diff --git a/src/database/persona_dao.rs b/src/database/persona_dao.rs
index f4a2939..23a8ec0 100644
--- a/src/database/persona_dao.rs
+++ b/src/database/persona_dao.rs
@@ -366,12 +366,28 @@ impl PersonaDao for SqlitePersonaDao {
         pid: &str,
     ) -> Result<bool, DbError> {
         trace_db_call(cx, "delete", "delete_persona", |_span| {
-            use schema::personas::dsl::*;
             let mut conn = self.connection.lock().expect("PersonaDao lock");
-            let n = diesel::delete(personas.filter(user_id.eq(uid)).filter(persona_id.eq(pid)))
-                .execute(conn.deref_mut())
-                .map_err(|e| anyhow::anyhow!("Delete error: {}", e))?;
-            Ok(n > 0)
+            // One transaction so a persona and its conversations can't get
+            // out of step. There is no FK between the two tables, and the
+            // chat list skips conversations whose persona is gone — so
+            // without this the transcripts would linger invisibly forever.
+            conn.deref_mut().transaction::<_, anyhow::Error, _>(|tx| {
+                {
+                    use schema::persona_chat_conversations::dsl::*;
+                    diesel::delete(
+                        persona_chat_conversations
+                            .filter(user_id.eq(uid))
+                            .filter(persona_id.eq(pid)),
+                    )
+                    .execute(tx)
+                    .map_err(|e| anyhow::anyhow!("Delete error: {}", e))?;
+                }
+                use schema::personas::dsl::*;
+                let n = diesel::delete(personas.filter(user_id.eq(uid)).filter(persona_id.eq(pid)))
+                    .execute(tx)
+                    .map_err(|e| anyhow::anyhow!("Delete error: {}", e))?;
+                Ok(n > 0)
+            })
         })
         .map_err(|e| DbError::log(DbErrorKind::QueryError, e))
     }
@@ -861,6 +877,34 @@ mod tests {
         assert!(dao.list_persona_chats(&cx, uid).unwrap().is_empty());
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn deleting_a_persona_takes_its_conversations_with_it() {
+        // No FK between the tables, and the chat list hides conversations
+        // whose persona is gone — so an orphan row would be an invisible,
+        // unreachable transcript sitting in the database forever.
+        let cx = opentelemetry::Context::new();
+        let (mut dao, uid) = dao_with_user("p-cascade");
+        dao.create_persona(&cx, uid, "custom-1", "Custom", "prompt", false, false)
+            .unwrap();
+        dao.create_persona_chat(&cx, uid, "custom-1", 100).unwrap();
+        dao.create_persona_chat(&cx, uid, "custom-1", 200).unwrap();
+        let survivor = dao.create_persona_chat(&cx, uid, "other", 300).unwrap();
+
+        assert!(dao.delete_persona(&cx, uid, "custom-1").unwrap());
+
+        let remaining: Vec<String> = dao
+            .list_persona_chats(&cx, uid)
+            .unwrap()
+            .into_iter()
+            .map(|r| r.conversation_id)
+            .collect();
+        assert_eq!(
+            remaining,
+            vec![survivor],
+            "only the untouched persona's conversation survives"
+        );
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn persona_chat_reads_and_writes_are_scoped_to_the_owner() {
         // A conversation_id is a bearer token for someone's transcript, so