diff --git a/pkg/database/query-for-deleted.go b/pkg/database/query-for-deleted.go
index 90bfdd1..f1f5b31 100644
--- a/pkg/database/query-for-deleted.go
+++ b/pkg/database/query-for-deleted.go
@@ -199,25 +199,12 @@ func (d *D) CheckForDeleted(ev *event.E, admins [][]byte) (err error) {
 		sers = append(sers, s...)
 	}
 	if len(sers) > 0 {
-		var idPkTss []*store.IdPkTs
-		var tmp []*store.IdPkTs
-		if tmp, err = d.GetFullIdPubkeyBySerials(sers); chk.E(err) {
-			return
-		}
-		idPkTss = append(idPkTss, tmp...)
-		// sort by timestamp, so the first is the newest
-		sort.Slice(
-			idPkTss, func(i, j int) bool {
-				return idPkTss[i].Ts > idPkTss[j].Ts
-			},
+		// For e-tag deletions (delete by ID), any deletion event means the event cannot be resubmitted
+		// regardless of timestamp, since it's a specific deletion of this exact event
+		err = errorf.E(
+			"blocked: %0x was deleted by ID and cannot be resubmitted",
+			ev.ID,
 		)
-		if ev.CreatedAt < idPkTss[0].Ts {
-			err = errorf.E(
-				"blocked: %0x was deleted because it is older than the delete: event: %d delete: %d",
-				ev.ID, ev.CreatedAt, idPkTss[0].Ts,
-			)
-			return
-		}
 		return
 	}
 
diff --git a/pkg/database/save-event.go b/pkg/database/save-event.go
index 1e58f0c..69cf901 100644
--- a/pkg/database/save-event.go
+++ b/pkg/database/save-event.go
@@ -57,6 +57,13 @@ func (d *D) SaveEvent(c context.Context, ev *event.E) (kc, vc int, err error) {
 		log.E.F("error checking if event exists: %s", err)
 		return
 	}
+	
+	// Check if the event has been deleted before allowing resubmission
+	if err = d.CheckForDeleted(ev, nil); err != nil {
+		log.I.F("SaveEvent: rejecting resubmission of deleted event ID=%s: %v", hex.Enc(ev.ID), err)
+		err = errorf.E("blocked: %s", err.Error())
+		return
+	}
 	// check for replacement
 	if kind.IsReplaceable(ev.Kind) {
 		// find the events and check timestamps before deleting