diff --git a/database/migrations/2026_11_01_120000_keep_the_author_of_commits_until_deleted_in_code.php b/database/migrations/2026_11_01_120000_keep_the_author_of_commits_until_deleted_in_code.php
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e332567a2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/database/migrations/2026_11_01_120000_keep_the_author_of_commits_until_deleted_in_code.php
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+<?php
+
+declare(strict_types=1);
+
+use Illuminate\Database\Migrations\Migration;
+use Illuminate\Support\Facades\DB;
+
+return new class extends Migration
+{
+    /**
+     * Each statement takes its own lock, as briefly as it can.
+     */
+    public $withinTransaction = false;
+
+    /**
+     * Deleting a profile no longer clears the author of its commits: `DeleteUser` and `DeleteOrganization` clear it in
+     * code first, and a deletion that misses one now fails instead of leaving a live commit without its author. Clearing
+     * it in the database was only there while the code that posted commits without an author was still running.
+     *
+     * The foreign key is replaced in one statement, so commits are never left without one, and checked apart from it,
+     * so the scan doesn't hold up new commits. Safe to run again.
+     */
+    public function up(): void
+    {
+        DB::statement('alter table commits drop constraint if exists commits_author_id_foreign, add constraint commits_author_id_foreign foreign key (author_id) references profiles (id) not valid');
+        DB::statement('alter table commits validate constraint commits_author_id_foreign');
+    }
+};
diff --git a/tests/Unit/Models/ProfileTest.php b/tests/Unit/Models/ProfileTest.php
index 0f876f38d..b8d88edba 100644
--- a/tests/Unit/Models/ProfileTest.php
+++ b/tests/Unit/Models/ProfileTest.php
@@ -2,9 +2,11 @@
 
 declare(strict_types=1);
 
+use App\Models\Commit;
 use App\Models\Organization;
 use App\Models\Profile;
 use App\Models\User;
+use Illuminate\Database\QueryException;
 use Illuminate\Database\UniqueConstraintViolationException;
 
 it('finds a profile by its handle whatever its case, keeping the case GitHub gives it', function (): void {
@@ -19,3 +21,10 @@
 
     expect(fn () => Organization::factory()->create(['handle' => 'Laravel']))->toThrow(UniqueConstraintViolationException::class);
 });
+
+it('never deletes a profile its commits still point to, which the deletion clears in code first', function (): void {
+    $profile = Profile::factory()->create();
+    Commit::factory()->create(['author_id' => $profile->id]);
+
+    expect(fn () => $profile->delete())->toThrow(QueryException::class, 'commits_author_id_foreign');
+});