diff --git a/clients/shared/append.go b/clients/shared/append.go
index eea9c9500..1db07cf09 100644
--- a/clients/shared/append.go
+++ b/clients/shared/append.go
@@ -21,15 +21,11 @@ func Append(dwh destination.DataWarehouse, tableData *optimization.TableData, op
 		return fmt.Errorf("failed to get table config: %w", err)
 	}
 
-	if opts.ShouldExcludeDeletedColumn {
-		tableData.InMemoryColumns().DeleteColumn(constants.DeleteColumnMarker)
-	}
-
 	// We don't care about srcKeysMissing because we don't drop columns when we append.
 	_, targetKeysMissing := columns.Diff(
 		tableData.ReadOnlyInMemoryCols(),
 		tableConfig.Columns(),
-		false,
+		tableData.TopicConfig().SoftDelete,
 		tableData.TopicConfig().IncludeArtieUpdatedAt,
 		tableData.TopicConfig().IncludeDatabaseUpdatedAt,
 		tableData.Mode(),
diff --git a/lib/destination/types/types.go b/lib/destination/types/types.go
index 5653f7197..90f9ee7a1 100644
--- a/lib/destination/types/types.go
+++ b/lib/destination/types/types.go
@@ -42,8 +42,4 @@ type MergeOpts struct {
 
 type AdditionalSettings struct {
 	AdditionalCopyClause string
-
-	// ExcludeDeletedColumn - Reader uses this as part of the initial backfill. Customers that have soft deleted enabled should
-	// have the column `__artie_deleted` = false.
-	ShouldExcludeDeletedColumn bool
 }