diff --git a/app/controllers/answers_controller.rb b/app/controllers/answers_controller.rb
index f1c557c19b..8d6e72064f 100644
--- a/app/controllers/answers_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/answers_controller.rb
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ def delete
        current_user.role == 'admin' ||
        current_user.role == 'moderator'
       respond_to do |format|
-        if @answer.delete
+        if @answer.destroy
           format.html { redirect_to @answer.node.path(:question), notice: 'Answer deleted' }
           format.js
         else
diff --git a/app/controllers/notes_controller.rb b/app/controllers/notes_controller.rb
index c401d88628..e17a9d8de7 100644
--- a/app/controllers/notes_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/notes_controller.rb
@@ -234,7 +234,7 @@ def delete
     @node = Node.find(params[:id])
     if current_user && (current_user.uid == @node.uid || current_user.role == "moderator" || current_user.role == "admin")
       if @node.authors.uniq.length == 1 
-        @node.delete
+        @node.destroy
         respond_with do |format|
           format.html do
             if request.xhr?
diff --git a/app/models/answer.rb b/app/models/answer.rb
index b1240ea6be..e30747db7f 100644
--- a/app/models/answer.rb
+++ b/app/models/answer.rb
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ class Answer < ActiveRecord::Base
   belongs_to :node, foreign_key: 'nid', dependent: :destroy
   belongs_to :drupal_user, foreign_key: 'uid'
   has_many :answer_selections, foreign_key: 'aid'
-  has_many :comments, foreign_key: 'aid'
+  has_many :comments, foreign_key: 'aid', dependent: :destroy
 
   validates :content, presence: true
 
diff --git a/app/models/comment.rb b/app/models/comment.rb
index cbdb0dd098..ebe8b1120e 100644
--- a/app/models/comment.rb
+++ b/app/models/comment.rb
@@ -5,8 +5,8 @@ class Comment < ActiveRecord::Base
     :subject, :hostname, :comment,
     :status, :format, :thread, :timestamp
 
-  belongs_to :node, foreign_key: 'nid', touch: true,
-                    dependent: :destroy, counter_cache: true
+  belongs_to :node, foreign_key: 'nid', touch: true, counter_cache: true
+                    # dependent: :destroy, counter_cache: true
   belongs_to :drupal_user, foreign_key: 'uid'
   belongs_to :answer, foreign_key: 'aid'
 
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ def parent
     if aid == 0
       node
     else
-      answer.node
+      return answer.node unless answer.nil?
     end
   end
 
diff --git a/app/models/node.rb b/app/models/node.rb
index 3a47043d72..969764fd09 100644
--- a/app/models/node.rb
+++ b/app/models/node.rb
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ def updated_month
   has_many :tag, through: :node_tag
   # these override the above... have to do it manually:
   # has_many :tag, :through => :drupal_node_tag
-  has_many :comments, foreign_key: 'nid' #, dependent: :destroy # re-enable in Rails 5
+  has_many :comments, foreign_key: 'nid' , dependent: :destroy # re-enable in Rails 5
   has_many :drupal_content_type_map, foreign_key: 'nid' #, dependent: :destroy # re-enable in Rails 5
   has_many :drupal_content_field_mappers, foreign_key: 'nid' #, dependent: :destroy # re-enable in Rails 5
   has_many :drupal_content_field_map_editor, foreign_key: 'nid' #, dependent: :destroy # re-enable in Rails 5
diff --git a/test/unit/answer_test.rb b/test/unit/answer_test.rb
index 222b1be0e4..6738f098c2 100644
--- a/test/unit/answer_test.rb
+++ b/test/unit/answer_test.rb
@@ -48,4 +48,11 @@ class AnswerTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
     answer = answers(:one)
     assert_equal answer.comments.last, Comment.last
   end
+
+  test 'should delete associated comments when an answer is deleted' do
+    answer = answers(:one)
+    assert_equal answer.comments.count, 2
+    deleted_answer = answer.destroy
+    assert_equal answer.comments.count, 0
+  end
 end
diff --git a/test/unit/node_test.rb b/test/unit/node_test.rb
index 7900bc914e..e9320c772a 100644
--- a/test/unit/node_test.rb
+++ b/test/unit/node_test.rb
@@ -336,4 +336,11 @@ class NodeTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
     assert_not_nil tagged_note
     assert_equal jeff_notes, tagged_note
   end
+
+  test 'should delete associated comments when a node is deleted' do
+    node = nodes(:one)
+    assert_equal node.comments.count, 4
+    deleted_node = node.destroy
+    assert_equal node.comments.count, 0
+  end
 end