diff --git a/codex/node.nim b/codex/node.nim
index ee2a2b46..aee79f26 100644
--- a/codex/node.nim
+++ b/codex/node.nim
@@ -267,6 +267,59 @@ proc retrieve*(
 
   await self.streamEntireDataset(manifest, cid)
 
+proc deleteSingleBlock(self: CodexNodeRef, cid: Cid): Future[?!void] {.async.} =
+  if err =? (await self.networkStore.delBlock(cid)).errorOption:
+    error "Error deleting block", cid, err = err.msg
+    return failure(err)
+
+  trace "Deleted block", cid
+  return success()
+
+proc deleteEntireDataset(self: CodexNodeRef, cid: Cid): Future[?!void] {.async.} =
+  # Deletion is a strictly local operation
+  var store = self.networkStore.localStore
+
+  if not (await cid in store):
+    return failure("Dataset's manifest is not available locally - nothing to delete")
+
+  without manifestBlock =? await store.getBlock(cid), err:
+    return failure(err)
+
+  without manifest =? Manifest.decode(manifestBlock), err:
+    return failure(err)
+
+  for i in 0 ..< manifest.blocksCount:
+    if err =? (await store.delBlock(manifest.treeCid, i)).errorOption:
+      # The contract for delBlock is fuzzy, but we assume that if the block is
+      # simply missing we won't get an error. This is a best effort operation and
+      # can simply be retried.
+      error "Failed to delete block within dataset", index = i, err = err.msg
+      return failure(err)
+
+  if err =? (await store.delBlock(cid)).errorOption:
+    error "Error deleting manifest block", err = err.msg
+
+  success()
+
+proc delete*(
+    self: CodexNodeRef, cid: Cid
+): Future[?!void] {.async: (raises: [CatchableError]).} =
+  ## Deletes a whole dataset, if Cid is a Manifest Cid, or a single block, if Cid a block Cid,
+  ## from the underlying block store. This is a strictly local operation.
+  ##
+  ## Missing blocks in dataset deletes are ignored.
+  ##
+
+  without isManifest =? cid.isManifest, err:
+    trace "Bad content type for CID:", err = err.msg
+    return failure(err)
+
+  if not isManifest:
+    return await self.deleteSingleBlock(cid)
+
+  echo "dispatch to entire dataset"
+  await self.deleteEntireDataset(cid)
+
 proc store*(
     self: CodexNodeRef,
     stream: LPStream,
diff --git a/tests/codex/helpers.nim b/tests/codex/helpers.nim
index 6d7415d3..898dd16e 100644
--- a/tests/codex/helpers.nim
+++ b/tests/codex/helpers.nim
@@ -85,30 +85,31 @@ proc makeWantList*(
   )
 
 proc storeDataGetManifest*(
-    store: BlockStore, chunker: Chunker
+    store: BlockStore, blocks: seq[Block]
 ): Future[Manifest] {.async.} =
-  var cids = newSeq[Cid]()
-
-  while (let chunk = await chunker.getBytes(); chunk.len > 0):
-    let blk = Block.new(chunk).tryGet()
-    cids.add(blk.cid)
+  for blk in blocks:
     (await store.putBlock(blk)).tryGet()
 
   let
-    tree = CodexTree.init(cids).tryGet()
+    (manifest, tree) = makeManifestAndTree(blocks).tryGet()
     treeCid = tree.rootCid.tryGet()
-    manifest = Manifest.new(
-      treeCid = treeCid,
-      blockSize = NBytes(chunker.chunkSize),
-      datasetSize = NBytes(chunker.offset),
-    )
 
   for i in 0 ..< tree.leavesCount:
     let proof = tree.getProof(i).tryGet()
-    (await store.putCidAndProof(treeCid, i, cids[i], proof)).tryGet()
+    (await store.putCidAndProof(treeCid, i, blocks[i].cid, proof)).tryGet()
 
   return manifest
 
+proc storeDataGetManifest*(
+    store: BlockStore, chunker: Chunker
+): Future[Manifest] {.async.} =
+  var blocks = newSeq[Block]()
+
+  while (let chunk = await chunker.getBytes(); chunk.len > 0):
+    blocks.add(Block.new(chunk).tryGet())
+
+  return await storeDataGetManifest(store, blocks)
+
 proc makeRandomBlocks*(
     datasetSize: int, blockSize: NBytes
 ): Future[seq[Block]] {.async.} =
diff --git a/tests/codex/node/testnode.nim b/tests/codex/node/testnode.nim
index e4a9d1f4..b9450f40 100644
--- a/tests/codex/node/testnode.nim
+++ b/tests/codex/node/testnode.nim
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ import ../examples
 import ../helpers
 import ../helpers/mockmarket
 import ../helpers/mockclock
+import ../slots/helpers
 
 import ./helpers
 
@@ -166,3 +167,28 @@ asyncchecksuite "Test Node - Basic":
       (await verifiableBlock.cid in localStore) == true
       request.content.cid == $verifiableBlock.cid
       request.content.merkleRoot == builder.verifyRoot.get.toBytes
+
+  test "Should delete a single block":
+    let randomBlock = bt.Block.new("Random block".toBytes).tryGet()
+    (await localStore.putBlock(randomBlock)).tryGet()
+    check (await randomBlock.cid in localStore) == true
+
+    (await node.delete(randomBlock.cid)).tryGet()
+    check (await randomBlock.cid in localStore) == false
+
+  test "Should delete an entire dataset":
+    let
+      blocks = await makeRandomBlocks(datasetSize = 2048, blockSize = 256'nb)
+      manifest = await storeDataGetManifest(localStore, blocks)
+      manifestBlock = (await store.storeManifest(manifest)).tryGet()
+      manifestCid = manifestBlock.cid
+
+    check await manifestCid in localStore
+    for blk in blocks:
+      check await blk.cid in localStore
+
+    (await node.delete(manifestCid)).tryGet()
+
+    check not await manifestCid in localStore
+    for blk in blocks:
+      check not (await blk.cid in localStore)