diff --git a/components/comment.js b/components/comment.js
index 56b7b15f4a..2e3424fd39 100644
--- a/components/comment.js
+++ b/components/comment.js
@@ -136,6 +136,7 @@ export default function Comment ({
       ? 'OPG'
       : null
   const bountyPaid = root.bountyPaidTo?.includes(Number(item.id))
+  const replyRef = useRef()
 
   return (
     <div
@@ -156,6 +157,9 @@ export default function Comment ({
               commentTextSingular='reply'
               className={`${itemStyles.other} ${styles.other}`}
               embellishUser={op && <><span> </span><Badge bg='boost' className={`${styles.op} bg-opacity-75`}>{op}</Badge></>}
+              onQuoteReply={() => {
+                replyRef.current?.quoteReply?.()
+              }}
               extraInfo={
                 <>
                   {includeParent && <Parent item={item} rootText={rootText} />}
@@ -211,7 +215,7 @@ export default function Comment ({
           : (
             <div className={styles.children}>
               {!noReply &&
-                <Reply depth={depth + 1} item={item} replyOpen={replyOpen}>
+                <Reply depth={depth + 1} item={item} replyOpen={replyOpen} innerRef={replyRef}>
                   {root.bounty && !bountyPaid && <PayBounty item={item} />}
                 </Reply>}
               {children}
diff --git a/components/form.js b/components/form.js
index c94bbf0c96..27278baac3 100644
--- a/components/form.js
+++ b/components/form.js
@@ -483,7 +483,7 @@ export function Checkbox ({ children, label, groupClassName, hiddenLabel, extra,
 const StorageKeyPrefixContext = createContext()
 
 export function Form ({
-  initial, schema, onSubmit, children, initialError, validateImmediately, storageKeyPrefix, validateOnChange = true, invoiceable, ...props
+  initial, schema, onSubmit, children, initialError, validateImmediately, storageKeyPrefix, validateOnChange = true, invoiceable, innerRef, ...props
 }) {
   const toaster = useToast()
   const initialErrorToasted = useRef(false)
@@ -538,6 +538,7 @@ export function Form ({
           toaster.danger(err.message || err.toString?.())
         }
       }}
+      innerRef={innerRef}
     >
       <FormikForm {...props} noValidate>
         <StorageKeyPrefixContext.Provider value={storageKeyPrefix}>
diff --git a/components/item-full.js b/components/item-full.js
index d93493a396..29902ebe0f 100644
--- a/components/item-full.js
+++ b/components/item-full.js
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ import Button from 'react-bootstrap/Button'
 import { TwitterTweetEmbed } from 'react-twitter-embed'
 import YouTube from 'react-youtube'
 import useDarkMode from './dark-mode'
-import { useEffect, useState } from 'react'
+import { useEffect, useRef, useState } from 'react'
 import Poll from './poll'
 import { commentsViewed } from '../lib/new-comments'
 import Related from './related'
@@ -121,10 +121,12 @@ function FwdUsers ({ forwards }) {
 
 function TopLevelItem ({ item, noReply, ...props }) {
   const ItemComponent = item.isJob ? ItemJob : Item
+  const replyRef = useRef()
 
   return (
     <ItemComponent
       item={item}
+      replyRef={replyRef}
       full
       right={
         !noReply &&
@@ -156,7 +158,7 @@ function TopLevelItem ({ item, noReply, ...props }) {
       </div>
       {!noReply &&
         <>
-          <Reply item={item} replyOpen placeholder={item.ncomments ? undefined : 'start the conversation ...'} />
+          <Reply item={item} replyOpen placeholder={item.ncomments ? undefined : 'start the conversation ...'} innerRef={replyRef} />
           {!item.position && !item.isJob && !item.parentId && !item.bounty > 0 && <Related title={item.title} itemId={item.id} />}
           {item.bounty > 0 && <PastBounties item={item} />}
         </>}
diff --git a/components/item-info.js b/components/item-info.js
index b65f18f86e..37967222cb 100644
--- a/components/item-info.js
+++ b/components/item-info.js
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import Link from 'next/link'
 import { useRouter } from 'next/router'
 import { useEffect, useState } from 'react'
 import Badge from 'react-bootstrap/Badge'
+import Dropdown from 'react-bootstrap/Dropdown'
 import Countdown from './countdown'
 import { abbrNum, numWithUnits } from '../lib/format'
 import { newComments, commentsViewedAt } from '../lib/new-comments'
@@ -19,7 +20,8 @@ import ActionDropdown from './action-dropdown'
 
 export default function ItemInfo ({
   item, pendingSats, full, commentsText = 'comments',
-  commentTextSingular = 'comment', className, embellishUser, extraInfo, onEdit, editText
+  commentTextSingular = 'comment', className, embellishUser, extraInfo, onEdit, editText,
+  onQuoteReply
 }) {
   const editThreshold = new Date(item.createdAt).getTime() + 10 * 60000
   const me = useMe()
@@ -140,6 +142,8 @@ export default function ItemInfo ({
           !item.mine && !item.deletedAt && <DontLikeThisDropdownItem id={item.id} />}
         {item.mine && !item.position && !item.deletedAt &&
           <DeleteDropdownItem itemId={item.id} type={item.title ? 'post' : 'comment'} />}
+        {(item.parentId || item.text) && onQuoteReply &&
+          <Dropdown.Item onClick={onQuoteReply}>quote reply</Dropdown.Item>}
       </ActionDropdown>
       {extraInfo}
     </div>
diff --git a/components/item.js b/components/item.js
index 02fd0c8abc..03aa7ca642 100644
--- a/components/item.js
+++ b/components/item.js
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ export function SearchTitle ({ title }) {
   })
 }
 
-export default function Item ({ item, rank, belowTitle, right, full, children, siblingComments }) {
+export default function Item ({ item, rank, belowTitle, right, full, children, siblingComments, replyRef }) {
   const titleRef = useRef()
   const router = useRouter()
   const [pendingSats, setPendingSats] = useState(0)
@@ -85,6 +85,9 @@ export default function Item ({ item, rank, belowTitle, right, full, children, s
           </div>
           <ItemInfo
             full={full} item={item} pendingSats={pendingSats}
+            onQuoteReply={() => {
+              replyRef?.current?.quoteReply?.()
+            }}
             embellishUser={Number(item?.user?.id) === AD_USER_ID && <Badge className={styles.newComment} bg={null}>AD</Badge>}
           />
           {belowTitle}
diff --git a/components/reply.js b/components/reply.js
index 859a695eed..91c1cead23 100644
--- a/components/reply.js
+++ b/components/reply.js
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import FeeButton from './fee-button'
 import { commentsViewedAfterComment } from '../lib/new-comments'
 import { commentSchema } from '../lib/validate'
 import Info from './info'
+import { quote } from '../lib/md'
 
 export function ReplyOnAnotherPage ({ parentId }) {
   return (
@@ -33,10 +34,32 @@ function FreebieDialog () {
   )
 }
 
-export default function Reply ({ item, onSuccess, replyOpen, children, placeholder }) {
+export default function Reply ({ item, onSuccess, replyOpen, children, placeholder, innerRef }) {
   const [reply, setReply] = useState(replyOpen)
   const me = useMe()
   const parentId = item.id
+  const replyInput = useRef(null)
+  const formInnerRef = useRef()
+  const quoteReply = useCallback(() => {
+    if (!reply) {
+      setReply(true)
+    }
+    let updatedValue
+    if (formInnerRef.current && formInnerRef.current.values && !formInnerRef.current.values.text) {
+      updatedValue = quote(item.text)
+    } else if (formInnerRef.current?.values?.text) {
+      // append quote reply text if the input already has content
+      updatedValue = `${replyInput.current.value}\n${quote(item.text)}`
+    }
+    if (updatedValue) {
+      replyInput.current.value = updatedValue
+      formInnerRef.current.setValues({ text: updatedValue })
+      window.localStorage.setItem(`reply-${parentId}-text`, updatedValue)
+    }
+  }, [reply, item])
+  if (innerRef) {
+    innerRef.current = { quoteReply }
+  }
 
   useEffect(() => {
     setReply(replyOpen || !!window.localStorage.getItem('reply-' + parentId + '-' + 'text'))
@@ -96,7 +119,6 @@ export default function Reply ({ item, onSuccess, replyOpen, children, placehold
     setReply(replyOpen || false)
   }, [upsertComment, setReply, parentId])
 
-  const replyInput = useRef(null)
   useEffect(() => {
     if (replyInput.current && reply && !replyOpen) replyInput.current.focus()
   }, [reply])
@@ -115,35 +137,35 @@ export default function Reply ({ item, onSuccess, replyOpen, children, placehold
             {/* HACK if we need more items, we should probably do a comment toolbar */}
             {children}
           </div>)}
-      {reply &&
-        <div className={styles.reply}>
-          <Form
-            initial={{
-              text: ''
-            }}
-            schema={commentSchema}
-            invoiceable
-            onSubmit={onSubmit}
-            storageKeyPrefix={'reply-' + parentId}
-          >
-            <MarkdownInput
-              name='text'
-              minRows={6}
-              autoFocus={!replyOpen}
-              required
-              placeholder={placeholder}
-              hint={me?.sats < 1 && <FreebieDialog />}
-              innerRef={replyInput}
-            />
-            {reply &&
-              <div className='mt-1'>
-                <FeeButton
-                  baseFee={1} parentId={parentId} text='reply'
-                  ChildButton={SubmitButton} variant='secondary' alwaysShow
-                />
-              </div>}
-          </Form>
-        </div>}
+      <div className={styles.reply} style={{ display: reply ? 'block' : 'none' }}>
+        <Form
+          initial={{
+            text: ''
+          }}
+          schema={commentSchema}
+          invoiceable
+          onSubmit={onSubmit}
+          storageKeyPrefix={`reply-${parentId}`}
+          innerRef={formInnerRef}
+        >
+          <MarkdownInput
+            name='text'
+            minRows={6}
+            autoFocus={!replyOpen}
+            required
+            placeholder={placeholder}
+            hint={me?.sats < 1 && <FreebieDialog />}
+            innerRef={replyInput}
+          />
+          {reply &&
+            <div className='mt-1'>
+              <FeeButton
+                baseFee={1} parentId={parentId} text='reply'
+                ChildButton={SubmitButton} variant='secondary' alwaysShow
+              />
+            </div>}
+        </Form>
+      </div>
     </div>
   )
 }
diff --git a/lib/md.js b/lib/md.js
index 1084e274e4..b15e69b588 100644
--- a/lib/md.js
+++ b/lib/md.js
@@ -35,3 +35,8 @@ export function extractUrls (md) {
 
   return Array.from(urls)
 }
+
+export const quote = (orig) => 
+  orig.split('\n')
+    .map(line => `> ${line}`)
+    .join('\n')
\ No newline at end of file