diff --git a/assets/reader.css b/assets/reader.css
index 1988295..40c414f 100644
--- a/assets/reader.css
+++ b/assets/reader.css
@@ -351,6 +351,12 @@
   margin-left: 0.2em;
 }
 
+.ap-card__visibility {
+  font-size: var(--font-size-xs);
+  margin-left: 0.3em;
+  opacity: 0.7;
+}
+
 .ap-card__timestamp-link {
   color: inherit;
   text-decoration: none;
diff --git a/lib/controllers/post-detail.js b/lib/controllers/post-detail.js
index 90776d0..a79304a 100644
--- a/lib/controllers/post-detail.js
+++ b/lib/controllers/post-detail.js
@@ -62,51 +62,87 @@ async function loadParentChain(ctx, documentLoader, timelineCol, parentUrl, maxD
   return parents;
 }
 
-// Load replies collection (best-effort)
-async function loadReplies(object, ctx, documentLoader, timelineCol, maxReplies = 10) {
-  const replies = [];
+// Load local replies from ap_timeline (items where inReplyTo matches this post)
+async function loadLocalReplies(timelineCol, postUrl, postUid, maxReplies = 20) {
+  if (!timelineCol) return [];
 
-  try {
-    const repliesCollection = await object.getReplies({ documentLoader });
-    if (!repliesCollection) return replies;
+  const matchUrls = [postUrl, postUid].filter(Boolean);
+  if (matchUrls.length === 0) return [];
 
-    let items = [];
+  const localReplies = await timelineCol
+    .find({ inReplyTo: { $in: matchUrls } })
+    .sort({ published: 1 })
+    .limit(maxReplies)
+    .toArray();
+
+  return localReplies;
+}
+
+// Load replies collection (best-effort) — merges local + remote
+async function loadReplies(object, ctx, documentLoader, timelineCol, maxReplies = 20) {
+  const postUrl = object?.id?.href || object?.url?.href;
+
+  // Start with local replies already in our timeline (from organic inbox delivery
+  // or reply chain fetching). These are fast and free — no network requests.
+  const seenUrls = new Set();
+  const replies = await loadLocalReplies(timelineCol, postUrl, postUrl, maxReplies);
+  for (const r of replies) {
+    if (r.uid) seenUrls.add(r.uid);
+    if (r.url) seenUrls.add(r.url);
+  }
+
+  // Supplement with remote replies collection (may contain items we don't have locally)
+  if (object && replies.length < maxReplies) {
     try {
-      items = await repliesCollection.getItems({ documentLoader });
-    } catch {
-      return replies;
-    }
+      const repliesCollection = await object.getReplies({ documentLoader });
+      if (repliesCollection) {
+        let items = [];
+        try {
+          items = await repliesCollection.getItems({ documentLoader });
+        } catch {
+          // Remote fetch failed — continue with local replies only
+        }
 
-    for (const replyItem of items.slice(0, maxReplies)) {
-      try {
-        const replyUrl = replyItem.id?.href || replyItem.url?.href;
-        if (!replyUrl) continue;
+        for (const replyItem of items.slice(0, maxReplies - replies.length)) {
+          try {
+            const replyUrl = replyItem.id?.href || replyItem.url?.href;
+            if (!replyUrl || seenUrls.has(replyUrl)) continue;
+            seenUrls.add(replyUrl);
 
-        // Check timeline first
-        let reply = timelineCol
-          ? await timelineCol.findOne({
-              $or: [{ uid: replyUrl }, { url: replyUrl }],
-            })
-          : null;
+            // Check timeline first
+            let reply = timelineCol
+              ? await timelineCol.findOne({
+                  $or: [{ uid: replyUrl }, { url: replyUrl }],
+                })
+              : null;
 
-        if (!reply) {
-          // Extract from the item we already have
-          if (replyItem instanceof Note || replyItem instanceof Article) {
-            reply = await extractObjectData(replyItem);
+            if (!reply) {
+              // Extract from the item we already have
+              if (replyItem instanceof Note || replyItem instanceof Article) {
+                reply = await extractObjectData(replyItem);
+              }
+            }
+
+            if (reply) {
+              replies.push(reply);
+            }
+          } catch {
+            continue; // Skip failed replies
           }
         }
-
-        if (reply) {
-          replies.push(reply);
-        }
-      } catch {
-        continue; // Skip failed replies
       }
+    } catch {
+      // getReplies() failed or not available
     }
-  } catch {
-    // getReplies() failed or not available
   }
 
+  // Sort all replies chronologically
+  replies.sort((a, b) => {
+    const dateA = a.published || "";
+    const dateB = b.published || "";
+    return dateA < dateB ? -1 : dateA > dateB ? 1 : 0;
+  });
+
   return replies;
 }
 
diff --git a/lib/storage/timeline.js b/lib/storage/timeline.js
index 515f6c9..109c5d4 100644
--- a/lib/storage/timeline.js
+++ b/lib/storage/timeline.js
@@ -73,6 +73,18 @@ export async function getTimelineItems(collections, options = {}) {
 
   const query = {};
 
+  // Exclude context-only items (ancestors fetched for thread reconstruction)
+  // unless explicitly requested via options.includeContext
+  if (!options.includeContext) {
+    query.isContext = { $ne: true };
+  }
+
+  // Exclude private/direct posts from the main timeline feed —
+  // these belong in messages/notifications, not the public reader
+  if (!options.includePrivate) {
+    query.visibility = { $nin: ["private", "direct"] };
+  }
+
   // Type filter
   if (options.type) {
     query.type = options.type;
@@ -252,7 +264,11 @@ export async function countNewItems(collections, after, options = {}) {
   const { ap_timeline } = collections;
   if (!after || Number.isNaN(new Date(after).getTime())) return 0;
 
-  const query = { published: { $gt: after } };
+  const query = {
+    published: { $gt: after },
+    isContext: { $ne: true },
+    visibility: { $nin: ["private", "direct"] },
+  };
   if (options.type) query.type = options.type;
   if (options.excludeReplies) {
     query.$or = [
@@ -289,5 +305,9 @@ export async function markItemsRead(collections, uids) {
  */
 export async function countUnreadItems(collections) {
   const { ap_timeline } = collections;
-  return await ap_timeline.countDocuments({ read: { $ne: true } });
+  return await ap_timeline.countDocuments({
+    read: { $ne: true },
+    isContext: { $ne: true },
+    visibility: { $nin: ["private", "direct"] },
+  });
 }
diff --git a/views/partials/ap-item-card.njk b/views/partials/ap-item-card.njk
index 6c77c21..7485502 100644
--- a/views/partials/ap-item-card.njk
+++ b/views/partials/ap-item-card.njk
@@ -65,6 +65,9 @@
         </time>
         {% if item.updated %}<span class="ap-card__edited" title="{{ item.updated | date('PPp') }}">✏️</span>{% endif %}
       </a>
+      {% if item.visibility and item.visibility != "public" %}
+        <span class="ap-card__visibility ap-card__visibility--{{ item.visibility }}" title="{% if item.visibility == 'unlisted' %}{{ __('activitypub.reader.compose.visibilityUnlisted') }}{% elif item.visibility == 'private' %}{{ __('activitypub.reader.compose.visibilityFollowers') }}{% elif item.visibility == 'direct' %}DM{% endif %}">{% if item.visibility == "unlisted" %}🔓{% elif item.visibility == "private" %}🔒{% elif item.visibility == "direct" %}✉️{% endif %}</span>
+      {% endif %}
     {% endif %}
   </header>