diff --git a/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/db/Column.java b/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/db/Column.java
index 74d70bb2d7..5d7f5c8538 100644
--- a/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/db/Column.java
+++ b/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/db/Column.java
@@ -198,6 +198,17 @@ public final class Column implements IColumn
         assert isMarkedForDelete;
         return ByteBuffer.wrap(value).getInt();
     }
+
+    // note that we do not call this simply compareTo since it also makes sense to compare Columns by name
+    public long comparePriority(Column o)
+    {
+        if (isMarkedForDelete)
+        {
+            // tombstone always wins ties.
+            return timestamp < o.timestamp ? -1 : 1;
+        }
+        return timestamp - o.timestamp;
+    }
 }
 
 class ColumnSerializer implements ICompactSerializer2<IColumn>
@@ -302,5 +313,6 @@ class ColumnSerializer implements ICompactSerializer2<IColumn>
         int size = dis.readInt();
         dis.skip(size);
     }
+
 }
 
diff --git a/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/db/ColumnFamily.java b/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/db/ColumnFamily.java
index e33ab63c5d..9b1dd0ac4f 100644
--- a/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/db/ColumnFamily.java
+++ b/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/db/ColumnFamily.java
@@ -266,7 +266,7 @@ public final class ColumnFamily
             }
             else
             {
-                if (oldColumn.timestamp() <= column.timestamp())
+                if (((Column)oldColumn).comparePriority((Column)column) <= 0)
                 {
                     columns_.put(name, column);
                     size_.addAndGet(column.size());
diff --git a/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/db/ColumnFamilyStore.java b/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/db/ColumnFamilyStore.java
index 6c11d2c040..c9135ff7f1 100644
--- a/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/db/ColumnFamilyStore.java
+++ b/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/db/ColumnFamilyStore.java
@@ -615,19 +615,25 @@ public class ColumnFamilyStore implements ColumnFamilyStoreMBean
         if (cf == null)
             return null;
 
+        // in case of a timestamp tie, tombstones get priority over non-tombstones.
+        // we want this to be deterministic in general to avoid confusion;
+        // either way (tombstone or non- getting priority) would be fine,
+        // but we picked this way because it makes removing delivered hints
+        // easier for HintedHandoffManager.
         for (String cname : new ArrayList<String>(cf.getColumns().keySet()))
         {
             IColumn c = cf.getColumns().get(cname);
             if (c instanceof SuperColumn)
             {
                 long minTimestamp = Math.max(c.getMarkedForDeleteAt(), cf.getMarkedForDeleteAt());
-                // don't operate directly on the supercolumn, it could be the one in the memtable
+                // don't operate directly on the supercolumn, it could be the one in the memtable.
+                // instead, create a new SC and add in the subcolumns that qualify.
                 cf.remove(cname);
                 SuperColumn sc = new SuperColumn(cname);
                 sc.markForDeleteAt(c.getLocalDeletionTime(), c.getMarkedForDeleteAt());
                 for (IColumn subColumn : c.getSubColumns())
                 {
-                    if (subColumn.timestamp() >= minTimestamp)
+                    if (subColumn.timestamp() > minTimestamp)
                     {
                         if (!subColumn.isMarkedForDelete() || subColumn.getLocalDeletionTime() > gcBefore)
                         {
diff --git a/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/db/SuperColumn.java b/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/db/SuperColumn.java
index 09b7cf727f..d0bdd766f8 100644
--- a/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/db/SuperColumn.java
+++ b/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/db/SuperColumn.java
@@ -176,8 +176,8 @@ public final class SuperColumn implements IColumn, Serializable
 
     public void addColumn(String name, IColumn column)
     {
-    	if ( column instanceof SuperColumn )
-    		throw new UnsupportedOperationException("A super column cannot hold other super columns.");
+    	if (!(column instanceof Column))
+    		throw new UnsupportedOperationException("A super column can only contain simple columns.");
     	IColumn oldColumn = columns_.get(name);
     	if ( oldColumn == null )
         {
@@ -186,7 +186,7 @@ public final class SuperColumn implements IColumn, Serializable
         }
     	else
     	{
-    		if ( oldColumn.timestamp() <= column.timestamp() )
+    		if (((Column)oldColumn).comparePriority((Column)column) <= 0)
             {
     			columns_.put(name, column);
                 int delta = (-1)*oldColumn.size();