diff --git a/src/buffer/Manager.zig b/src/buffer/Manager.zig
index 6b68e78..673e311 100644
--- a/src/buffer/Manager.zig
+++ b/src/buffer/Manager.zig
@@ -47,10 +47,18 @@ pub fn open_scratch(self: *Self, file_path: []const u8, content: []const u8) Buf
     return buffer;
 }
 
-pub fn retire(_: *Self, buffer: *Buffer) void {
-    buffer.update_last_used_time();
+pub fn get_buffer_for_file(self: *Self, file_path: []const u8) ?*Buffer {
+    return self.buffers.get(file_path);
 }
 
+pub fn delete_buffer(self: *Self, file_path: []const u8) bool {
+    const buffer = self.buffers.get(file_path) orelse return false;
+    buffer.deinit();
+    return self.buffers.remove(file_path);
+}
+
+pub fn retire(_: *Self, _: *Buffer) void {}
+
 pub fn list_most_recently_used(self: *Self, allocator: std.mem.Allocator) error{OutOfMemory}![]*Buffer {
     var buffers: std.ArrayListUnmanaged(*Buffer) = .{};
     var i = self.buffers.iterator();
diff --git a/src/keybind/builtin/flow.json b/src/keybind/builtin/flow.json
index 6876aee..a42d1e8 100644
--- a/src/keybind/builtin/flow.json
+++ b/src/keybind/builtin/flow.json
@@ -285,6 +285,7 @@
             ["page_up", "palette_menu_pageup"],
             ["page_down", "palette_menu_pagedown"],
             ["enter", "palette_menu_activate"],
+            ["delete", "palette_menu_delete_item"],
             ["backspace", "overlay_delete_backwards"]
         ],
         "release": [
diff --git a/src/tui/mainview.zig b/src/tui/mainview.zig
index d1cdcdf..9404ffe 100644
--- a/src/tui/mainview.zig
+++ b/src/tui/mainview.zig
@@ -400,6 +400,25 @@ const cmds = struct {
     }
     pub const create_scratch_buffer_meta = .{ .arguments = &.{ .string, .string } };
 
+    pub fn delete_buffer(self: *Self, ctx: Ctx) Result {
+        var file_path: []const u8 = undefined;
+        if (!(ctx.args.match(.{tp.extract(&file_path)}) catch false))
+            return error.InvalidDeleteBufferArgument;
+        const buffer = self.buffer_manager.get_buffer_for_file(file_path) orelse return;
+        if (buffer.is_dirty())
+            return tp.exit("unsaved changes");
+        if (self.get_active_editor()) |editor| {
+            if (editor.buffer == buffer)
+                editor.close_file(.{}) catch |e| return e;
+        }
+        _ = self.buffer_manager.delete_buffer(file_path);
+        const logger = log.logger("buffer");
+        defer logger.deinit();
+        logger.print("deleted {s}", .{file_path});
+        tui.need_render();
+    }
+    pub const delete_buffer_meta = .{ .arguments = &.{.string} };
+
     pub fn restore_session(self: *Self, _: Ctx) Result {
         if (tp.env.get().str("project").len == 0) {
             try open_project_cwd(self, .{});
diff --git a/src/tui/mode/overlay/buffer_palette.zig b/src/tui/mode/overlay/buffer_palette.zig
index 96751a9..19a4aa1 100644
--- a/src/tui/mode/overlay/buffer_palette.zig
+++ b/src/tui/mode/overlay/buffer_palette.zig
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ const command = @import("command");
 
 const tui = @import("../../tui.zig");
 pub const Type = @import("palette.zig").Create(@This());
+const module_name = @typeName(@This());
 
 pub const label = "Switch buffers";
 pub const name = " buffer";
@@ -43,7 +44,15 @@ fn select(menu: **Type.MenuState, button: *Type.ButtonState) void {
     var file_path: []const u8 = undefined;
     var iter = button.opts.label;
     if (!(cbor.matchString(&iter, &file_path) catch false)) return;
-    tp.self_pid().send(.{ "cmd", "exit_overlay_mode" }) catch |e| menu.*.opts.ctx.logger.err("navigate", e);
-    tp.self_pid().send(.{ "cmd", "navigate", .{} }) catch |e| menu.*.opts.ctx.logger.err("navigate", e);
-    tp.self_pid().send(.{ "cmd", "navigate", .{ .file = file_path } }) catch |e| menu.*.opts.ctx.logger.err("navigate", e);
+    tp.self_pid().send(.{ "cmd", "exit_overlay_mode" }) catch |e| menu.*.opts.ctx.logger.err(module_name, e);
+    tp.self_pid().send(.{ "cmd", "navigate", .{} }) catch |e| menu.*.opts.ctx.logger.err(module_name, e);
+    tp.self_pid().send(.{ "cmd", "navigate", .{ .file = file_path } }) catch |e| menu.*.opts.ctx.logger.err(module_name, e);
+}
+
+pub fn delete_item(menu: *Type.MenuState, button: *Type.ButtonState) void {
+    var file_path: []const u8 = undefined;
+    var iter = button.opts.label;
+    if (!(cbor.matchString(&iter, &file_path) catch false)) return;
+    tp.self_pid().send(.{ "cmd", "exit_overlay_mode" }) catch |e| menu.*.opts.ctx.logger.err(module_name, e);
+    tp.self_pid().send(.{ "cmd", "delete_buffer", .{file_path} }) catch |e| menu.*.opts.ctx.logger.err(module_name, e);
 }
diff --git a/src/tui/mode/overlay/palette.zig b/src/tui/mode/overlay/palette.zig
index 505346b..4f03683 100644
--- a/src/tui/mode/overlay/palette.zig
+++ b/src/tui/mode/overlay/palette.zig
@@ -428,6 +428,14 @@ pub fn Create(options: type) type {
             }
             pub const palette_menu_pageup_meta = .{};
 
+            pub fn palette_menu_delete_item(self: *Self, _: Ctx) Result {
+                if (@hasDecl(options, "delete_item")) {
+                    const button = self.menu.get_selected() orelse return;
+                    options.delete_item(self.menu, button);
+                }
+            }
+            pub const palette_menu_delete_item_meta = .{};
+
             pub fn palette_menu_activate(self: *Self, _: Ctx) Result {
                 self.menu.activate_selected();
             }