diff --git a/database/migrations/2026_11_03_150501_remove_laravel_headline.php b/database/migrations/2026_11_03_150501_remove_laravel_headline.php
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2fe1b69c3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/database/migrations/2026_11_03_150501_remove_laravel_headline.php
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+<?php
+
+declare(strict_types=1);
+
+use Illuminate\Database\Migrations\Migration;
+use Illuminate\Support\Facades\DB;
+
+return new class extends Migration
+{
+    public function up(): void
+    {
+        $headlines = DB::table('headlines')->where('name', 'Laravel')->select('id');
+
+        DB::table('commits')->whereIn('id', DB::table('commit_headline')
+            ->whereIn('headline_id', $headlines)->select('commit_id'))
+            ->update(['headlines_classified_at' => null]);
+
+        DB::table('headlines')->where('name', 'Laravel')->delete();
+    }
+};
diff --git a/tests/Feature/LaravelHeadlineMigrationTest.php b/tests/Feature/LaravelHeadlineMigrationTest.php
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5f2cf8833
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/Feature/LaravelHeadlineMigrationTest.php
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+<?php
+
+declare(strict_types=1);
+
+use App\Models\Commit;
+use App\Models\Headline;
+
+use function Pest\Laravel\assertDatabaseHas;
+use function Pest\Laravel\assertDatabaseMissing;
+use function Pest\Laravel\assertModelExists;
+use function Pest\Laravel\assertModelMissing;
+
+it('removes the Laravel topic and resets its commits for backfill without removing specific headlines', function (): void {
+    $laravel = Headline::factory()->create(['name' => 'Laravel']);
+    $specific = Headline::factory()->create(['name' => 'Laravel AI SDK release']);
+    $affected = Commit::factory()->hasAttached($laravel)->create(['headlines_classified_at' => now()]);
+    $shared = Commit::factory()->hasAttached($laravel)->hasAttached($specific)->create(['headlines_classified_at' => now()]);
+    $unaffected = Commit::factory()->hasAttached($specific)->create(['headlines_classified_at' => now()]);
+
+    $migration = require database_path('migrations/2026_11_03_150501_remove_laravel_headline.php');
+    $migration->up();
+    $migration->up();
+
+    assertModelMissing($laravel);
+    assertModelExists($specific);
+    assertDatabaseMissing('commit_headline', ['headline_id' => $laravel->id]);
+    assertDatabaseHas('commits', ['id' => $affected->id, 'headlines_classified_at' => null]);
+    assertDatabaseHas('commits', ['id' => $shared->id, 'headlines_classified_at' => null]);
+    assertDatabaseHas('commits', ['id' => $unaffected->id, 'headlines_classified_at' => $unaffected->headlines_classified_at]);
+    assertDatabaseHas('commit_headline', ['commit_id' => $shared->id, 'headline_id' => $specific->id]);
+    assertDatabaseHas('commit_headline', ['commit_id' => $unaffected->id, 'headline_id' => $specific->id]);
+});