_LIKE_THIS_COST, COMMENT_DEPTH_LIMIT
 } from '../../lib/constants'
 import { msatsToSats } from '../../lib/format'
 import { parse } from 'tldts'
@@ -27,20 +27,9 @@ async function comments (me, models, id, sort, root) {
       break
   }
 
-  const flat = await models.$queryRaw(`
-        WITH RECURSIVE base AS (
-          ${SELECT}, ARRAY[row_number() OVER (${orderBy}, "Item".path)] AS sort_path
-          FROM "Item"
-          WHERE "parentId" = $1
-          ${await filterClause(me, models)}
-        UNION ALL
-          ${SELECT}, p.sort_path || row_number() OVER (${orderBy}, "Item".path)
-          FROM base p
-          JOIN "Item" ON "Item"."parentId" = p.id
-          WHERE true
-          ${await filterClause(me, models)})
-        SELECT * FROM base ORDER BY sort_path`, Number(id))
-  return nestComments(flat, id, root)[0]
+  const filter = await filterClause(me, models)
+  const [{ item_comments: comments }] = await models.$queryRaw('SELECT item_comments($1, $2, $3, $4)', Number(id), COMMENT_DEPTH_LIMIT, orderBy, filter)
+  return comments
 }
 
 export async function getItem (parent, { id }, { me, models }) {
@@ -1120,32 +1109,6 @@ const createItem = async (parent, { sub, title, url, text, boost, forward, bount
   return item
 }
 
-function nestComments (flat, parentId, root) {
-  const result = []
-  let added = 0
-  for (let i = 0; i < flat.length;) {
-    flat[i].root = root
-    if (!flat[i].comments) flat[i].comments = []
-    if (Number(flat[i].parentId) === Number(parentId)) {
-      result.push(flat[i])
-      added++
-      i++
-    } else if (result.length > 0) {
-      const item = result[result.length - 1]
-      const [nested, newAdded] = nestComments(flat.slice(i), item.id, root)
-      if (newAdded === 0) {
-        break
-      }
-      item.comments.push(...nested)
-      i += newAdded
-      added += newAdded
-    } else {
-      break
-    }
-  }
-  return [result, added]
-}
-
 // we have to do our own query because ltree is unsupported
 export const SELECT =
   `SELECT "Item".id, "Item".created_at as "createdAt", "Item".updated_at as "updatedAt", "Item".title,
diff --git a/components/comment.js b/components/comment.js
index bb21390a..4f48f416 100644
--- a/components/comment.js
+++ b/components/comment.js
@@ -19,8 +19,11 @@ import { abbrNum } from '../lib/format'
 import Share from './share'
 import ItemInfo from './item-info'
 import { Badge } from 'react-bootstrap'
+import { RootProvider, useRoot } from './root'
 
 function Parent ({ item, rootText }) {
+  const root = useRoot()
+
   const ParentFrag = () => (
     <>
       <span> \ </span>
@@ -30,20 +33,16 @@ function Parent ({ item, rootText }) {
     </>
   )
 
-  if (!item.root) {
-    return <ParentFrag />
-  }
-
   return (
     <>
-      {Number(item.root.id) !== Number(item.parentId) && <ParentFrag />}
+      {Number(root.id) !== Number(item.parentId) && <ParentFrag />}
       <span> \ </span>
-      <Link href={`/items/${item.root.id}`} passHref>
-        <a className='text-reset'>{rootText || 'on:'} {item.root.title}</a>
+      <Link href={`/items/${root.id}`} passHref>
+        <a className='text-reset'>{rootText || 'on:'} {root?.title}</a>
       </Link>
-      {item.root.subName &&
-        <Link href={`/~${item.root.subName}`}>
-          <a>{' '}<Badge className={itemStyles.newComment} variant={null}>{item.root.subName}</Badge></a>
+      {root.subName &&
+        <Link href={`/~${root.subName}`}>
+          <a>{' '}<Badge className={itemStyles.newComment} variant={null}>{root.subName}</Badge></a>
         </Link>}
     </>
   )
@@ -76,7 +75,9 @@ export function CommentFlat ({ item, ...props }) {
         }
       }}
     >
-      <Comment item={item} {...props} />
+      <RootProvider root={item.root}>
+        <Comment item={item} {...props} />
+      </RootProvider>
     </div>
   )
 }
@@ -89,6 +90,7 @@ export default function Comment ({
   const [collapse, setCollapse] = useState(false)
   const ref = useRef(null)
   const router = useRouter()
+  const root = useRoot()
 
   useEffect(() => {
     if (Number(router.query.commentId) === Number(item.id)) {
@@ -103,9 +105,8 @@ export default function Comment ({
   }, [item])
 
   const bottomedOut = depth === COMMENT_DEPTH_LIMIT
-
-  const op = item.root?.user.name === item.user.name
-  const bountyPaid = item.root?.bountyPaidTo?.includes(Number(item.id))
+  const op = root.user.name === item.user.name
+  const bountyPaid = root.bountyPaidTo?.includes(Number(item.id))
 
   return (
     <div
@@ -126,7 +127,7 @@ export default function Comment ({
                 <>
                   {includeParent && <Parent item={item} rootText={rootText} />}
                   {bountyPaid &&
-                    <ActionTooltip notForm overlayText={`${abbrNum(item.root.bounty)} sats paid`}>
+                    <ActionTooltip notForm overlayText={`${abbrNum(root.bounty)} sats paid`}>
                       <BountyIcon className={`${styles.bountyIcon} ${'fill-success vertical-align-middle'}`} height={16} width={16} />
                     </ActionTooltip>}
                 </>
@@ -177,7 +178,7 @@ export default function Comment ({
           <div className={`${styles.children}`}>
             {!noReply &&
               <Reply depth={depth + 1} item={item} replyOpen={replyOpen}>
-                {item.root?.bounty && !bountyPaid && <PayBounty item={item} />}
+                {root.bounty && !bountyPaid && <PayBounty item={item} />}
               </Reply>}
             {children}
             <div className={`${styles.comments} ml-sm-1 ml-md-3`}>
diff --git a/components/error-boundary.js b/components/error-boundary.js
index 5ae01f06..d411f605 100644
--- a/components/error-boundary.js
+++ b/components/error-boundary.js
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
-import React from 'react'
+import { Component } from 'react'
 import LayoutStatic from './layout-static'
 import styles from '../styles/404.module.css'
 
-class ErrorBoundary extends React.Component {
+class ErrorBoundary extends Component {
   constructor (props) {
     super(props)
 
diff --git a/components/item-full.js b/components/item-full.js
index b1282ba6..fc76a332 100644
--- a/components/item-full.js
+++ b/components/item-full.js
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ import Check from '../svgs/check-double-line.svg'
 import Share from './share'
 import Toc from './table-of-contents'
 import Link from 'next/link'
+import { RootProvider } from './root'
 
 function BioItem ({ item, handleClick }) {
   const me = useMe()
@@ -157,7 +158,7 @@ export default function ItemFull ({ item, bio, ...props }) {
   }, [item.lastCommentAt])
 
   return (
-    <>
+    <RootProvider root={item.root || item}>
       {item.parentId
         ? <Comment topLevel item={item} replyOpen includeParent noComments {...props} />
         : (
@@ -171,6 +172,6 @@ export default function ItemFull ({ item, bio, ...props }) {
         <div className={styles.comments}>
           <Comments parentId={item.id} pinned={item.position} commentSats={item.commentSats} comments={item.comments} />
         </div>}
-    </>
+    </RootProvider>
   )
 }
diff --git a/components/items-mixed.js b/components/items-mixed.js
index 678ec080..f95f9172 100644
--- a/components/items-mixed.js
+++ b/components/items-mixed.js
@@ -1,7 +1,5 @@
-import { useRouter } from 'next/router'
-import React from 'react'
-import { ignoreClick } from '../lib/clicks'
-import Comment from './comment'
+import { Fragment } from 'react'
+import { CommentFlat } from './comment'
 import Item from './item'
 import ItemJob from './item-job'
 import { ItemsSkeleton } from './items'
@@ -9,33 +7,22 @@ import styles from './items.module.css'
 import MoreFooter from './more-footer'
 
 export default function MixedItems ({ rank, items, cursor, fetchMore }) {
-  const router = useRouter()
   return (
     <>
       <div className={styles.grid}>
         {items.map((item, i) => (
-          <React.Fragment key={item.id}>
+          <Fragment key={item.id}>
             {item.parentId
               ? (
                 <><div />
-                  <div
-                    className='pb-1 mb-1 clickToContext' onClick={e => {
-                      if (ignoreClick(e)) {
-                        return
-                      }
-                      router.push({
-                        pathname: '/items/[id]',
-                        query: { id: item.root.id, commentId: item.id }
-                      }, `/items/${item.root.id}`)
-                    }}
-                  >
-                    <Comment item={item} noReply includeParent clickToContext />
+                  <div className='pb-1 mb-1'>
+                    <CommentFlat item={item} noReply includeParent clickToContext />
                   </div>
                 </>)
               : (item.isJob
                   ? <ItemJob item={item} rank={rank && i + 1} />
                   : <Item item={item} rank={rank && i + 1} />)}
-          </React.Fragment>
+          </Fragment>
         ))}
       </div>
       <MoreFooter
diff --git a/components/items.js b/components/items.js
index 40cbda27..d15a7ea6 100644
--- a/components/items.js
+++ b/components/items.js
@@ -4,8 +4,8 @@ import ItemJob from './item-job'
 import styles from './items.module.css'
 import { ITEMS } from '../fragments/items'
 import MoreFooter from './more-footer'
-import React from 'react'
-import Comment from './comment'
+import { Fragment } from 'react'
+import { CommentFlat } from './comment'
 
 export default function Items ({ variables = {}, query, destructureData, rank, items, pins, cursor }) {
   const { data, fetchMore } = useQuery(query || ITEMS, { variables })
@@ -28,19 +28,19 @@ export default function Items ({ variables = {}, query, destructureData, rank, i
     <>
       <div className={styles.grid}>
         {items.map((item, i) => (
-          <React.Fragment key={item.id}>
+          <Fragment key={item.id}>
             {pinMap && pinMap[i + 1] && <Item item={pinMap[i + 1]} />}
             {item.parentId
-              ? <><div /><div className='pb-3'><Comment item={item} noReply includeParent /></div></>
+              ? <><div /><div className='pb-3'><CommentFlat item={item} noReply includeParent /></div></>
               : (item.isJob
                   ? <ItemJob item={item} rank={rank && i + 1} />
                   : (item.title
                       ? <Item item={item} rank={rank && i + 1} />
                       : (
                         <div className='pb-2'>
-                          <Comment item={item} noReply includeParent clickToContext />
+                          <CommentFlat item={item} noReply includeParent clickToContext />
                         </div>)))}
-          </React.Fragment>
+          </Fragment>
         ))}
       </div>
       <MoreFooter
diff --git a/components/notifications.js b/components/notifications.js
index d600d74d..d6c3a334 100644
--- a/components/notifications.js
+++ b/components/notifications.js
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import HandCoin from '../svgs/hand-coin-fill.svg'
 import { COMMENT_DEPTH_LIMIT } from '../lib/constants'
 import CowboyHatIcon from '../svgs/cowboy.svg'
 import BaldIcon from '../svgs/bald.svg'
+import { RootProvider } from './root'
 
 // TODO: oh man, this is a mess ... each notification type should just be a component ...
 function Notification ({ n }) {
@@ -132,7 +133,9 @@ function Notification ({ n }) {
                           ? <Item item={n.item} />
                           : (
                             <div className='pb-2'>
-                              <Comment item={n.item} noReply includeParent rootText={n.__typename === 'Reply' ? 'replying on:' : undefined} clickToContext />
+                              <RootProvider root={n.item.root}>
+                                <Comment item={n.item} noReply includeParent rootText={n.__typename === 'Reply' ? 'replying on:' : undefined} clickToContext />
+                              </RootProvider>
                             </div>)}
                     </div>
                   </>)}
diff --git a/components/past-bounties.js b/components/past-bounties.js
index f687e3ce..fe7729b3 100644
--- a/components/past-bounties.js
+++ b/components/past-bounties.js
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-import React from 'react'
 import { useQuery } from '@apollo/client'
 import AccordianItem from './accordian-item'
 import Item, { ItemSkeleton } from './item'
diff --git a/components/pay-bounty.js b/components/pay-bounty.js
index 64023050..b18fe806 100644
--- a/components/pay-bounty.js
+++ b/components/pay-bounty.js
@@ -8,10 +8,12 @@ import { useMe } from './me'
 import { abbrNum } from '../lib/format'
 import { useShowModal } from './modal'
 import FundError from './fund-error'
+import { useRoot } from './root'
 
 export default function PayBounty ({ children, item }) {
   const me = useMe()
   const showModal = useShowModal()
+  const root = useRoot()
 
   const [act] = useMutation(
     gql`
@@ -48,7 +50,7 @@ export default function PayBounty ({ children, item }) {
 
         // update root bounty status
         cache.modify({
-          id: `Item:${item.root.id}`,
+          id: `Item:${root.id}`,
           fields: {
             bountyPaidTo (existingPaidTo = []) {
               return [...(existingPaidTo || []), Number(item.id)]
@@ -62,11 +64,11 @@ export default function PayBounty ({ children, item }) {
   const handlePayBounty = async () => {
     try {
       await act({
-        variables: { id: item.id, sats: item.root.bounty },
+        variables: { id: item.id, sats: root.bounty },
         optimisticResponse: {
           act: {
             id: `Item:${item.id}`,
-            sats: item.root.bounty
+            sats: root.bounty
           }
         }
       })
@@ -81,14 +83,14 @@ export default function PayBounty ({ children, item }) {
     }
   }
 
-  if (!me || item.mine || item.root.user.name !== me.name) {
+  if (!me || item.mine || root.user.name !== me.name) {
     return null
   }
 
   return (
     <ActionTooltip
       notForm
-      overlayText={`${item.root.bounty} sats`}
+      overlayText={`${root.bounty} sats`}
     >
       <ModalButton
         clicker={
@@ -102,7 +104,7 @@ export default function PayBounty ({ children, item }) {
         </div>
         <div className='text-center'>
           <Button className='mt-4' variant='primary' onClick={() => handlePayBounty()}>
-            pay <small>{abbrNum(item.root.bounty)} sats</small>
+            pay <small>{abbrNum(root.bounty)} sats</small>
           </Button>
         </div>
       </ModalButton>
diff --git a/components/root.js b/components/root.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f0cea78f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/components/root.js
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+import { useContext, createContext } from 'react'
+
+export const RootContext = createContext()
+
+export function RootProvider ({ root, children }) {
+  return (
+    <RootContext.Provider value={root}>
+      {children}
+    </RootContext.Provider>
+  )
+}
+
+export function useRoot () {
+  return useContext(RootContext)
+}
diff --git a/components/search-items.js b/components/search-items.js
index fb2598a3..4c6594dd 100644
--- a/components/search-items.js
+++ b/components/search-items.js
@@ -3,8 +3,8 @@ import { ItemSkeleton } from './item'
 import styles from './items.module.css'
 import { ITEM_SEARCH } from '../fragments/items'
 import MoreFooter from './more-footer'
-import React from 'react'
-import Comment from './comment'
+import { Fragment } from 'react'
+import { CommentFlat } from './comment'
 import ItemFull from './item-full'
 
 export default function SearchItems ({ variables, items, pins, cursor }) {
@@ -22,11 +22,11 @@ export default function SearchItems ({ variables, items, pins, cursor }) {
     <>
       <div className={styles.grid}>
         {items.map((item, i) => (
-          <React.Fragment key={item.id}>
+          <Fragment key={item.id}>
             {item.parentId
-              ? <><div /><div className='pb-3'><Comment item={item} noReply includeParent /></div></>
+              ? <><div /><CommentFlat item={item} noReply includeParent /></>
               : <><div /><div className={item.text ? 'pb-3' : ''}><ItemFull item={item} noReply /></div></>}
-          </React.Fragment>
+          </Fragment>
         ))}
       </div>
       <MoreFooter
diff --git a/fragments/comments.js b/fragments/comments.js
index a0c54c7b..a2d97eb0 100644
--- a/fragments/comments.js
+++ b/fragments/comments.js
@@ -26,19 +26,6 @@ export const COMMENT_FIELDS = gql`
     mine
     otsHash
     ncomments
-    root {
-      id
-      title
-      bounty
-      bountyPaidTo
-      subName
-      user {
-        name
-        streak
-        hideCowboyHat
-        id
-      }
-    }
   }
 `
 
@@ -50,6 +37,19 @@ export const MORE_FLAT_COMMENTS = gql`
       cursor
       comments {
         ...CommentFields
+        root {
+          id
+          title
+          bounty
+          bountyPaidTo
+          subName
+          user {
+            name
+            streak
+            hideCowboyHat
+            id
+          }
+        }
       }
     }
   }
@@ -63,6 +63,19 @@ export const TOP_COMMENTS = gql`
       cursor
       comments {
         ...CommentFields
+        root {
+          id
+          title
+          bounty
+          bountyPaidTo
+          subName
+          user {
+            name
+            streak
+            hideCowboyHat
+            id
+          }
+        }
       }
     }
   }
diff --git a/fragments/subs.js b/fragments/subs.js
index de00dfa0..f7fda523 100644
--- a/fragments/subs.js
+++ b/fragments/subs.js
@@ -72,6 +72,19 @@ export const SUB_FLAT_COMMENTS = gql`
       cursor
       comments {
         ...CommentFields
+        root {
+          id
+          title
+          bounty
+          bountyPaidTo
+          subName
+          user {
+            name
+            streak
+            hideCowboyHat
+            id
+          }
+        }
       }
     }
   }
diff --git a/pages/satistics.js b/pages/satistics.js
index 2ac37427..d4ceb13c 100644
--- a/pages/satistics.js
+++ b/pages/satistics.js
@@ -12,8 +12,8 @@ import ThumbDown from '../svgs/thumb-down-fill.svg'
 import { Checkbox, Form } from '../components/form'
 import { useRouter } from 'next/router'
 import Item from '../components/item'
-import Comment from '../components/comment'
-import React from 'react'
+import { CommentFlat } from '../components/comment'
+import { Fragment } from 'react'
 import ItemJob from '../components/item-job'
 
 export const getServerSideProps = getGetServerSideProps(WALLET_HISTORY)
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ function Detail ({ fact }) {
     return <div className={styles.itemWrapper}><Item item={fact.item} /></div>
   }
 
-  return <div className={styles.commentWrapper}><Comment item={fact.item} includeParent noReply truncate /></div>
+  return <div className={styles.commentWrapper}><CommentFlat item={fact.item} includeParent noReply truncate /></div>
 }
 
 export default function Satistics ({ data: { walletHistory: { facts, cursor } } }) {
@@ -231,7 +231,7 @@ export default function Satistics ({ data: { walletHistory: { facts, cursor } }
           <tbody>
             {facts.map((f, i) => {
               const uri = href(f)
-              const Wrapper = uri ? Link : ({ href, ...props }) => <React.Fragment {...props} />
+              const Wrapper = uri ? Link : ({ href, ...props }) => <Fragment {...props} />
               return (
                 <Wrapper href={uri} key={f.id}>
                   <tr className={styles.row}>
diff --git a/prisma/migrations/20230506214933_comments_func/migration.sql b/prisma/migrations/20230506214933_comments_func/migration.sql
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..aa5ab141
--- /dev/null
+++ b/prisma/migrations/20230506214933_comments_func/migration.sql
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION item_comments(_item_id int, _level int, _where text, _order_by text)
+  RETURNS jsonb
+  LANGUAGE plpgsql STABLE PARALLEL SAFE AS
+$$
+DECLARE
+    result  jsonb;
+BEGIN
+    IF _level < 1 THEN
+        RETURN '[]'::jsonb;
+    END IF;
+
+    EXECUTE ''
+        || 'SELECT COALESCE(jsonb_agg(sub), ''[]''::jsonb) AS comments '
+        || 'FROM  ( '
+        || '    SELECT "Item".*, "Item".created_at AS "createdAt", "Item".updated_at AS "updatedAt", '
+        || '    item_comments("Item".id, $2 - 1, $3, $4) AS comments '
+        || '    FROM   "Item" p '
+        || '    JOIN   "Item" ON "Item"."parentId" = p.id '
+        || '    WHERE  p.id = $1 '
+        ||      _where || ' '
+        ||      _order_by
+        || ' ) sub'
+    INTO result USING _item_id, _level, _where, _order_by;
+    RETURN result;
+END
+$$;
\ No newline at end of file