diff --git a/crates/edit/src/flatten.rs b/crates/edit/src/flatten.rs
index dd05dbb7e..134696665 100644
--- a/crates/edit/src/flatten.rs
+++ b/crates/edit/src/flatten.rs
@@ -118,6 +118,23 @@ fn flatten_which(doc: &mut Document, pages: &[usize], which: Which) -> Result<us
             .unwrap_or_default();
         let mut gone: HashSet<ObjRef> = HashSet::new();
         let mut gone_inline: HashSet<usize> = HashSet::new();
+        // A viewer draws many comments from their dictionary even when the file stores no
+        // appearance (notes, FreeText, ink, stamps…). Build the appearance it would show, so
+        // flattening keeps a comment that still has ink on screen instead of deleting it.
+        for entry in &list {
+            let Some(r) = entry.as_ref() else { continue };
+            let d = doc.resolve(entry).as_dict().cloned().unwrap_or_default();
+            let subtype = d.name(b"Subtype").unwrap_or_default();
+            if subtype == b"Widget" || !selected(doc, &d, which) {
+                continue;
+            }
+            let flags = d.get(b"F").and_then(|f| doc.resolve(f).as_int()).unwrap_or(0);
+            if flags & (HIDDEN | NO_VIEW) != 0 || appearance(doc, &d).is_some() {
+                continue;
+            }
+            // A subtype this build cannot draw only fails here; it is still removed below.
+            let _ = pdfcraft_annot::set_appearance(doc, r);
+        }
         for (k, entry) in list.iter().enumerate() {
             let obj = doc.resolve(entry);
             let Some(d) = obj.as_dict() else { continue };
diff --git a/crates/edit/src/tests.rs b/crates/edit/src/tests.rs
index 54aecc759..03baeac09 100644
--- a/crates/edit/src/tests.rs
+++ b/crates/edit/src/tests.rs
@@ -175,6 +175,26 @@ fn flattening_draws_appearances_into_the_page_and_removes_the_comments() {
     assert!(marks_present(&doc).is_empty(), "flattened content is not a removable mark");
 }
 
+/// #805: a supported note with no stored appearance is still drawn by viewers. Flattening must
+/// generate that appearance and bake it into the page, not delete a comment that shows an icon.
+#[test]
+fn flattening_keeps_a_note_whose_appearance_is_missing() {
+    let page = stream("", " ");
+    let mut doc = build(&[
+        "<< /Type /Catalog /Pages 2 0 R >>",
+        "<< /Type /Pages /Kids [3 0 R] /Count 1 >>",
+        "<< /Type /Page /Parent 2 0 R /MediaBox [0 0 200 200] /Resources << >> /Contents 4 0 R /Annots [5 0 R] >>",
+        &page,
+        "<< /Type /Annot /Subtype /Text /Rect [10 10 30 30] /Contents (Synthetic note) /Name /Comment /Open false /F 0 >>",
+    ]);
+    assert_eq!(flatten(&mut doc, &[0], true, false).unwrap(), 1, "the note icon is drawn");
+    let doc = reopen(&doc);
+    let p = &pdfcraft_model::pages(&doc)[0];
+    assert!(!p.dict.contains(b"Annots"), "the note is gone once its icon is baked in");
+    let flat = streams(&doc, 0).pop().unwrap();
+    assert!(flat.contains("q 1 0 0 1 10 10 cm /PCFl0 Do Q"), "{flat}");
+}
+
 /// Display space is in points, so on a `/UserUnit 2` page an item's box maps to half as many
 /// user-space units. Items record the `/UserUnit` they were written for; one without it was
 /// written when display space was in user-space units, and reads back scaled to points.