diff --git a/tests/rpmsigdig.at b/tests/rpmsigdig.at
index 5aeab200fe..50d15ffff5 100644
--- a/tests/rpmsigdig.at
+++ b/tests/rpmsigdig.at
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ runroot rpmkeys -Kv /data/RPMS/hello-1.0-1.i386.rpm
 [])
 RPMTEST_CLEANUP
 
-AT_SETUP([rpmkeys key update (rpmdb)])
+AT_SETUP([rpmkeys key update and delete (rpmdb)])
 AT_KEYWORDS([rpmkeys signature])
 RPMDB_INIT
 # currently the default but make it explicit
@@ -74,6 +74,34 @@ runroot rpmkeys -Kv /data/RPMS/hello-2.0-1.x86_64-signed-with-new-subkey.rpm
     Payload SHA256 digest: OK
 ],
 [])
+
+RPMTEST_CHECK([
+runroot rpmkeys --delete abcd gimmekey 1111aaaa2222bbbb
+],
+[3],
+[],
+[error: invalid key id: abcd
+error: invalid key id: gimmekey
+error: key not found: 1111aaaa2222bbbb
+])
+
+RPMTEST_CHECK([
+runroot rpmkeys --delete 1964c5fc
+],
+[0],
+[],
+[])
+
+RPMTEST_CHECK([
+# XXX rpmkeys on rpmdb returns "package gpg-pubkey is not installed" with
+# and error code when no keys are present, paper over
+runroot rpmkeys --list | grep -v "not installed" | wc -l
+exit 0
+],
+[0],
+[0
+],
+[])
 RPMTEST_CLEANUP
 
 AT_SETUP([rpmkeys key update (fs)])
@@ -121,6 +149,32 @@ runroot rpmkeys -Kv /data/RPMS/hello-2.0-1.x86_64-signed-with-new-subkey.rpm
     Payload SHA256 digest: OK
 ],
 [])
+
+RPMTEST_CHECK([
+runroot rpmkeys --delete abcd gimmekey 1111aaaa2222bbbb
+],
+[3],
+[],
+[error: invalid key id: abcd
+error: invalid key id: gimmekey
+error: key not found: 1111aaaa2222bbbb
+])
+
+RPMTEST_CHECK([
+runroot rpmkeys --delete 1964c5fc
+],
+[0],
+[],
+[])
+
+RPMTEST_CHECK([
+# XXX rpmkeys --list doesn't yet work with fs keystore
+runroot_other find /var/lib/rpm/pubkeys -name "*.key" | wc -l
+],
+[0],
+[0
+],
+[])
 RPMTEST_CLEANUP
 # ------------------------------
 # Test rpmkeys write errors
diff --git a/tools/rpmkeys.cc b/tools/rpmkeys.cc
index 0210523f5c..4058fe169c 100644
--- a/tools/rpmkeys.cc
+++ b/tools/rpmkeys.cc
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 #include <popt.h>
 #include <rpm/rpmcli.h>
 #include <rpm/rpmstring.h>
+#include <rpm/rpmlog.h>
 #include "cliutils.hh"
 #include "debug.h"
 
@@ -89,10 +90,24 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	break;
     case MODE_DELKEY:
     {
-	struct rpmInstallArguments_s * ia = &rpmIArgs;
-	ARGV_t gpgargs = gpgkeyargs(args);
-	ec = rpmErase(ts, ia, gpgargs);
-	argvFree(gpgargs);
+	rpmtxn txn = rpmtxnBegin(ts, RPMTXN_WRITE);
+	if (txn) {
+	    int nfail = 0;
+	    for (char const * const *arg = args; *arg && **arg; arg++) {
+		rpmRC delrc = rpmtxnDeletePubkey(txn, *arg);
+		if (delrc) {
+		    if (delrc == RPMRC_NOTFOUND)
+			rpmlog(RPMLOG_ERR, ("key not found: %s\n"), *arg);
+		    else if (delrc == RPMRC_NOKEY)
+			rpmlog(RPMLOG_ERR, ("invalid key id: %s\n"), *arg);
+		    else if (delrc == RPMRC_FAIL)
+			rpmlog(RPMLOG_ERR, ("failed to delete key: %s\n"), *arg);
+		    nfail++;
+		}
+	    }
+	    ec = nfail;
+	    rpmtxnEnd(txn);
+	}
 	break;
     }
     case MODE_LISTKEY: