diff --git a/CHANGES.txt b/CHANGES.txt
index 1fe21aaca9..c7522443a7 100644
--- a/CHANGES.txt
+++ b/CHANGES.txt
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
 1.0.11
+ * allow dropping columns shadowed by not-yet-expired supercolumn or row
+   tombstones in PrecompactedRow (CASSANDRA-4396)
  * synchronize LCS getEstimatedTasks to avoid CME (CASSANDRA-4255)
  * ensure unique streaming session id's (CASSANDRA-4223)
  * kick off background compaction when min/max thresholds change 
diff --git a/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/db/AbstractColumnContainer.java b/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/db/AbstractColumnContainer.java
index 87e75eb744..af8a010649 100644
--- a/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/db/AbstractColumnContainer.java
+++ b/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/db/AbstractColumnContainer.java
@@ -251,13 +251,13 @@ public abstract class AbstractColumnContainer implements IColumnContainer, IIter
         }
     }
 
-    public boolean hasExpiredTombstones(int gcBefore)
+    public boolean hasIrrelevantData(int gcBefore)
     {
         if (isMarkedForDelete() && getLocalDeletionTime() < gcBefore)
             return true;
 
         for (IColumn column : columns)
-            if (column.hasExpiredTombstones(gcBefore))
+            if (column.mostRecentLiveChangeAt() < getLocalDeletionTime() || column.hasIrrelevantData(gcBefore))
                 return true;
 
         return false;
diff --git a/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/db/Column.java b/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/db/Column.java
index a7cd39f570..072bfde82c 100644
--- a/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/db/Column.java
+++ b/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/db/Column.java
@@ -281,7 +281,7 @@ public class Column implements IColumn
             valueValidator.validate(value());
     }
 
-    public boolean hasExpiredTombstones(int gcBefore)
+    public boolean hasIrrelevantData(int gcBefore)
     {
         return isMarkedForDelete() && getLocalDeletionTime() < gcBefore;
     }
diff --git a/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/db/IColumn.java b/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/db/IColumn.java
index fe6e949468..cefc12c4ee 100644
--- a/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/db/IColumn.java
+++ b/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/db/IColumn.java
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ public interface IColumn
     /**
      * @return true if the column or any its subcolumns expired before @param gcBefore
      */
-    public boolean hasExpiredTombstones(int gcBefore);
+    public boolean hasIrrelevantData(int gcBefore);
 
     /**
      * For a standard column, this is the same as timestamp().
diff --git a/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/db/IColumnContainer.java b/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/db/IColumnContainer.java
index b300706aec..3259fdd0d4 100644
--- a/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/db/IColumnContainer.java
+++ b/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/db/IColumnContainer.java
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ public interface IColumnContainer
 
     public boolean isMarkedForDelete();
     public long getMarkedForDeleteAt();
-    public boolean hasExpiredTombstones(int gcBefore);
+    public boolean hasIrrelevantData(int gcBefore);
 
     public AbstractType getComparator();
 
diff --git a/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/db/compaction/PrecompactedRow.java b/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/db/compaction/PrecompactedRow.java
index 5b5ba8d52d..aced6d9d7b 100644
--- a/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/db/compaction/PrecompactedRow.java
+++ b/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/db/compaction/PrecompactedRow.java
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ public class PrecompactedRow extends AbstractCompactedRow
         // taking this into account.
         Boolean shouldPurge = null;
 
-        if (cf.hasExpiredTombstones(controller.gcBefore))
+        if (cf.hasIrrelevantData(controller.gcBefore))
             shouldPurge = controller.shouldPurge(key);
         ColumnFamily compacted = shouldPurge != null && shouldPurge
                                ? ColumnFamilyStore.removeDeleted(cf, controller.gcBefore)