diff --git a/waku/persistency/backend_comm.nim b/waku/persistency/backend_comm.nim
index dd7e71297..193e52825 100644
--- a/waku/persistency/backend_comm.nim
+++ b/waku/persistency/backend_comm.nim
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ proc mtMarshalValue*(
   of txPut:
     if not mtMarshalValue(buf, cap, value.payload, pos):
       return false
-  of txDelete:
+  of txDelete, txDeletePrefix:
     discard
   return true
 
@@ -93,6 +93,8 @@ proc mtUnmarshalValue*(
     value = TxOp(category: category, key: key, kind: txPut, payload: payload)
   of txDelete:
     value = TxOp(category: category, key: key, kind: txDelete)
+  of txDeletePrefix:
+    value = TxOp(category: category, key: key, kind: txDeletePrefix)
   return true
 
 EventBroker(mt):
diff --git a/waku/persistency/backend_sqlite.nim b/waku/persistency/backend_sqlite.nim
index 6851febc1..95757bc2c 100644
--- a/waku/persistency/backend_sqlite.nim
+++ b/waku/persistency/backend_sqlite.nim
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 import std/options
 import results, sqlite3_abi
 import ../common/databases/[common, db_sqlite]
-import ./[types, schema]
+import ./[types, keys, schema]
 
 type
   KvBackend* = ref object
@@ -121,6 +121,37 @@ proc close*(b: KvBackend) =
     b.db.close()
     b.db = nil
 
+proc deletePrefix(
+    b: KvBackend, category: string, prefix: Key
+): Result[void, PersistencyError] =
+  let rng = prefixRange(prefix)
+  let openEnded = bytes(rng.stop).len == 0
+  let sql =
+    if openEnded:
+      "DELETE FROM kv WHERE category = ? AND key >= ?;"
+    else:
+      "DELETE FROM kv WHERE category = ? AND key >= ? AND key < ?;"
+  var s: ptr sqlite3_stmt
+  let rc = sqlite3_prepare_v2(b.db.env, sql.cstring, sql.len.cint, addr s, nil)
+  if rc != SQLITE_OK:
+    return err(toErr("deletePrefix prepare: " & $sqlite3_errstr(rc)))
+  defer:
+    discard sqlite3_finalize(s)
+  var bc = bindBlob(s, 1.cint, catBytes(category))
+  if bc != SQLITE_OK:
+    return err(toErr("deletePrefix bind cat: " & $sqlite3_errstr(bc)))
+  bc = bindBlob(s, 2.cint, keyBytes(rng.start))
+  if bc != SQLITE_OK:
+    return err(toErr("deletePrefix bind start: " & $sqlite3_errstr(bc)))
+  if not openEnded:
+    bc = bindBlob(s, 3.cint, keyBytes(rng.stop))
+    if bc != SQLITE_OK:
+      return err(toErr("deletePrefix bind stop: " & $sqlite3_errstr(bc)))
+  let v = sqlite3_step(s)
+  if v != SQLITE_DONE:
+    return err(toErr("deletePrefix step: " & $sqlite3_errstr(v)))
+  return ok()
+
 proc applyOne(b: KvBackend, op: TxOp): Result[void, PersistencyError] =
   case op.kind
   of txPut:
@@ -131,6 +162,8 @@ proc applyOne(b: KvBackend, op: TxOp): Result[void, PersistencyError] =
     let r = b.deleteStmt.exec((catBytes(op.category), keyBytes(op.key)))
     if r.isErr:
       return err(toErr("delete failed: " & r.error))
+  of txDeletePrefix:
+    ?b.deletePrefix(op.category, op.key)
   return ok()
 
 proc execSql(b: KvBackend, sql: string): Result[void, PersistencyError] =
diff --git a/waku/persistency/persistency.nim b/waku/persistency/persistency.nim
index 916f3ac8b..1e070dbb5 100644
--- a/waku/persistency/persistency.nim
+++ b/waku/persistency/persistency.nim
@@ -284,6 +284,11 @@ proc persistPut*(
 proc persistDelete*(t: Job, category: string, key: Key): Future[void] {.async.} =
   await persist(t, TxOp(category: category, key: key, kind: txDelete))
 
+proc persistDeletePrefix*(
+    t: Job, category: string, prefix: Key
+): Future[void] {.async.} =
+  await persist(t, TxOp(category: category, key: prefix, kind: txDeletePrefix))
+
 proc persistEncoded*[T](
     t: Job, category: string, key: Key, value: T
 ): Future[void] {.async.} =
@@ -335,6 +340,13 @@ proc persistDelete*(
   if not j.isNil():
     await j.persistDelete(category, key)
 
+proc persistDeletePrefix*(
+    p: Persistency, jobId: string, category: string, prefix: Key
+): Future[void] {.async.} =
+  let j = p.jobOrWarn(jobId)
+  if not j.isNil():
+    await j.persistDeletePrefix(category, prefix)
+
 proc persistEncoded*[T](
     p: Persistency, jobId: string, category: string, key: Key, value: T
 ): Future[void] {.async.} =
diff --git a/waku/persistency/sds_persistency.nim b/waku/persistency/sds_persistency.nim
index a52b7b4e9..44d551814 100644
--- a/waku/persistency/sds_persistency.nim
+++ b/waku/persistency/sds_persistency.nim
@@ -75,6 +75,32 @@ BlobCodec(IncomingMessage)
 BlobCodec(OutgoingRepairEntry)
 BlobCodec(IncomingRepairEntry)
 
+# ── Write helpers ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+#
+# The Persistence write fields are async with `raises: []`, but the Job ops
+# raise `CatchableError`. These wrappers trap and log so the closures stay
+# raise-free, preserving the "errors are logged, never raised" contract.
+
+proc safePut(
+    job: Job, category: string, k: Key, payload: seq[byte]
+) {.async: (raises: []).} =
+  try:
+    await job.persistPut(category, k, payload)
+  except CatchableError as e:
+    warn "sds-persistency: put failed", category, err = e.msg
+
+proc safeDelete(job: Job, category: string, k: Key) {.async: (raises: []).} =
+  try:
+    await job.persistDelete(category, k)
+  except CatchableError as e:
+    warn "sds-persistency: delete failed", category, err = e.msg
+
+proc safePersist(job: Job, ops: seq[TxOp]) {.async: (raises: []).} =
+  try:
+    await job.persist(ops)
+  except CatchableError as e:
+    warn "sds-persistency: persist batch failed", opCount = ops.len, err = e.msg
+
 # ── Async backing procs ─────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
 proc doLoadAll(job: Job, channelId: SdsChannelID): Future[ChannelSnapshot] {.async.} =
@@ -154,53 +180,26 @@ proc doLoadAll(job: Job, channelId: SdsChannelID): Future[ChannelSnapshot] {.asy
   return snap
 
 proc doDropChannel(job: Job, channelId: SdsChannelID): Future[void] {.async.} =
-  ## Collect every row belonging to the channel and submit them as a single
-  ## TxOp batch — the backend applies that as one BEGIN IMMEDIATE/COMMIT,
-  ## which is the atomicity the SDS contract asks for.
+  ## Delete every row belonging to the channel in one transactional batch.
+  ## Uses txDeletePrefix to push bulk deletes to the worker thread — no
+  ## caller-side scans needed. Hint rows (keyed by msgId, not channelId)
+  ## are not cleaned here; they are cascade-deleted by removeLogEntry during
+  ## normal rolling-history eviction, so by the time a channel is dropped
+  ## the only remaining hints belong to the still-live log tail. Those
+  ## become harmless orphans (never reloaded — hints are re-derived on
+  ## demand from the onRetrievalHint callback).
   let chanKey = toKey(channelId)
-  var ops: seq[TxOp] = @[]
-  var hintIds: seq[SdsMessageID] = @[]
-
-  let cats = [CatLog, CatOutgoing, CatIncoming, CatOutRepair, CatInRepair]
-  for cat in cats:
-    let rows = (await job.scanPrefix(cat, chanKey)).valueOr:
-      warn "sds-persistency: scan during drop failed",
-        channelId, category = cat, err = $error
-      continue
-    for row in rows:
-      ops.add(TxOp(category: cat, key: row.key, kind: txDelete))
-      if cat == CatLog:
-        try:
-          hintIds.add(fromBlob(row.payload, SdsMessage).messageId)
-        except ValueError:
-          discard
-
-  ops.add(TxOp(category: CatLamport, key: chanKey, kind: txDelete))
-  for id in hintIds:
-    ops.add(TxOp(category: CatHint, key: toKey(id), kind: txDelete))
-
-  if ops.len > 0:
-    await job.persist(ops)
-
-# ── Write helpers ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────
-#
-# The Persistence write fields are async with `raises: []`, but the Job ops
-# raise `CatchableError`. These wrappers trap and log so the closures stay
-# raise-free, preserving the "errors are logged, never raised" contract.
-
-proc safePut(
-    job: Job, category: string, k: Key, payload: seq[byte]
-) {.async: (raises: []).} =
-  try:
-    await job.persistPut(category, k, payload)
-  except CatchableError as e:
-    warn "sds-persistency: put failed", category, err = e.msg
-
-proc safeDelete(job: Job, category: string, k: Key) {.async: (raises: []).} =
-  try:
-    await job.persistDelete(category, k)
-  except CatchableError as e:
-    warn "sds-persistency: delete failed", category, err = e.msg
+  await safePersist(
+    job,
+    @[
+      TxOp(category: CatLog, key: chanKey, kind: txDeletePrefix),
+      TxOp(category: CatOutgoing, key: chanKey, kind: txDeletePrefix),
+      TxOp(category: CatIncoming, key: chanKey, kind: txDeletePrefix),
+      TxOp(category: CatOutRepair, key: chanKey, kind: txDeletePrefix),
+      TxOp(category: CatInRepair, key: chanKey, kind: txDeletePrefix),
+      TxOp(category: CatLamport, key: chanKey, kind: txDelete),
+    ],
+  )
 
 # ── Public factory ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
@@ -233,7 +232,15 @@ proc newSdsPersistence*(job: Job): Persistence {.gcsafe, raises: [].} =
   persistence.removeLogEntry = proc(
       channelId: SdsChannelID, msgId: SdsMessageID
   ): Future[void] {.async: (raises: []), gcsafe.} =
-    await safeDelete(job, CatLog, key(channelId, msgId))
+    # Atomic batch: delete the log row and its associated retrieval hint in
+    # one transaction so they can't diverge.
+    await safePersist(
+      job,
+      @[
+        TxOp(category: CatLog, key: key(channelId, msgId), kind: txDelete),
+        TxOp(category: CatHint, key: toKey(msgId), kind: txDelete),
+      ],
+    )
 
   persistence.setRetrievalHint = proc(
       msgId: SdsMessageID, hint: seq[byte]
diff --git a/waku/persistency/types.nim b/waku/persistency/types.nim
index 4c4c2de3f..0fdf12af0 100644
--- a/waku/persistency/types.nim
+++ b/waku/persistency/types.nim
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ type
   TxOpKind* = enum
     txPut
     txDelete
+    txDeletePrefix
 
   TxOp* = object
     category*: string
@@ -28,6 +29,8 @@ type
       payload*: seq[byte]
     of txDelete:
       discard
+    of txDeletePrefix:
+      discard
 
   PersistencyErrorKind* = enum
     peBackend