diff --git a/intake/src/github.ts b/intake/src/github.ts
index d065c20..a1e0eb9 100644
--- a/intake/src/github.ts
+++ b/intake/src/github.ts
@@ -11,9 +11,12 @@ export function github(repo: string, token: string): Issues {
       },
       body: init.body ? JSON.stringify(init.body) : undefined,
     });
+    if (res.status === 404 || res.status === 410) throw new Gone();
     if (!res.ok) throw new Error(`GitHub ${init.method ?? 'GET'} ${path}: ${res.status} ${await res.text()}`);
     return res.json() as Promise<T>;
   }
+  // an issue deleted by hand answers 410 (404 if the repo can't see it any more)
+  class Gone extends Error {}
   type Issue = { number: number; body: string | null };
   return {
     async find(text) {
@@ -23,7 +26,9 @@ export function github(repo: string, token: string): Issues {
     async create(title, body, labels) {
       return (await call<Issue>('/issues', { method: 'POST', body: { title, body, labels } })).number;
     },
-    async read(n) { return (await call<Issue>(`/issues/${n}`)).body ?? ''; },
+    async read(n) {
+      try { return (await call<Issue>(`/issues/${n}`)).body ?? ''; } catch (e) { if (e instanceof Gone) return null; throw e; }
+    },
     async edit(n, body) { await call(`/issues/${n}`, { method: 'PATCH', body: { body } }); },
   };
 }
diff --git a/intake/src/run.ts b/intake/src/run.ts
index cc61208..69d3ddc 100644
--- a/intake/src/run.ts
+++ b/intake/src/run.ts
@@ -20,7 +20,8 @@ export interface Issues {
   /** An issue whose text holds `text`, among the newest ones. */
   find(text: string): Promise<number | null>;
   create(title: string, body: string, labels: string[]): Promise<number>;
-  read(n: number): Promise<string>;
+  /** The issue's text, or null if it was deleted. */
+  read(n: number): Promise<string | null>;
   edit(n: number, body: string): Promise<void>;
 }
 export type FileName = 'shot.jpg' | 'ui.jpg' | 'save.json';
@@ -63,7 +64,8 @@ export async function run(store: Store, issues: Issues, files: Files, now = Date
 
   // a week on: the issue keeps the note, and says the picture and the save are gone
   for (const old of await store.expired(now - KEEP_MS)) {
-    if (old.issue) await issues.edit(old.issue, expired(await issues.read(old.issue)));
+    const text = old.issue ? await issues.read(old.issue) : null;
+    if (old.issue && text !== null) await issues.edit(old.issue, expired(text));
     await store.remove(old.id);
     done.expired++;
   }
diff --git a/test/intake.test.ts b/test/intake.test.ts
index 54f0950..548260f 100644
--- a/test/intake.test.ts
+++ b/test/intake.test.ts
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ function services(reports: StoredReport[], old: { id: string; issue?: number }[]
   const issues: Issues = {
     async find(text) { return [...existing].find(([, b]) => b.includes(text))?.[0] ?? null; },
     async create(t, b, labels) { made.push({ title: t, body: b, labels }); existing.set(100 + made.length, b); return 100 + made.length; },
-    async read(n) { return existing.get(n) ?? ''; },
+    async read(n) { return existing.get(n) ?? null; },
     async edit(n, b) { edits.set(n, b); },
   };
   const put: string[] = [], log: string[] = [];
@@ -100,6 +100,13 @@ describe('the intake', () => {
     expect(s.edits.get(3)).toBe('_Picture deleted after 7 days._');
     expect(s.removed).toEqual(['old', 'lost']);
   });
+
+  it('a week on, still deletes the report when its issue was deleted by hand', async () => {
+    const s = services([], [{ id: 'gone', issue: 2 }, { id: 'old', issue: 3 }]);
+    expect((await run(s.store, s.issues, s.files, NOW)).expired).toBe(2);
+    expect([...s.edits.keys()]).toEqual([3]);
+    expect(s.removed).toEqual(['gone', 'old']);
+  });
 });
 
 describe("a player's words in an issue", () => {