diff --git a/classes/chat_sync.go b/classes/chat_sync.go
index 8886aa2..6a3fd7d 100644
--- a/classes/chat_sync.go
+++ b/classes/chat_sync.go
@@ -34,9 +34,12 @@ JOIN user_groups ON user_groups.id = users_groups.user_group_id
 JOIN users ON users.id = users_groups.user_id
 WHERE user_groups.code = ? AND users.deleted_at IS NULL`
 
-// chatConversationsSQL selects the ids of the conversations of context
-// bm/1 (ogólny and every DM).
-const chatConversationsSQL = `SELECT id FROM golem15_chat_conversations WHERE context_type = ? AND context_id = ?`
+// chatGroupConversationsSQL selects the ids of the group conversations of
+// context bm/1 (ogólny). DMs are never listed: their participant rows are
+// kept when someone leaves the chat group, so the history comes back when
+// they are re-added. Access while they are out is denied by golem15.chat's
+// live membership check (ChatContext.RequireLiveMembership).
+const chatGroupConversationsSQL = `SELECT id FROM golem15_chat_conversations WHERE context_type = ? AND context_id = ? AND type = ?`
 
 // EnsureChatGroups creates a user group for each code that has none and
 // returns how many it created. It never assigns a user to a group: members
@@ -120,12 +123,12 @@ func FindGeneral(ctx context.Context, db *gorm.DB) (*chatmodels.Conversation, er
 	return &conv, nil
 }
 
-// SyncChatParticipants makes the chat's participants follow the chat
-// group, in one transaction: every member missing from ogólny (generalID)
-// joins it, and users no longer in the group lose their participant rows
-// in every conversation of context bm/1. Nothing is pruned while no group
-// with that code exists, so a mistyped code cannot wipe the DMs. It returns
-// how many rows it added and removed.
+// SyncChatParticipants makes ogólny's participants follow the chat group,
+// in one transaction: every member missing from ogólny (generalID) joins
+// it, and users no longer in the group leave it. DM participant rows are
+// kept (a re-added user gets their DMs back; until then golem15.chat's
+// live membership check denies access). Nothing is pruned while no group
+// with that code exists. It returns how many rows it added and removed.
 func SyncChatParticipants(ctx context.Context, db *gorm.DB, generalID uint, group string) (int64, int64, error) {
 	if db == nil {
 		return 0, 0, errors.New("jz.bm: chat sync needs a database")
@@ -145,9 +148,9 @@ ON CONFLICT (conversation_id, user_id) DO NOTHING`, generalID, group)
 			added = res.RowsAffected
 		}
 		res := tx.Exec(`DELETE FROM golem15_chat_participants
-WHERE conversation_id IN (`+chatConversationsSQL+`)
+WHERE conversation_id IN (`+chatGroupConversationsSQL+`)
   AND user_id NOT IN (`+chatMembersSQL+`)
-  AND EXISTS (SELECT 1 FROM user_groups WHERE code = ?)`, ChatContextType, ChatContextID, group, group)
+  AND EXISTS (SELECT 1 FROM user_groups WHERE code = ?)`, ChatContextType, ChatContextID, chatmodels.TypeGroup, group, group)
 		if res.Error != nil {
 			return res.Error
 		}
@@ -157,14 +160,16 @@ WHERE conversation_id IN (`+chatConversationsSQL+`)
 	return added, removed, err
 }
 
-// PruneChatParticipant removes userID from every conversation of context
-// bm/1. It runs when someone outside the chat group asks for the chat.
+// PruneChatParticipant removes userID from ogólny (the group
+// conversations of context bm/1); their DM rows are kept, as in
+// SyncChatParticipants. It runs when someone outside the chat group asks
+// for the chat.
 func PruneChatParticipant(ctx context.Context, db *gorm.DB, userID uint) error {
 	if db == nil {
 		return errors.New("jz.bm: chat prune needs a database")
 	}
 	return db.WithContext(ctx).Exec(`DELETE FROM golem15_chat_participants
-WHERE user_id = ? AND conversation_id IN (`+chatConversationsSQL+`)`, userID, ChatContextType, ChatContextID).Error
+WHERE user_id = ? AND conversation_id IN (`+chatGroupConversationsSQL+`)`, userID, ChatContextType, ChatContextID, chatmodels.TypeGroup).Error
 }
 
 // AssignMissingHandles gives every chat-group member without a handle one
diff --git a/console/chat_sync.go b/console/chat_sync.go
index e9a946e..860fe87 100644
--- a/console/chat_sync.go
+++ b/console/chat_sync.go
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ func ChatSyncCommand(withDB func(ctx context.Context, fn func(*gorm.DB) error) e
 				} else {
 					out.Printf("ogólny participants added: %d\n", added)
 				}
-				out.Printf("participant rows removed: %d\n", removed)
+				out.Printf("ogólny participants removed: %d\n", removed)
 				out.Printf("handles assigned: %d\n", handles)
 				out.Success(chatSyncName + ": chat group " + group + " synced")
 				return nil