diff --git a/core/comments/rendered_workspace_comment.ts b/core/comments/rendered_workspace_comment.ts
index f69662a3e47..ee713d9ffd8 100644
--- a/core/comments/rendered_workspace_comment.ts
+++ b/core/comments/rendered_workspace_comment.ts
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ import {IRenderedElement} from '../interfaces/i_rendered_element.js';
 import * as dom from '../utils/dom.js';
 import {IDraggable} from '../interfaces/i_draggable.js';
 import {CommentDragStrategy} from '../dragging/comment_drag_strategy.js';
+import * as browserEvents from '../browser_events.js';
 
 export class RenderedWorkspaceComment
   extends WorkspaceComment
@@ -39,6 +40,13 @@ export class RenderedWorkspaceComment
     this.view.setEditable(this.isEditable());
 
     this.addModelUpdateBindings();
+
+    browserEvents.conditionalBind(
+      this.view.getSvgRoot(),
+      'pointerdown',
+      this,
+      this.startGesture,
+    );
   }
 
   /**
@@ -144,6 +152,17 @@ export class RenderedWorkspaceComment
     super.dispose();
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Starts a gesture because we detected a pointer down on the comment
+   * (that wasn't otherwise gobbled up, e.g. by resizing).
+   */
+  private startGesture(e: PointerEvent) {
+    const gesture = this.workspace.getGesture(e);
+    if (gesture) {
+      gesture.handleCommentStart(e, this);
+    }
+  }
+
   /** Returns whether this comment is movable or not. */
   isMovable(): boolean {
     return this.dragStrategy.isMovable();
diff --git a/core/gesture.ts b/core/gesture.ts
index 406e8d5f160..a6ca1552818 100644
--- a/core/gesture.ts
+++ b/core/gesture.ts
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ import type {IIcon} from './interfaces/i_icon.js';
 import {IDragger} from './interfaces/i_dragger.js';
 import * as registry from './registry.js';
 import {IDraggable} from './interfaces/i_draggable.js';
+import {RenderedWorkspaceComment} from './comments.js';
 
 /**
  * Note: In this file "start" refers to pointerdown
@@ -85,6 +86,12 @@ export class Gesture {
    */
   private startBlock: BlockSvg | null = null;
 
+  /**
+   * The comment that the gesture started on, or null if it did not start on a
+   * comment.
+   */
+  private startComment: RenderedWorkspaceComment | null = null;
+
   /**
    * The block that this gesture targets.  If the gesture started on a
    * shadow block, this is the first non-shadow parent of the block.  If the
@@ -315,6 +322,23 @@ export class Gesture {
     return true;
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Update this gesture to record whether a comment is being dragged.
+   * This function should be called on a pointermove event the first time
+   * the drag radius is exceeded.  It should be called no more than once per
+   * gesture.
+   *
+   * @returns True if a comment is being dragged.
+   */
+  private updateIsDraggingComment(e: PointerEvent): boolean {
+    if (!this.startComment) {
+      return false;
+    }
+
+    this.startDraggingComment(e);
+    return true;
+  }
+
   /**
    * Check whether to start a block drag. If a block should be dragged, either
    * from the flyout or in the workspace, create the necessary BlockDragger and
@@ -394,11 +418,14 @@ export class Gesture {
     if (this.updateIsDraggingBlock(e)) {
       return;
     }
+    if (this.updateIsDraggingComment(e)) {
+      return;
+    }
     // Then check if it's a workspace drag.
     this.updateIsDraggingWorkspace();
   }
 
-  /** Create a block dragger and start dragging the selected block. */
+  /** Start dragging the selected block. */
   private startDraggingBlock(e: PointerEvent) {
     this.dragging = true;
     this.dragger = this.createDragger(this.targetBlock!, this.startWorkspace_!);
@@ -406,7 +433,7 @@ export class Gesture {
     this.dragger.onDrag(e, this.currentDragDeltaXY);
   }
 
-  /** Create a bubble dragger and start dragging the selected bubble. */
+  /** Start dragging the selected bubble. */
   private startDraggingBubble(e: PointerEvent) {
     if (!this.startBubble) {
       throw new Error(
@@ -427,6 +454,27 @@ export class Gesture {
     this.dragger.onDrag(e, this.currentDragDeltaXY);
   }
 
+  /** Start dragging the selected comment. */
+  private startDraggingComment(e: PointerEvent) {
+    if (!this.startComment) {
+      throw new Error(
+        'Cannot update dragging the comment because the start ' +
+          'comment is undefined',
+      );
+    }
+    if (!this.startWorkspace_) {
+      throw new Error(
+        'Cannot update dragging the comment because the start ' +
+          'workspace is undefined',
+      );
+    }
+
+    this.dragging = true;
+    this.dragger = this.createDragger(this.startComment, this.startWorkspace_);
+    this.dragger.onDragStart(e);
+    this.dragger.onDrag(e, this.currentDragDeltaXY);
+  }
+
   private createDragger(
     draggable: IDraggable,
     workspace: WorkspaceSvg,
@@ -893,6 +941,24 @@ export class Gesture {
     this.mostRecentEvent = e;
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Handle a pointerdown event on a workspace comment.
+   *
+   * @param e A pointerdown event.
+   * @param comment The comment the event hit.
+   * @internal
+   */
+  handleCommentStart(e: PointerEvent, comment: RenderedWorkspaceComment) {
+    if (this.gestureHasStarted) {
+      throw Error(
+        'Tried to call gesture.handleCommentStart, ' +
+          'but the gesture had already been started.',
+      );
+    }
+    this.setStartComment(comment);
+    this.mostRecentEvent = e;
+  }
+
   /* Begin functions defining what actions to take to execute clicks on each
    * type of target.  Any developer wanting to add behaviour on clicks should
    * modify only this code. */
@@ -1049,6 +1115,18 @@ export class Gesture {
     }
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Record the comment that a gesture started on
+   *
+   * @param comment The comment the gesture started on.
+   * @internal
+   */
+  setStartComment(comment: RenderedWorkspaceComment) {
+    if (!this.startComment) {
+      this.startComment = comment;
+    }
+  }
+
   /**
    * Record the block that a gesture started on, and set the target block
    * appropriately.