diff --git a/packages/ui/src/data-display/line-comment/line-comment.stories.tsx b/packages/ui/src/data-display/line-comment/line-comment.stories.tsx
index a4055afab33..60d05757f50 100644
--- a/packages/ui/src/data-display/line-comment/line-comment.stories.tsx
+++ b/packages/ui/src/data-display/line-comment/line-comment.stories.tsx
@@ -71,13 +71,15 @@ export const DisplayMultiline = {
 }
 
 export const Editor = {
-  args: { variant: "default", allowEmpty: false },
+  args: { variant: "default", allowEmpty: false, alternateSubmit: false },
   argTypes: {
     variant: { control: "select", options: ["default", "compact"] },
     allowEmpty: { control: "boolean" },
+    alternateSubmit: { control: "boolean" },
   },
   render: (args) => {
     const [value, setValue] = createSignal("")
+
     const [result, setResult] = createSignal("")
 
     return (
@@ -95,6 +97,18 @@ export const Editor = {
             setValue("")
             setResult(`Submitted: ${comment}`)
           }}
+          alternateSubmit={
+            args.alternateSubmit
+              ? {
+                  label: "Send",
+                  keys: ["Ctrl", "Enter"],
+                  onSubmit: (comment) => {
+                    setValue("")
+                    setResult(`Sent: ${comment}`)
+                  },
+                }
+              : undefined
+          }
         />
         <output aria-label="Editor result">{result()}</output>
       </div>
diff --git a/packages/ui/src/data-display/line-comment/line-comment.tsx b/packages/ui/src/data-display/line-comment/line-comment.tsx
index ea8fcb7d52c..e920d601f03 100644
--- a/packages/ui/src/data-display/line-comment/line-comment.tsx
+++ b/packages/ui/src/data-display/line-comment/line-comment.tsx
@@ -453,6 +453,9 @@ export function LineCommentEditor(props: LineCommentEditorProps) {
                 onPointerEnter={(event) =>
                   dispatch({ type: "modifier.changed", active: modified(event), config: readConfig() })
                 }
+                onPointerDown={(event) =>
+                  dispatch({ type: "modifier.changed", active: modified(event), config: readConfig() })
+                }
                 onClick={(event) =>
                   dispatch({ type: "action.clicked", modified: modified(event), config: readConfig() })
                 }
diff --git a/packages/ui/src/data-display/line-comment/machine.test.ts b/packages/ui/src/data-display/line-comment/machine.test.ts
index 3baa9f54a1d..850809edbe8 100644
--- a/packages/ui/src/data-display/line-comment/machine.test.ts
+++ b/packages/ui/src/data-display/line-comment/machine.test.ts
@@ -238,7 +238,7 @@ describe("line comment editor machine", () => {
     expect(done.state.status).toBe("editing")
   })
 
-  test("the alternate submit follows the held modifier and clears on blur or when it goes away", () => {
+  test("click submission ignores stale modifiers", () => {
     const settings = config({ value: "Ship it", alternateSubmit: { disabled: false } })
 
     const held = transitionLineCommentEditor(createLineCommentEditorState(), {
@@ -250,7 +250,7 @@ describe("line comment editor machine", () => {
     expect(viewLineCommentEditor(held.state, settings).alternateActive).toBe(true)
     expect(
       transitionLineCommentEditor(held.state, { type: "action.clicked", modified: false, config: settings }).effects,
-    ).toEqual([{ type: "submit", mode: "alternate", value: "Ship it" }])
+    ).toEqual([{ type: "submit", mode: "primary", value: "Ship it" }])
 
     // Entering the action without the modifier clears a stale hold.
     const entered = transitionLineCommentEditor(held.state, {
@@ -281,6 +281,35 @@ describe("line comment editor machine", () => {
     expect(unsupported.state).toMatchObject({ alternate: false })
   })
 
+  test("a modified click uses the alternate submit without a tracked modifier", () => {
+    const settings = config({ value: "Ship it", alternateSubmit: { disabled: false } })
+
+    expect(
+      transitionLineCommentEditor(createLineCommentEditorState(), {
+        type: "action.clicked",
+        modified: true,
+        config: settings,
+      }).effects,
+    ).toEqual([{ type: "submit", mode: "alternate", value: "Ship it" }])
+  })
+
+  test.each([false, true])("empty draft clicks use the event modifier (tracked: %s)", (active) => {
+    const settings = config({ alternateSubmit: { disabled: false } })
+
+    const held = transitionLineCommentEditor(createLineCommentEditorState(), {
+      type: "modifier.changed",
+      active,
+      config: settings,
+    })
+
+    expect(
+      transitionLineCommentEditor(held.state, { type: "action.clicked", modified: false, config: settings }).effects,
+    ).toEqual([{ type: "cancel", blur: false }])
+    expect(
+      transitionLineCommentEditor(held.state, { type: "action.clicked", modified: true, config: settings }).effects,
+    ).toEqual([])
+  })
+
   test("Mod+Enter with the list open sends through the alternate submit", () => {
     const settings = config({ value: "@src", alternateSubmit: { disabled: false } })
 
diff --git a/packages/ui/src/data-display/line-comment/machine.ts b/packages/ui/src/data-display/line-comment/machine.ts
index ed580da902e..51a8bb599fe 100644
--- a/packages/ui/src/data-display/line-comment/machine.ts
+++ b/packages/ui/src/data-display/line-comment/machine.ts
@@ -176,12 +176,11 @@ export function transitionLineCommentEditor(
   }
 
   if (event.type === "action.clicked") {
-    const alternate = state.alternate && allowsAlternate(event.config)
+    const alternate = event.modified && event.config.alternateSubmit !== null
 
-    // An empty compact editor's action cancels, unless Mod turned it into the alternate submit.
     if (!alternate && !canSubmit(event.config)) return cancel(state, false)
 
-    return submit(state, event.config, alternate || (event.modified && event.config.alternateSubmit !== null))
+    return submit(state, event.config, alternate)
   }
 
   if (event.type === "submit.requested") return submit(state, event.config, false)