diff --git a/lib/cli.js b/lib/cli.js
index c41f96a..f9e016d 100644
--- a/lib/cli.js
+++ b/lib/cli.js
@@ -70,6 +70,7 @@ function CLI() {
             'start-instance',
             'stop-instance',
             'reboot-instance',
+            'delete-instance',
             'ssh',
             { group: 'Images' },
             'images',
@@ -128,6 +129,7 @@ CLI.prototype.do_instance_audit = require('./do_instance_audit');
 CLI.prototype.do_stop_instance = require('./do_startstop_instance')('stop');
 CLI.prototype.do_start_instance = require('./do_startstop_instance')('start');
 CLI.prototype.do_reboot_instance = require('./do_startstop_instance')('reboot');
+CLI.prototype.do_delete_instance = require('./do_delete_instance');
 CLI.prototype.do_ssh = require('./do_ssh');
 
 // Packages
diff --git a/lib/cloudapi2.js b/lib/cloudapi2.js
index 7a4e94e..2fc7b46 100644
--- a/lib/cloudapi2.js
+++ b/lib/cloudapi2.js
@@ -214,6 +214,9 @@ CloudAPI.prototype._request = function _request(options, callback) {
     var method = (options.method || 'GET').toLowerCase();
     assert.ok(['get', 'post', 'delete', 'head'].indexOf(method) >= 0,
         'invalid method given');
+    switch (method) {
+        case 'delete': method = 'del'; break;
+    }
     self._getAuthHeaders(function (err, headers) {
         if (err) {
             callback(err);
@@ -366,6 +369,26 @@ CloudAPI.prototype.getMachine = function getMachine(uuid, callback) {
     });
 };
 
+/**
+ * delete a machine by id.
+ *
+ * @param {String} uuid (required) The machine id.
+ * @param {Function} callback of the form `function (err, machine, response)`
+ */
+CloudAPI.prototype.deleteMachine = function deleteMachine(uuid, callback) {
+    var self = this;
+    assert.string(uuid, 'uuid');
+    assert.func(callback, 'callback');
+
+    var opts = {
+        path: sprintf('/%s/machines/%s', self.user, uuid),
+        method: 'DELETE'
+    };
+    this._request(opts, function (err, req, res, body) {
+        callback(err, body, res);
+    });
+};
+
 /**
  * start a machine by id.
  *
@@ -438,13 +461,13 @@ CloudAPI.prototype.waitForMachineStates = function waitForMachineStates(opts, ca
     poll();
 
     function poll() {
-        self.getMachine(opts.id, function (err, machine) {
+        self.getMachine(opts.id, function (err, machine, res) {
             if (err) {
-                callback(err);
+                callback(err, null, res);
                 return;
             }
             if (opts.states.indexOf(machine.state) !== -1) {
-                callback(null, machine);
+                callback(null, machine, res);
                 return;
             }
             setTimeout(poll, interval);
diff --git a/lib/do_delete_instance.js b/lib/do_delete_instance.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..464d7e5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/do_delete_instance.js
@@ -0,0 +1,92 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2015 Joyent Inc.
+ *
+ * `triton delete ...`
+ */
+
+var common = require('./common');
+
+function do_delete_instance(subcmd, opts, args, callback) {
+    var self = this;
+
+    if (opts.help) {
+        this.do_help('help', {}, [subcmd], callback);
+        return;
+    } else if (args.length !== 1) {
+        callback(new Error('invalid args: ' + args));
+        return;
+    }
+
+    var arg = args[0];
+    var uuid;
+
+    if (common.isUUID(arg)) {
+        uuid = arg;
+        go1();
+    } else {
+        self.triton.getMachineByAlias(arg, function (err, machine) {
+            if (err) {
+                callback(err);
+                return;
+            }
+            uuid = machine.id;
+            go1();
+        });
+    }
+
+    function go1() {
+        // called when "uuid" is set
+        self.triton.cloudapi.deleteMachine(uuid, function (err, body, res) {
+            if (err) {
+                callback(err);
+                return;
+            }
+
+            if (!opts.wait) {
+                callback();
+                return;
+            }
+
+            self.triton.cloudapi.waitForMachineStates({
+                id: uuid,
+                states: ['deleted']
+            }, function (err, machine, res) {
+                if (res && res.statusCode === 410) {
+                    // gone... success!
+                    callback();
+                    return;
+                } else if (err) {
+                    callback(err);
+                    return;
+                }
+                callback();
+            });
+        });
+    }
+}
+
+do_delete_instance.aliases = ['delete'];
+
+do_delete_instance.help = [
+    'delete a single instance.',
+    '',
+    'Usage:',
+    '       {{name}} delete <alias|id>',
+    '',
+    '{{options}}'
+];
+do_delete_instance.options = [
+    {
+        names: ['help', 'h'],
+        type: 'bool',
+        help: 'Show this help.'
+    },
+    {
+        names: ['wait', 'w'],
+        type: 'bool',
+        help: 'Wait for machine to be deleted.'
+    }
+];
+
+
+module.exports = do_delete_instance;