diff --git a/crates/buzz-relay/src/handlers/ingest.rs b/crates/buzz-relay/src/handlers/ingest.rs
index 9b95218a026..b95873952bf 100644
--- a/crates/buzz-relay/src/handlers/ingest.rs
+++ b/crates/buzz-relay/src/handlers/ingest.rs
@@ -2781,14 +2781,17 @@ async fn ingest_event_inner(
     }
 
     if channel_id.is_some() {
-        // Allow kind:9002 with archived=false (unarchive operation)
+        // Allow kind:9002 with archived=false (unarchive operation) and
+        // kind:9008 (delete group) — deleting an archived (e.g. reaper-expired
+        // huddle) channel is the natural escape hatch and must not 400 (#2954).
         let is_unarchive = kind_u32 == KIND_NIP29_EDIT_METADATA
             && event.tags.iter().any(|t| {
                 let parts = t.as_slice();
                 parts.len() >= 2 && parts[0] == "archived" && parts[1] == "false"
             });
+        let is_channel_delete = kind_u32 == KIND_NIP29_DELETE_GROUP;
 
-        if !is_unarchive {
+        if !is_unarchive && !is_channel_delete {
             if let Some(channel) = &channel_row {
                 if channel.archived_at.is_some() {
                     return Err(IngestError::Rejected("invalid: channel is archived".into()));
diff --git a/crates/buzz-relay/src/handlers/side_effects.rs b/crates/buzz-relay/src/handlers/side_effects.rs
index f63c174d961..7cab28ce07c 100644
--- a/crates/buzz-relay/src/handlers/side_effects.rs
+++ b/crates/buzz-relay/src/handlers/side_effects.rs
@@ -459,8 +459,12 @@ pub async fn validate_admin_event(
 
     let actor_bytes = event.pubkey.to_bytes().to_vec();
 
-    // Reject mutations on archived channels — except kind:9002 with archived=false
-    // (unarchive), which must be allowed through so the channel can be restored.
+    // Reject mutations on archived channels — except:
+    // - kind:9002 with archived=false (unarchive), so the channel can be
+    //   restored;
+    // - kind:9008 (delete group), so an archived (e.g. reaper-expired
+    //   huddle) channel can still be deleted — "archive then delete" is the
+    //   natural flow and blocking it strands the channel forever (#2954).
     let channel = state
         .db
         .get_channel_for_event_write(tenant.community(), channel_id)
@@ -471,7 +475,7 @@ pub async fn validate_admin_event(
             let parts = t.as_slice();
             parts.len() >= 2 && parts[0] == "archived" && parts[1] == "false"
         });
-    if channel.archived_at.is_some() && !is_unarchive_request {
+    if channel.archived_at.is_some() && !is_unarchive_request && kind != 9008 {
         return Err(anyhow::anyhow!("channel is archived"));
     }