diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index a84b3c48..004f68c4 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -485,15 +485,14 @@ type Node struct {
 
 Sort can be `time`, `active` or `score`. Supported sort order with prefix -/+, i.e. `-time`. For `tree` mode sort will be applied to top-level comments only and all replies always sorted by time.
 
-* `PUT /api/v1/comment/{id}?site=site-id&url=post-url` - edit comment, allowed once in 5min since creation
+* `PUT /api/v1/comment/{id}?site=site-id&url=post-url` - edit comment, allowed once in `EDIT_TIME` minutes since creation.  Body is `EditRequest` json
 
-```json
-  Content-Type: application/json
-
-  {
-    "text": "edit comment blah http://radio-t.com 12345",
-    "summary": "fix blah"
-  }
+```go
+ 	type EditRequest struct {
+ 		Text    string `json:"text"`    // updated text
+ 		Summary string `json:"summary"` // optional, summary of the edit
+ 		Delete  bool   `json:"delete"`  // delete flag 
+ 	}{}
 ```
 
 * `GET /api/v1/last/{max}?site=site-id` - get up to `{max}` last comments
diff --git a/backend/app/rest/api/rest_private.go b/backend/app/rest/api/rest_private.go
index 1a47a895..5c147747 100644
--- a/backend/app/rest/api/rest_private.go
+++ b/backend/app/rest/api/rest_private.go
@@ -83,6 +83,7 @@ func (s *Rest) updateCommentCtrl(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 	edit := struct {
 		Text    string
 		Summary string
+		Delete  bool
 	}{}
 
 	if err := render.DecodeJSON(http.MaxBytesReader(w, r.Body, hardBodyLimit), &edit); err != nil {
@@ -112,6 +113,7 @@ func (s *Rest) updateCommentCtrl(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		Text:    s.CommentFormatter.FormatText(edit.Text),
 		Orig:    edit.Text,
 		Summary: edit.Summary,
+		Delete:  edit.Delete,
 	}
 
 	res, err := s.DataService.EditComment(locator, id, editReq)
diff --git a/backend/app/rest/api/rest_private_test.go b/backend/app/rest/api/rest_private_test.go
index 7b775ad8..1dd820a9 100644
--- a/backend/app/rest/api/rest_private_test.go
+++ b/backend/app/rest/api/rest_private_test.go
@@ -186,6 +186,45 @@ func TestRest_Update(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(t, c2, c3, "same as response from update")
 }
 
+func TestRest_UpdateDelete(t *testing.T) {
+	srv, ts := prep(t)
+	assert.NotNil(t, srv)
+	defer cleanup(ts, srv)
+
+	c1 := store.Comment{Text: "test test #1", ParentID: "p1",
+		Locator: store.Locator{SiteID: "radio-t", URL: "https://radio-t.com/blah1"}}
+	id := addComment(t, c1, ts)
+
+	client := http.Client{}
+	req, err := http.NewRequest(http.MethodPut, ts.URL+"/api/v1/comment/"+id+"?site=radio-t&url=https://radio-t.com/blah1",
+		strings.NewReader(`{"delete": true, "summary":"removed by user"}`))
+	assert.Nil(t, err)
+	req.SetBasicAuth("dev", "password")
+	b, err := client.Do(req)
+	assert.Nil(t, err)
+	body, err := ioutil.ReadAll(b.Body)
+	assert.Nil(t, err)
+	assert.Equal(t, 200, b.StatusCode, string(body))
+
+	// comments returned by update
+	c2 := store.Comment{}
+	err = json.Unmarshal(body, &c2)
+	assert.Nil(t, err)
+	assert.Equal(t, id, c2.ID)
+	assert.True(t, c2.Deleted)
+
+	// read updated comment
+	res, code := getWithAuth(t, fmt.Sprintf("%s/api/v1/id/%s?site=radio-t&url=https://radio-t.com/blah1", ts.URL, id))
+	assert.Equal(t, 200, code)
+	c3 := store.Comment{}
+	err = json.Unmarshal([]byte(res), &c3)
+	assert.Nil(t, err)
+	assert.Equal(t, "", c3.Text)
+	assert.Equal(t, "", c3.Orig)
+	assert.True(t, c3.Deleted)
+
+}
+
 func TestRest_UpdateNotOwner(t *testing.T) {
 	srv, ts := prep(t)
 	assert.NotNil(t, srv)
diff --git a/backend/app/store/service/service.go b/backend/app/store/service/service.go
index c9f2d852..8283d5b1 100644
--- a/backend/app/store/service/service.go
+++ b/backend/app/store/service/service.go
@@ -124,6 +124,7 @@ type EditRequest struct {
 	Text    string
 	Orig    string
 	Summary string
+	Delete  bool
 }
 
 // EditComment to edit text and update Edit info
@@ -138,6 +139,11 @@ func (s *DataStore) EditComment(locator store.Locator, commentID string, req Edi
 		return comment, errors.Errorf("too late to edit %s", commentID)
 	}
 
+	if req.Delete { // delete request
+		comment.Deleted = true
+		return comment, s.Delete(locator, commentID, store.SoftDelete)
+	}
+
 	comment.Text = req.Text
 	comment.Orig = req.Orig
 	comment.Edit = &store.Edit{
diff --git a/backend/app/store/service/service_test.go b/backend/app/store/service/service_test.go
index 590a65ba..645738ca 100644
--- a/backend/app/store/service/service_test.go
+++ b/backend/app/store/service/service_test.go
@@ -258,6 +258,25 @@ func TestService_EditComment(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Nil(t, err, "allow second edit")
 }
 
+func TestService_DeleteComment(t *testing.T) {
+	defer os.Remove(testDb)
+	b := DataStore{Interface: prepStoreEngine(t), KeyStore: keys.NewStaticStore("secret 123")}
+
+	res, err := b.Last("radio-t", 0)
+	t.Logf("%+v", res[0])
+	assert.Nil(t, err)
+	assert.Equal(t, 2, len(res))
+	assert.Nil(t, res[0].Edit)
+
+	_, err = b.EditComment(store.Locator{URL: "https://radio-t.com", SiteID: "radio-t"}, res[0].ID, EditRequest{Delete: true})
+	assert.Nil(t, err)
+
+	c, err := b.Get(store.Locator{URL: "https://radio-t.com", SiteID: "radio-t"}, res[0].ID)
+	assert.Nil(t, err)
+	assert.True(t, c.Deleted)
+	t.Logf("%+v", c)
+}
+
 func TestService_EditCommentDurationFailed(t *testing.T) {
 	defer os.Remove(testDb)
 	b := DataStore{Interface: prepStoreEngine(t), EditDuration: 100 * time.Millisecond, KeyStore: keys.NewStaticStore("secret 123")}