diff --git a/ui-tui/src/__tests__/useQueue.test.ts b/ui-tui/src/__tests__/useQueue.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..78cd358585
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ui-tui/src/__tests__/useQueue.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest'
+
+import { removeAt } from '../hooks/useQueue.js'
+
+describe('removeAt', () => {
+  it('removes the item at the given index in place', () => {
+    const arr = ['a', 'b', 'c']
+
+    removeAt(arr, 1)
+    expect(arr).toEqual(['a', 'c'])
+  })
+
+  it('is a no-op when the index is out of bounds', () => {
+    const arr = ['a', 'b']
+
+    removeAt(arr, -1)
+    removeAt(arr, 5)
+    expect(arr).toEqual(['a', 'b'])
+  })
+
+  it('returns the same reference (mutates in place)', () => {
+    const arr = ['x']
+    const same = removeAt(arr, 0)
+
+    expect(same).toBe(arr)
+    expect(arr).toEqual([])
+  })
+})
diff --git a/ui-tui/src/app/interfaces.ts b/ui-tui/src/app/interfaces.ts
index 1904277c98..1d7cdaead0 100644
--- a/ui-tui/src/app/interfaces.ts
+++ b/ui-tui/src/app/interfaces.ts
@@ -125,6 +125,7 @@ export interface ComposerActions {
   handleTextPaste: (event: PasteEvent) => MaybePromise<ComposerPasteResult | null>
   openEditor: () => Promise<void>
   pushHistory: (text: string) => void
+  removeQueue: (index: number) => void
   replaceQueue: (index: number, text: string) => void
   setCompIdx: StateSetter<number>
   setHistoryIdx: StateSetter<null | number>
diff --git a/ui-tui/src/app/useComposerState.ts b/ui-tui/src/app/useComposerState.ts
index 26dbc9796f..859506db94 100644
--- a/ui-tui/src/app/useComposerState.ts
+++ b/ui-tui/src/app/useComposerState.ts
@@ -110,8 +110,18 @@ export function useComposerState({
   const isBlocked = useStore($isBlocked)
   const { querier } = useStdin() as { querier: Parameters<typeof readOsc52Clipboard>[0] }
 
-  const { queueRef, queueEditRef, queuedDisplay, queueEditIdx, enqueue, dequeue, replaceQ, setQueueEdit, syncQueue } =
-    useQueue()
+  const {
+    queueRef,
+    queueEditRef,
+    queuedDisplay,
+    queueEditIdx,
+    enqueue,
+    dequeue,
+    removeQ,
+    replaceQ,
+    setQueueEdit,
+    syncQueue
+  } = useQueue()
 
   const { historyRef, historyIdx, setHistoryIdx, historyDraftRef, pushHistory } = useInputHistory()
   const { completions, compIdx, setCompIdx, compReplace } = useCompletion(input, isBlocked, gw)
@@ -294,6 +304,7 @@ export function useComposerState({
       handleTextPaste,
       openEditor,
       pushHistory,
+      removeQueue: removeQ,
       replaceQueue: replaceQ,
       setCompIdx,
       setHistoryIdx,
@@ -310,6 +321,7 @@ export function useComposerState({
       handleTextPaste,
       openEditor,
       pushHistory,
+      removeQ,
       replaceQ,
       setCompIdx,
       setHistoryIdx,
diff --git a/ui-tui/src/app/useInputHandlers.ts b/ui-tui/src/app/useInputHandlers.ts
index 5aab1d1bf8..538b5561b7 100644
--- a/ui-tui/src/app/useInputHandlers.ts
+++ b/ui-tui/src/app/useInputHandlers.ts
@@ -311,6 +311,10 @@ export function useInputHandlers(ctx: InputHandlerContext): InputHandlerResult {
       return clearSelection()
     }
 
+    if (key.escape && cState.queueEditIdx !== null) {
+      return cActions.clearIn()
+    }
+
     if (key.upArrow && !cState.inputBuf.length) {
       const inputSel = getInputSelection()
       const cursor = inputSel && inputSel.start === inputSel.end ? inputSel.start : null
@@ -357,6 +361,11 @@ export function useInputHandlers(ctx: InputHandlerContext): InputHandlerResult {
       }
     }
 
+    if (isCtrl(key, ch, 'x') && cState.queueEditIdx !== null) {
+      cActions.removeQueue(cState.queueEditIdx)
+      return cActions.clearIn()
+    }
+
     if (key.ctrl && ch.toLowerCase() === 'c') {
       if (live.busy && live.sid) {
         return turnController.interruptTurn({
diff --git a/ui-tui/src/components/queuedMessages.tsx b/ui-tui/src/components/queuedMessages.tsx
index ab9c42c551..6e954c8345 100644
--- a/ui-tui/src/components/queuedMessages.tsx
+++ b/ui-tui/src/components/queuedMessages.tsx
@@ -24,7 +24,8 @@ export function QueuedMessages({ cols, queueEditIdx, queued, t }: QueuedMessages
   return (
     <Box flexDirection="column" marginTop={1}>
       <Text color={t.color.dim} dimColor>
-        queued ({queued.length}){queueEditIdx !== null ? ` · editing ${queueEditIdx + 1}` : ''}
+        queued ({queued.length})
+        {queueEditIdx !== null ? ` · editing ${queueEditIdx + 1} · ⌃X delete · esc cancel` : ''}
       </Text>
 
       {q.showLead && (
diff --git a/ui-tui/src/content/hotkeys.ts b/ui-tui/src/content/hotkeys.ts
index 50c293acd8..c5e32cd2a2 100644
--- a/ui-tui/src/content/hotkeys.ts
+++ b/ui-tui/src/content/hotkeys.ts
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ export const HOTKEYS: [string, string][] = [
   [paste + '+V / /paste', 'paste text; /paste attaches clipboard image'],
   ['Tab', 'apply completion'],
   ['↑/↓', 'completions / queue edit / history'],
+  ['Ctrl+X', 'delete the queued message you’re editing (esc cancels edit)'],
   [action + '+A/E', 'home / end of line'],
   [action + '+Z / ' + action + '+Y', 'undo / redo input edits'],
   [action + '+W', 'delete word'],
diff --git a/ui-tui/src/hooks/useQueue.ts b/ui-tui/src/hooks/useQueue.ts
index 7546d64e74..18e9a6c55d 100644
--- a/ui-tui/src/hooks/useQueue.ts
+++ b/ui-tui/src/hooks/useQueue.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,15 @@
 import { useCallback, useRef, useState } from 'react'
 
+export function removeAt<T>(arr: T[], i: number): T[] {
+  if (i < 0 || i >= arr.length) {
+    return arr
+  }
+
+  arr.splice(i, 1)
+
+  return arr
+}
+
 export function useQueue() {
   const queueRef = useRef<string[]>([])
   const [queuedDisplay, setQueuedDisplay] = useState<string[]>([])
@@ -36,6 +46,19 @@ export function useQueue() {
     [syncQueue]
   )
 
+  const removeQ = useCallback(
+    (i: number) => {
+      const before = queueRef.current.length
+
+      removeAt(queueRef.current, i)
+
+      if (queueRef.current.length !== before) {
+        syncQueue()
+      }
+    },
+    [syncQueue]
+  )
+
   return {
     dequeue,
     enqueue,
@@ -43,6 +66,7 @@ export function useQueue() {
     queueEditRef,
     queueRef,
     queuedDisplay,
+    removeQ,
     replaceQ,
     setQueueEdit,
     syncQueue