diff --git a/internal/federation/dereferencing/status.go b/internal/federation/dereferencing/status.go
index dea544712..2338f55f8 100644
--- a/internal/federation/dereferencing/status.go
+++ b/internal/federation/dereferencing/status.go
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 import (
 	"context"
 	"errors"
+	"net/http"
 	"net/url"
 	"slices"
 	"time"
@@ -75,7 +76,7 @@ func statusFresh(
 
 // GetStatusByURI will attempt to fetch a status by its URI, first checking the database. In the case of a newly-met remote model, or a remote model whose 'last_fetched' date
 // is beyond a certain interval, the status will be dereferenced. In the case of dereferencing, some low-priority status information may be enqueued for asynchronous fetching,
-// e.g. dereferencing the status thread. Param 'syncParent' = true indicates to fetch status ancestors synchronously. An ActivityPub object indicates the status was dereferenced.
+// e.g. dereferencing the status thread. An ActivityPub object indicates the status was dereferenced.
 func (d *Dereferencer) GetStatusByURI(ctx context.Context, requestUser string, uri *url.URL) (*gtsmodel.Status, ap.Statusable, error) {
 
 	// Fetch and dereference / update status if necessary.
@@ -164,22 +165,13 @@ func (d *Dereferencer) getStatusByURI(ctx context.Context, requestUser string, u
 		return status, nil, false, nil
 	}
 
-	// Try to deref and update existing status model.
-	latest, statusable, isNew, err := d.enrichStatusSafely(ctx,
+	// Try to deref and update existing.
+	return d.enrichStatusSafely(ctx,
 		requestUser,
 		uri,
 		status,
 		nil,
 	)
-
-	if err != nil {
-		// fallback to the
-		// existing status.
-		latest = status
-		statusable = nil
-	}
-
-	return latest, statusable, isNew, err
 }
 
 // RefreshStatus is functionally equivalent to GetStatusByURI(), except that it requires a pre
@@ -211,9 +203,6 @@ func (d *Dereferencer) RefreshStatus(
 		status,
 		statusable,
 	)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, nil, err
-	}
 
 	if statusable != nil {
 		// Deref parents + children.
@@ -226,7 +215,7 @@ func (d *Dereferencer) RefreshStatus(
 		)
 	}
 
-	return latest, statusable, nil
+	return latest, statusable, err
 }
 
 // RefreshStatusAsync is functionally equivalent to RefreshStatus(), except that ALL
@@ -275,9 +264,10 @@ func (d *Dereferencer) RefreshStatusAsync(
 	})
 }
 
-// enrichStatusSafely wraps enrichStatus() to perform
-// it within the State{}.FedLocks mutexmap, which protects
-// dereferencing actions with per-URI mutex locks.
+// enrichStatusSafely wraps enrichStatus() to perform it within
+// a State{}.FedLocks mutexmap, which protects it within per-URI
+// mutex locks. This also handles necessary delete of now-deleted
+// statuses, and updating fetched_at on returned HTTP errors.
 func (d *Dereferencer) enrichStatusSafely(
 	ctx context.Context,
 	requestUser string,
@@ -307,25 +297,30 @@ func (d *Dereferencer) enrichStatusSafely(
 	defer unlock()
 
 	// Perform status enrichment with passed vars.
-	latest, apubStatus, err := d.enrichStatus(ctx,
+	latest, statusable, err := d.enrichStatus(ctx,
 		requestUser,
 		uri,
 		status,
 		statusable,
 	)
 
-	if gtserror.StatusCode(err) >= 400 {
-		if isNew {
-			// This was a new status enrich
-			// attempt which failed before we
-			// got to store it, so we can't
-			// return anything useful.
-			return nil, nil, isNew, err
+	// Check for a returned HTTP code via error.
+	switch code := gtserror.StatusCode(err); {
+
+	// Gone (410) definitely indicates deletion.
+	// Remove status if it was an existing one.
+	case code == http.StatusGone && !isNew:
+		if err := d.state.DB.DeleteStatusByID(ctx, status.ID); err != nil {
+			log.Error(ctx, "error deleting gone status %s: %v", uriStr, err)
 		}
 
-		// We had this status stored already
-		// before this enrichment attempt.
-		//
+		// Don't return any status.
+		return nil, nil, false, err
+
+	// Any other HTTP error mesg
+	// code, with existing status.
+	case code >= 400 && !isNew:
+
 		// Update fetched_at to slow re-attempts
 		// but don't return early. We can still
 		// return the model we had stored already.
@@ -333,6 +328,16 @@ func (d *Dereferencer) enrichStatusSafely(
 		if err := d.state.DB.UpdateStatus(ctx, status, "fetched_at"); err != nil {
 			log.Error(ctx, "error updating %s fetched_at: %v", uriStr, err)
 		}
+
+		// See below.
+		fallthrough
+
+	// In case of error with an existing
+	// status in the database, return error
+	// but still return existing status.
+	case err != nil && !isNew:
+		latest = status
+		statusable = nil
 	}
 
 	// Unlock now
@@ -340,11 +345,6 @@ func (d *Dereferencer) enrichStatusSafely(
 	unlock()
 
 	if errors.Is(err, db.ErrAlreadyExists) {
-		// Ensure AP model isn't set,
-		// otherwise this indicates WE
-		// enriched the status.
-		apubStatus = nil
-
 		// We leave 'isNew' set so that caller
 		// still dereferences parents, otherwise
 		// the version we pass back may not have
@@ -362,7 +362,7 @@ func (d *Dereferencer) enrichStatusSafely(
 		}
 	}
 
-	return latest, apubStatus, isNew, err
+	return latest, statusable, isNew, err
 }
 
 // enrichStatus will enrich the given status, whether a new
@@ -374,7 +374,11 @@ func (d *Dereferencer) enrichStatus(
 	uri *url.URL,
 	status *gtsmodel.Status,
 	apubStatus ap.Statusable,
-) (*gtsmodel.Status, ap.Statusable, error) {
+) (
+	*gtsmodel.Status,
+	ap.Statusable,
+	error,
+) {
 	// Pre-fetch a transport for requesting username, used by later dereferencing.
 	tsport, err := d.transportController.NewTransportForUsername(ctx, requestUser)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -385,7 +389,7 @@ func (d *Dereferencer) enrichStatus(
 	if blocked, err := d.state.DB.IsDomainBlocked(ctx, uri.Host); err != nil {
 		return nil, nil, gtserror.Newf("error checking blocked domain: %w", err)
 	} else if blocked {
-		err = gtserror.Newf("%s is blocked", uri.Host)
+		err := gtserror.Newf("%s is blocked", uri.Host)
 		return nil, nil, gtserror.SetUnretrievable(err)
 	}
 
@@ -406,7 +410,7 @@ func (d *Dereferencer) enrichStatus(
 		if err != nil {
 			// ResolveStatusable will set gtserror.WrongType
 			// on the returned error, so we don't need to do it here.
-			err = gtserror.Newf("error resolving statusable %s: %w", uri, err)
+			err := gtserror.Newf("error resolving statusable %s: %w", uri, err)
 			return nil, nil, err
 		}
 
@@ -448,11 +452,14 @@ func (d *Dereferencer) enrichStatus(
 	// Ensure we have the author account of the status dereferenced (+ up-to-date). If this is a new status
 	// (i.e. status.AccountID == "") then any error here is irrecoverable. status.AccountID must ALWAYS be set.
 	if _, _, err := d.getAccountByURI(ctx, requestUser, attributedTo); err != nil && status.AccountID == "" {
-		return nil, nil, gtserror.Newf("failed to dereference status author %s: %w", uri, err)
+
+		// Note that we specifically DO NOT wrap the error, instead collapsing it as string.
+		// Errors fetching an account do not necessarily relate to dereferencing the status.
+		return nil, nil, gtserror.Newf("failed to dereference status author %s: %v", uri, err)
 	}
 
-	// ActivityPub model was recently dereferenced, so assume that passed status
-	// may contain out-of-date information, convert AP model to our GTS model.
+	// ActivityPub model was recently dereferenced, so assume passed status
+	// may contain out-of-date information. Convert AP model to our GTS model.
 	latestStatus, err := d.converter.ASStatusToStatus(ctx, apubStatus)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, nil, gtserror.Newf("error converting statusable to gts model for status %s: %w", uri, err)
@@ -603,11 +610,11 @@ func (d *Dereferencer) fetchStatusMentions(
 			err           error
 		)
 
-		mention, alreadyExists, err = d.populateMentionTarget(
-			ctx,
+		// Search existing status for a mention already stored,
+		// else ensure new mention's target account is populated.
+		mention, alreadyExists, err = d.getPopulatedMention(ctx,
 			requestUser,
 			existing,
-			status,
 			mention,
 		)
 		if err != nil {
@@ -984,7 +991,7 @@ func (d *Dereferencer) fetchStatusEmojis(
 	return nil
 }
 
-// populateMentionTarget tries to populate the given
+// getPopulatedMention tries to populate the given
 // mention with the correct TargetAccount and (if not
 // yet set) TargetAccountURI, returning the populated
 // mention.
@@ -996,11 +1003,10 @@ func (d *Dereferencer) fetchStatusEmojis(
 // Otherwise, this function will try to parse first
 // the Href of the mention, and then the namestring,
 // to see who it targets, and go fetch that account.
-func (d *Dereferencer) populateMentionTarget(
+func (d *Dereferencer) getPopulatedMention(
 	ctx context.Context,
 	requestUser string,
 	existing *gtsmodel.Status,
-	status *gtsmodel.Status,
 	mention *gtsmodel.Mention,
 ) (
 	*gtsmodel.Mention,
@@ -1010,8 +1016,8 @@ func (d *Dereferencer) populateMentionTarget(
 	// Mentions can be created using Name or Href.
 	// Prefer Href (TargetAccountURI), fall back to Name.
 	if mention.TargetAccountURI != "" {
-		// Look for existing mention with this URI.
-		// If we already have it we can return early.
+
+		// Look for existing mention with target account's URI, if so use this.
 		existingMention, ok := existing.GetMentionByTargetURI(mention.TargetAccountURI)
 		if ok && existingMention.ID != "" {
 			return existingMention, true, nil
@@ -1020,33 +1026,47 @@ func (d *Dereferencer) populateMentionTarget(
 		// Ensure that mention account URI is parseable.
 		accountURI, err := url.Parse(mention.TargetAccountURI)
 		if err != nil {
-			err = gtserror.Newf("invalid account uri %q: %w", mention.TargetAccountURI, err)
+			err := gtserror.Newf("invalid account uri %q: %w", mention.TargetAccountURI, err)
 			return nil, false, err
 		}
 
-		// Ensure we have the account of the mention target dereferenced.
-		mention.TargetAccount, _, err = d.getAccountByURI(ctx, requestUser, accountURI)
+		// Ensure we have  account of the mention target dereferenced.
+		mention.TargetAccount, _, err = d.getAccountByURI(ctx,
+			requestUser,
+			accountURI,
+		)
 		if err != nil {
-			err = gtserror.Newf("failed to dereference account %s: %w", accountURI, err)
+			err := gtserror.Newf("failed to dereference account %s: %w", accountURI, err)
 			return nil, false, err
 		}
 	} else {
-		// Href wasn't set. Find the target account using namestring.
+
+		// Href wasn't set, extract the username and domain parts from namestring.
 		username, domain, err := util.ExtractNamestringParts(mention.NameString)
 		if err != nil {
-			err = gtserror.Newf("failed to parse namestring %s: %w", mention.NameString, err)
+			err := gtserror.Newf("failed to parse namestring %s: %w", mention.NameString, err)
 			return nil, false, err
 		}
 
-		mention.TargetAccount, _, err = d.getAccountByUsernameDomain(ctx, requestUser, username, domain)
+		// Look for existing mention with username domain target, if so use this.
+		existingMention, ok := existing.GetMentionByUsernameDomain(username, domain)
+		if ok && existingMention.ID != "" {
+			return existingMention, true, nil
+		}
+
+		// Ensure we have the account of the mention target dereferenced.
+		mention.TargetAccount, _, err = d.getAccountByUsernameDomain(ctx,
+			requestUser,
+			username,
+			domain,
+		)
 		if err != nil {
-			err = gtserror.Newf("failed to dereference account %s: %w", mention.NameString, err)
+			err := gtserror.Newf("failed to dereference account %s: %w", mention.NameString, err)
 			return nil, false, err
 		}
 
-		// Look for existing mention with this URI.
-		mention.TargetAccountURI = mention.TargetAccount.URI
-		existingMention, ok := existing.GetMentionByTargetURI(mention.TargetAccountURI)
+		// Look for existing mention with target account's URI, if so use this.
+		existingMention, ok = existing.GetMentionByTargetURI(mention.TargetAccountURI)
 		if ok && existingMention.ID != "" {
 			return existingMention, true, nil
 		}
diff --git a/internal/federation/dereferencing/thread.go b/internal/federation/dereferencing/thread.go
index ed2c1a43f..2be8bfe67 100644
--- a/internal/federation/dereferencing/thread.go
+++ b/internal/federation/dereferencing/thread.go
@@ -237,7 +237,7 @@ func (d *Dereferencer) DereferenceStatusDescendants(ctx context.Context, usernam
 
 	// Keep track of already dereferenced collection
 	// pages for this thread to prevent recursion.
-	derefdPages := make(map[string]struct{}, 10)
+	derefdPages := make(map[string]struct{}, 16)
 
 	// frame represents a single stack frame when
 	// iteratively derefencing status descendants.
diff --git a/internal/gtsmodel/mention.go b/internal/gtsmodel/mention.go
index 7d5516a9f..24e83f904 100644
--- a/internal/gtsmodel/mention.go
+++ b/internal/gtsmodel/mention.go
@@ -49,15 +49,16 @@ type Mention struct {
 	//
 	// This will not be put in the database, it's just for convenience.
 	NameString string `bun:"-"`
+
 	// TargetAccountURI is the AP ID (uri) of the user mentioned.
 	//
 	// This will not be put in the database, it's just for convenience.
 	TargetAccountURI string `bun:"-"`
+
 	// TargetAccountURL is the web url of the user mentioned.
 	//
 	// This will not be put in the database, it's just for convenience.
 	TargetAccountURL string `bun:"-"`
-	// A pointer to the gtsmodel account of the mentioned account.
 }
 
 // ParseMentionFunc describes a function that takes a lowercase account namestring
diff --git a/internal/gtsmodel/status.go b/internal/gtsmodel/status.go
index 9ebbc18c7..91c0ada61 100644
--- a/internal/gtsmodel/status.go
+++ b/internal/gtsmodel/status.go
@@ -184,6 +184,35 @@ func (s *Status) GetMentionByTargetURI(uri string) (*Mention, bool) {
 	return nil, false
 }
 
+// GetMentionByUsernameDomain fetches the Mention associated with given
+// username and domains, typically extracted from a mention Namestring.
+func (s *Status) GetMentionByUsernameDomain(username, domain string) (*Mention, bool) {
+	for _, mention := range s.Mentions {
+
+		// We can only check if target
+		// account is set on the mention.
+		account := mention.TargetAccount
+		if account == nil {
+			continue
+		}
+
+		// Usernames must always match.
+		if account.Username != username {
+			continue
+		}
+
+		// Finally, either domains must
+		// match or an empty domain may
+		// be permitted if account local.
+		if account.Domain == domain ||
+			(domain == "" && account.IsLocal()) {
+			return mention, true
+		}
+	}
+
+	return nil, false
+}
+
 // GetTagByName searches status for Tag{} with name.
 func (s *Status) GetTagByName(name string) (*Tag, bool) {
 	for _, tag := range s.Tags {