# 'Delete Stub' timer not removed if split posts are re-added to the topic
**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/delete-stub-timer-not-removed-if-split-posts-are-re-added-to-the-topic/263791
**Category:** UX
**Tags:** moderation, topic-timers
**Created:** [May 4, 2023, 9:12am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/delete-stub-timer-not-removed-if-split-posts-are-re-added-to-the-topic/263791 "2023-05-04T09:12:33Z")
**Posts on this page:** 3
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Sky020](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Sky020)
#### Post date: [May 4, 2023, 9:12am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/delete-stub-timer-not-removed-if-split-posts-are-re-added-to-the-topic/263791/1 "2023-05-04T09:12:33Z")
Hello all,
**Severity**
Inconvenient. Unknown number of users impacted.
**TLDR**
Moving a topic’s posts into a different topic, then moving posts back to their old topic causes the posts to be deleted.
**Bug**
Moving all the posts within a topic to another topic activates a timer to delete the (now) empty topic. However, moving posts back into the (previously) empty topic does not remove the timer. So, posts are silently deleted.
**Description**
I was consolidating a lot of topics into one [collated topic](https://forum.freecodecamp.org/t/collation-codeally-status/606232), and accidentally placed a topic that should not have been in there in there. This was brought to my attention, so I moved the relevant posts back into their original topic.
Silently, three days later, the original topic automatically deleted itself:
**Expected Behaviour**
The timer would be cancelled, because the topic has posts again, and is not closed anymore.
**To Reproduce**
1. Create/find topic with multiple posts
2. Move all posts into new/existing topic
3. Move all posts back into original topic
4. Wait 3 days
5. See original topic get deleted
_I assume the 3 days is configurable 🤷♂️ . Although, if they were, then I suppose Jesus would have changed the config too._
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### Author:  [@maiki](https://meta.discourse.org/u/maiki)
#### Post date: [May 4, 2023, 3:51pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/delete-stub-timer-not-removed-if-split-posts-are-re-added-to-the-topic/263791/2 "2023-05-04T15:51:17Z")
Hi @Sky020. 👋 Thanks for explaining the steps involved.
Would you say this happens often? The timer being set is a shortcut step for a common action (delete the stump topic left behind), but we don’t have a corresponding shortcut for moving posts back, and it isn’t clear what the default should be, as different editorial workflows may operate different in that instance.
I don’t think this is a bug, but if you are bumping into this over and over, we can discuss and see if there is a way to make it smoother in this area. 🙂
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### Author:  [@Sky020](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Sky020)
#### Post date: [May 8, 2023, 1:24pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/delete-stub-timer-not-removed-if-split-posts-are-re-added-to-the-topic/263791/3 "2023-05-08T13:24:54Z")
👋
> [@maiki](#):
>
> Would you say this happens often?
No. I have been a moderator for a few years, and this is the first time it negatively (unexpectedly) affected me.
I suspect this has happened to other posts - I vaguely recall moving then unmoving topics, in the past.
> [@maiki](#):
>
> …different editorial workflows may operate different in that instance.
I suppose any change would be considered backwards- **in** compatible.
If this is not considered a bug, then I am happy with this “report” being resolved. Thank you for checking in to this.