diff --git a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/cmd_test.go b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/cmd_test.go
index 5331ad06846..317c46c9174 100644
--- a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/cmd_test.go
+++ b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/cmd_test.go
@@ -153,3 +153,7 @@ func NewAPIFactory() (*Factory, *testFactory, runtime.Codec) {
 func objBody(codec runtime.Codec, obj runtime.Object) io.ReadCloser {
 	return ioutil.NopCloser(bytes.NewReader([]byte(runtime.EncodeOrDie(codec, obj))))
 }
+
+func stringBody(body string) io.ReadCloser {
+	return ioutil.NopCloser(bytes.NewReader([]byte(body)))
+}
diff --git a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/delete.go b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/delete.go
index f7a45dc8a8a..a5bbf75291d 100644
--- a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/delete.go
+++ b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/delete.go
@@ -23,10 +23,15 @@ import (
 	"github.com/golang/glog"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 
+	"github.com/GoogleCloudPlatform/kubernetes/pkg/api/errors"
 	"github.com/GoogleCloudPlatform/kubernetes/pkg/kubectl/resource"
+	"github.com/GoogleCloudPlatform/kubernetes/pkg/util"
 )
 
 func (f *Factory) NewCmdDelete(out io.Writer) *cobra.Command {
+	flags := &struct {
+		Filenames util.StringList
+	}{}
 	cmd := &cobra.Command{
 		Use:   "delete ([-f filename] | (<resource> [(<id> | -l <label>)]",
 		Short: "Delete a resource by filename, stdin or resource and id",
@@ -54,13 +59,18 @@ Examples:
   $ kubectl delete pod 1234-56-7890-234234-456456
   <delete a pod with ID 1234-56-7890-234234-456456>`,
 		Run: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
-			filename := GetFlagString(cmd, "filename")
-			schema, err := f.Validator(cmd)
-			checkErr(err)
-			selector := GetFlagString(cmd, "selector")
-			found := 0
 			mapper, typer := f.Object(cmd)
-			ResourcesFromArgsOrFile(cmd, args, filename, selector, typer, mapper, f.RESTClient, schema, true).Visit(func(r *resource.Info) error {
+			r := resource.NewBuilder(mapper, typer, ClientMapperForCommand(cmd, f)).
+				ContinueOnError().
+				NamespaceParam(GetKubeNamespace(cmd)).DefaultNamespace().
+				FilenameParam(flags.Filenames...).
+				SelectorParam(GetFlagString(cmd, "selector")).
+				ResourceTypeOrNameArgs(args...).
+				Flatten().
+				Do()
+
+			found := 0
+			r.IgnoreErrors(errors.IsNotFound).Visit(func(r *resource.Info) error {
 				found++
 				if err := resource.NewHelper(r.Client, r.Mapping).Delete(r.Namespace, r.Name); err != nil {
 					return err
@@ -73,7 +83,7 @@ Examples:
 			}
 		},
 	}
-	cmd.Flags().StringP("filename", "f", "", "Filename or URL to file to use to delete the resource")
+	cmd.Flags().VarP(&flags.Filenames, "filename", "f", "Filename, directory, or URL to a file containing the resource to delete")
 	cmd.Flags().StringP("selector", "l", "", "Selector (label query) to filter on")
 	return cmd
 }
diff --git a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/delete_test.go b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/delete_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..3447895c595
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/delete_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,221 @@
+/*
+Copyright 2014 Google Inc. All rights reserved.
+
+Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+You may obtain a copy of the License at
+
+    http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+
+Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+limitations under the License.
+*/
+
+package cmd_test
+
+import (
+	"bytes"
+	"net/http"
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/GoogleCloudPlatform/kubernetes/pkg/client"
+)
+
+func TestDeleteObject(t *testing.T) {
+	pods, _ := testData()
+
+	f, tf, codec := NewAPIFactory()
+	tf.Printer = &testPrinter{}
+	tf.Client = &client.FakeRESTClient{
+		Codec: codec,
+		Client: client.HTTPClientFunc(func(req *http.Request) (*http.Response, error) {
+			switch p, m := req.URL.Path, req.Method; {
+			case p == "/ns/test/pods/redis-master" && m == "DELETE":
+				return &http.Response{StatusCode: 200, Body: objBody(codec, &pods.Items[0])}, nil
+			default:
+				t.Fatalf("unexpected request: %#v\n%#v", req.URL, req)
+				return nil, nil
+			}
+		}),
+	}
+	buf := bytes.NewBuffer([]byte{})
+
+	cmd := f.NewCmdDelete(buf)
+	cmd.Flags().String("namespace", "test", "")
+	cmd.Flags().Set("filename", "../../../examples/guestbook/redis-master.json")
+	cmd.Run(cmd, []string{})
+
+	// uses the name from the file, not the response
+	if buf.String() != "redis-master\n" {
+		t.Errorf("unexpected output: %s", buf.String())
+	}
+}
+
+func TestDeleteObjectIgnoreNotFound(t *testing.T) {
+	f, tf, codec := NewAPIFactory()
+	tf.Printer = &testPrinter{}
+	tf.Client = &client.FakeRESTClient{
+		Codec: codec,
+		Client: client.HTTPClientFunc(func(req *http.Request) (*http.Response, error) {
+			switch p, m := req.URL.Path, req.Method; {
+			case p == "/ns/test/pods/redis-master" && m == "DELETE":
+				return &http.Response{StatusCode: 404, Body: stringBody("")}, nil
+			default:
+				t.Fatalf("unexpected request: %#v\n%#v", req.URL, req)
+				return nil, nil
+			}
+		}),
+	}
+	buf := bytes.NewBuffer([]byte{})
+
+	cmd := f.NewCmdDelete(buf)
+	cmd.Flags().String("namespace", "test", "")
+	cmd.Flags().Set("filename", "../../../examples/guestbook/redis-master.json")
+	cmd.Run(cmd, []string{})
+
+	if buf.String() != "" {
+		t.Errorf("unexpected output: %s", buf.String())
+	}
+}
+
+func TestDeleteMultipleObject(t *testing.T) {
+	pods, svc := testData()
+
+	f, tf, codec := NewAPIFactory()
+	tf.Printer = &testPrinter{}
+	tf.Client = &client.FakeRESTClient{
+		Codec: codec,
+		Client: client.HTTPClientFunc(func(req *http.Request) (*http.Response, error) {
+			switch p, m := req.URL.Path, req.Method; {
+			case p == "/ns/test/pods/redis-master" && m == "DELETE":
+				return &http.Response{StatusCode: 200, Body: objBody(codec, &pods.Items[0])}, nil
+			case p == "/ns/test/services/frontend" && m == "DELETE":
+				return &http.Response{StatusCode: 200, Body: objBody(codec, &svc.Items[0])}, nil
+			default:
+				t.Fatalf("unexpected request: %#v\n%#v", req.URL, req)
+				return nil, nil
+			}
+		}),
+	}
+	buf := bytes.NewBuffer([]byte{})
+
+	cmd := f.NewCmdDelete(buf)
+	cmd.Flags().String("namespace", "test", "")
+	cmd.Flags().Set("filename", "../../../examples/guestbook/redis-master.json")
+	cmd.Flags().Set("filename", "../../../examples/guestbook/frontend-service.json")
+	cmd.Run(cmd, []string{})
+
+	if buf.String() != "redis-master\nfrontend\n" {
+		t.Errorf("unexpected output: %s", buf.String())
+	}
+}
+
+func TestDeleteMultipleObjectIgnoreMissing(t *testing.T) {
+	_, svc := testData()
+
+	f, tf, codec := NewAPIFactory()
+	tf.Printer = &testPrinter{}
+	tf.Client = &client.FakeRESTClient{
+		Codec: codec,
+		Client: client.HTTPClientFunc(func(req *http.Request) (*http.Response, error) {
+			switch p, m := req.URL.Path, req.Method; {
+			case p == "/ns/test/pods/redis-master" && m == "DELETE":
+				return &http.Response{StatusCode: 404, Body: stringBody("")}, nil
+			case p == "/ns/test/services/frontend" && m == "DELETE":
+				return &http.Response{StatusCode: 200, Body: objBody(codec, &svc.Items[0])}, nil
+			default:
+				t.Fatalf("unexpected request: %#v\n%#v", req.URL, req)
+				return nil, nil
+			}
+		}),
+	}
+	buf := bytes.NewBuffer([]byte{})
+
+	cmd := f.NewCmdDelete(buf)
+	cmd.Flags().String("namespace", "test", "")
+	cmd.Flags().Set("filename", "../../../examples/guestbook/redis-master.json")
+	cmd.Flags().Set("filename", "../../../examples/guestbook/frontend-service.json")
+	cmd.Run(cmd, []string{})
+
+	if buf.String() != "frontend\n" {
+		t.Errorf("unexpected output: %s", buf.String())
+	}
+}
+
+func TestDeleteDirectory(t *testing.T) {
+	pods, svc := testData()
+
+	f, tf, codec := NewAPIFactory()
+	tf.Printer = &testPrinter{}
+	tf.Client = &client.FakeRESTClient{
+		Codec: codec,
+		Client: client.HTTPClientFunc(func(req *http.Request) (*http.Response, error) {
+			switch p, m := req.URL.Path, req.Method; {
+			case strings.HasPrefix(p, "/ns/test/pods/") && m == "DELETE":
+				return &http.Response{StatusCode: 200, Body: objBody(codec, &pods.Items[0])}, nil
+			case strings.HasPrefix(p, "/ns/test/services/") && m == "DELETE":
+				return &http.Response{StatusCode: 200, Body: objBody(codec, &svc.Items[0])}, nil
+			case strings.HasPrefix(p, "/ns/test/replicationcontrollers/") && m == "DELETE":
+				return &http.Response{StatusCode: 200, Body: objBody(codec, &svc.Items[0])}, nil
+			default:
+				t.Fatalf("unexpected request: %#v\n%#v", req.URL, req)
+				return nil, nil
+			}
+		}),
+	}
+	buf := bytes.NewBuffer([]byte{})
+
+	cmd := f.NewCmdDelete(buf)
+	cmd.Flags().String("namespace", "test", "")
+	cmd.Flags().Set("filename", "../../../examples/guestbook")
+	cmd.Run(cmd, []string{})
+
+	if buf.String() != "frontendController\nfrontend\nredis-master\nredis-master\nredisSlaveController\nredisslave\n" {
+		t.Errorf("unexpected output: %s", buf.String())
+	}
+}
+
+func TestDeleteMultipleSelector(t *testing.T) {
+	pods, svc := testData()
+
+	f, tf, codec := NewAPIFactory()
+	tf.Printer = &testPrinter{}
+	tf.Client = &client.FakeRESTClient{
+		Codec: codec,
+		Client: client.HTTPClientFunc(func(req *http.Request) (*http.Response, error) {
+			switch p, m := req.URL.Path, req.Method; {
+			case p == "/ns/test/pods" && m == "GET":
+				if req.URL.Query().Get("labels") != "a=b" {
+					t.Fatalf("unexpected request: %#v\n%#v", req.URL, req)
+				}
+				return &http.Response{StatusCode: 200, Body: objBody(codec, pods)}, nil
+			case p == "/ns/test/services" && m == "GET":
+				if req.URL.Query().Get("labels") != "a=b" {
+					t.Fatalf("unexpected request: %#v\n%#v", req.URL, req)
+				}
+				return &http.Response{StatusCode: 200, Body: objBody(codec, svc)}, nil
+			case strings.HasPrefix(p, "/ns/test/pods/") && m == "DELETE":
+				return &http.Response{StatusCode: 200, Body: objBody(codec, &pods.Items[0])}, nil
+			case strings.HasPrefix(p, "/ns/test/services/") && m == "DELETE":
+				return &http.Response{StatusCode: 200, Body: objBody(codec, &svc.Items[0])}, nil
+			default:
+				t.Fatalf("unexpected request: %#v\n%#v", req.URL, req)
+				return nil, nil
+			}
+		}),
+	}
+	buf := bytes.NewBuffer([]byte{})
+
+	cmd := f.NewCmdDelete(buf)
+	cmd.Flags().String("namespace", "test", "")
+	cmd.Flags().Set("selector", "a=b")
+	cmd.Run(cmd, []string{"pods,services"})
+
+	if buf.String() != "foo\nbar\nbaz\n" {
+		t.Errorf("unexpected output: %s", buf.String())
+	}
+}