diff --git a/src/libs/actions/Report.js b/src/libs/actions/Report.js
index 75ffcad090cc..b9ce630f1c2b 100644
--- a/src/libs/actions/Report.js
+++ b/src/libs/actions/Report.js
@@ -538,7 +538,15 @@ function setNewMarkerPosition(reportID, sequenceNumber) {
 function updateReportActionMessage(reportID, sequenceNumber, message) {
     const actionToMerge = {};
     actionToMerge[sequenceNumber] = {message: [message]};
-    Onyx.merge(`${ONYXKEYS.COLLECTION.REPORT_ACTIONS}${reportID}`, actionToMerge);
+    Onyx.merge(`${ONYXKEYS.COLLECTION.REPORT_ACTIONS}${reportID}`, actionToMerge).then(() => {
+        // Don't do anything for messages that aren't deleted.
+        if (message.html) {
+            return;
+        }
+
+        // If the message is deleted, update the last read in case the deleted message is being counted in the unreadActionCount
+        setLocalLastRead(reportID, lastReadSequenceNumbers[reportID]);
+    });
 
     // If this is the most recent message, update the lastMessageText in the report object as well
     if (sequenceNumber === reportMaxSequenceNumbers[reportID]) {
diff --git a/src/libs/actions/ReportActions.js b/src/libs/actions/ReportActions.js
index e80bbad61c56..7b4810697d94 100644
--- a/src/libs/actions/ReportActions.js
+++ b/src/libs/actions/ReportActions.js
@@ -83,15 +83,15 @@ function getDeletedCommentsCount(reportID, sequenceNumber) {
         return 0;
     }
 
-    return _.reduce(reportActions[reportID], (deletedMessages, action) => {
+    return _.reduce(reportActions[reportID], (numDeletedMessages, action) => {
         if (action.actionName !== CONST.REPORT.ACTIONS.TYPE.ADDCOMMENT || action.sequenceNumber <= sequenceNumber) {
-            return deletedMessages;
+            return numDeletedMessages;
         }
 
         // Empty ADDCOMMENT actions typically mean they have been deleted
         const message = _.first(lodashGet(action, 'message', null));
         const html = lodashGet(message, 'html', '');
-        return _.isEmpty(html) ? deletedMessages + 1 : deletedMessages;
+        return _.isEmpty(html) ? numDeletedMessages + 1 : numDeletedMessages;
     }, 0);
 }