diff --git a/crates/edit/src/flatten.rs b/crates/edit/src/flatten.rs
index a3f6c886a2..8202c18d83 100644
--- a/crates/edit/src/flatten.rs
+++ b/crates/edit/src/flatten.rs
@@ -6,7 +6,8 @@
 //! the appearance's bounding box, transformed by its `/Matrix`, mapped onto `/Rect`). Hidden
 //! annotations are left alone; links are kept (they have no ink and stay clickable). Flattened
 //! comments take their pop-ups and replies with them; flattened widgets are removed from the
-//! form's field tree.
+//! form's field tree. An annotation whose appearance cannot be drawn is not flattened: it stays
+//! as it is, so no comment or field value is lost with nothing in its place.
 
 use std::collections::HashSet;
 
@@ -154,6 +155,8 @@ 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();
+        // Selected, but nothing was drawn for it: it stays, pop-up and reply handling included.
+        let mut undrawn: HashSet<ObjRef> = 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.
@@ -199,9 +202,18 @@ fn flatten_which(doc: &mut Document, pages: &[usize], which: Which) -> Result<us
             }
             // A comment whose ink was not written into the page stays. Removing it would drop
             // the annotation (a cloudy square this builder cannot draw, for example) with nothing
-            // left on the page. Widgets are form fields: flattening still removes them.
-            if !widget && !drew {
-                continue;
+            // left on the page. A widget stays when it has no appearance to draw at all (none
+            // stored, or none for its selected state): removing it would lose the field's value
+            // with nothing in its place (#1794). One whose appearance draws nothing (an empty
+            // stream) shows nothing anywhere, so flattening still removes it.
+            if !drew {
+                let no_appearance = appearance(doc, d).is_none();
+                if no_appearance && let Some(r) = entry.as_ref() {
+                    undrawn.insert(r);
+                }
+                if !widget || no_appearance {
+                    continue;
+                }
             }
             match entry.as_ref() {
                 Some(r) => {
@@ -218,9 +230,13 @@ fn flatten_which(doc: &mut Document, pages: &[usize], which: Which) -> Result<us
         if gone.is_empty() && gone_inline.is_empty() {
             continue;
         }
-        // Pop-ups and replies of what was flattened go too.
+        // Pop-ups and replies of what was flattened go too, except a reply that stayed because
+        // it could not be drawn: its content would go with nothing in its place.
         for entry in &list {
             let Some(r) = entry.as_ref() else { continue };
+            if undrawn.contains(&r) {
+                continue;
+            }
             let obj = doc.get(r);
             let Some(d) = obj.as_dict() else { continue };
             let points_at = |k: &[u8]| d.reference(k).is_some_and(|t| gone.contains(&t));
diff --git a/crates/edit/src/tests.rs b/crates/edit/src/tests.rs
index 912cb3c904..6df0ce21ea 100644
--- a/crates/edit/src/tests.rs
+++ b/crates/edit/src/tests.rs
@@ -294,6 +294,58 @@ fn flattening_fields_drops_the_ones_on_no_page() {
     assert_eq!(left, [pdfcraft_cos::ObjRef::new(7, 0)], "only the hidden field on the page stays");
 }
 
+/// #1794: a form field whose widget has no usable appearance (none stored, or none for its
+/// selected state) has nothing to draw. Flattening used to remove it anyway, losing its value
+/// with no ink in its place. It stays, in the page and in the form, like a comment that can't be
+/// drawn; a field with an appearance is still baked in and removed.
+#[test]
+fn flattening_keeps_a_valued_widget_it_cannot_draw() {
+    let page = stream("", " ");
+    let mut doc = build(&[
+        "<< /Type /Catalog /Pages 2 0 R /AcroForm << /Fields [5 0 R 6 0 R 7 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 6 0 R 7 0 R] >>",
+        &page,
+        "<< /Type /Annot /Subtype /Widget /FT /Tx /T (name) /V (Ada) /Rect [10 10 150 40] /F 4 >>",
+        "<< /Type /Annot /Subtype /Widget /FT /Btn /T (agree) /V /Yes /AS /Yes /Rect [10 50 30 70] /F 4 /AP << /N << /Off 8 0 R >> >> >>",
+        "<< /Type /Annot /Subtype /Widget /FT /Tx /T (drawn) /V (Bob) /Rect [10 90 150 120] /F 4 /AP << /N 8 0 R >> >>",
+        "<< /Type /XObject /Subtype /Form /BBox [0 0 140 30] /Length 0 >>\nstream\n\nendstream",
+    ]);
+    assert_eq!(flatten(&mut doc, &[0], false, true).unwrap(), 1, "only the field with an appearance is drawn");
+    let doc = reopen(&doc);
+    let refs = |o: &Object| -> Vec<u32> { doc.resolve(o).as_array().unwrap().iter().filter_map(|f| f.as_ref()).map(|r| r.num).collect() };
+    let p = &pdfcraft_model::pages(&doc)[0];
+    assert_eq!(refs(p.dict.get(b"Annots").unwrap()), [5, 6], "the undrawable widgets stay on the page");
+    let root = doc.root().unwrap();
+    let af = doc.resolve(doc.get(root).as_dict().unwrap().get(b"AcroForm").unwrap());
+    assert_eq!(refs(af.as_dict().unwrap().get(b"Fields").unwrap()), [5, 6], "and in the form");
+    let value = |n: u32| doc.get(pdfcraft_cos::ObjRef::new(n, 0)).as_dict().unwrap().get(b"V").cloned();
+    assert_eq!(value(5), Some(Object::String(pdfcraft_cos::PdfString::literal(b"Ada".to_vec()))));
+    assert_eq!(value(6), Some(Object::name("Yes")));
+}
+
+/// #1794: a reply this builder cannot draw stays on the page even when the comment it replies to
+/// is flattened; the comment's pop-up still goes with it.
+#[test]
+fn flattening_keeps_an_undrawn_reply_to_a_flattened_comment() {
+    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 0 600 800] /Resources << >> /Contents 4 0 R /Annots [5 0 R 6 0 R 7 0 R] >>",
+        &page,
+        "<< /Type /Annot /Subtype /Square /Rect [100 600 200 650] /C [1 0 0] /Contents (Synthetic comment) /AP << /N 8 0 R >> /Popup 7 0 R >>",
+        "<< /Type /Annot /Subtype /Square /Rect [100 500 200 550] /C [1 0 0] /Contents (Synthetic reply) /BE << /S /C /I 2 >> /IRT 5 0 R >>",
+        "<< /Type /Annot /Subtype /Popup /Rect [300 600 400 700] /Parent 5 0 R >>",
+        "<< /Type /XObject /Subtype /Form /BBox [100 600 200 650] /Length 28 >>\nstream\n1 0 0 RG 100 600 100 50 re S\nendstream",
+    ]);
+    assert_eq!(flatten(&mut doc, &[0], true, false).unwrap(), 1, "the comment is drawn; the cloudy reply cannot be");
+    let doc = reopen(&doc);
+    let p = &pdfcraft_model::pages(&doc)[0];
+    let left: Vec<u32> = doc.resolve(p.dict.get(b"Annots").unwrap()).as_array().unwrap().iter().filter_map(|f| f.as_ref()).map(|r| r.num).collect();
+    assert_eq!(left, [6], "the undrawn reply stays; the comment and its pop-up are gone");
+}
+
 /// Flattening never makes a `?` permanent: it refuses, changing nothing, a text box without an
 /// appearance whose text Helvetica can't draw (another program's), and a comment or form field
 /// whose appearance PdfCraft drew with `?` (marked `PCUndrawn`). A comment another program drew
diff --git a/parity/acrobat-features.toml b/parity/acrobat-features.toml
index e270a8f211..ad291ef2e1 100644
--- a/parity/acrobat-features.toml
+++ b/parity/acrobat-features.toml
@@ -4196,8 +4196,8 @@ milestone = "M5"
 status = "shipped"
 commands = ["comment.flatten"]
 tools = ["doc_flatten"]
-evidence = ["crates/edit/src/tests.rs::flattening_draws_appearances_into_the_page_and_removes_the_comments", "crates/engine/src/tests.rs::flattening_keeps_the_look_and_drops_the_objects", "crates/automation/tests/automation.rs::flattening_through_tools"]
-notes = "appearances become page content; pop-ups and replies removed"
+evidence = ["crates/edit/src/tests.rs::flattening_draws_appearances_into_the_page_and_removes_the_comments", "crates/edit/src/tests.rs::flattening_keeps_an_undrawn_reply_to_a_flattened_comment", "crates/engine/src/tests.rs::flattening_keeps_the_look_and_drops_the_objects", "crates/automation/tests/automation.rs::flattening_through_tools"]
+notes = "appearances become page content; pop-ups and replies removed; a comment or reply whose appearance cannot be drawn (a cloudy border, an unsupported subtype) stays as it is instead of being deleted"
 
 [[feature]]
 id = "comment.migrate"
@@ -4716,8 +4716,8 @@ milestone = "M6"
 status = "shipped"
 commands = ["form.flatten"]
 tools = ["doc_flatten"]
-evidence = ["crates/edit/src/tests.rs::flattening_draws_appearances_into_the_page_and_removes_the_comments", "crates/engine/src/tests.rs::flattening_keeps_the_look_and_drops_the_objects", "crates/automation/tests/automation.rs::flattening_through_tools"]
-notes = "widgets drawn into content and pruned from the field tree"
+evidence = ["crates/edit/src/tests.rs::flattening_draws_appearances_into_the_page_and_removes_the_comments", "crates/edit/src/tests.rs::flattening_keeps_a_valued_widget_it_cannot_draw", "crates/engine/src/tests.rs::flattening_keeps_the_look_and_drops_the_objects", "crates/automation/tests/automation.rs::flattening_through_tools"]
+notes = "widgets drawn into content and pruned from the field tree; a widget with no appearance to draw (none stored, or none for its selected state) stays a live field rather than losing its value, so a form with such fields is not fully flattened — Acrobat regenerates appearances first, which PdfCraft does not yet do here"
 
 [[feature]]
 id = "form.prepare-form-mode"