its mildly annoying to figure out exactly how to implement it best (I've been looking at it all morning) but editing the ORM sql queries in https://github.com/LemmyNet/lemmy/blob/main/crates/db_views/src/comment_view.rs would be one way to do it that covers all the different api endpoints affected. The comments there indicate this was done knowingly/intentionally. The problem is if upstream lemmy says they don't want to change it we'd just be screwed. I think they'd be amenable but you never know

Edit: it's already fixed upstream I'm a doodoohead