diff --git a/Atomic/delete.py b/Atomic/delete.py
index 647b4173..330601dc 100644
--- a/Atomic/delete.py
+++ b/Atomic/delete.py
@@ -73,12 +73,15 @@ def _delete_remote(self, targets):
     def _delete_local(self, targets):
         results = 0
         for target in targets:
-            try:
-                self.d.remove_image(target)
-            except NotFound as e:
-                util.write_err("Failed to delete Image {}: {}".format(target, e))
-                results = 2
-            except APIError as e:
-                util.write_err("Failed operation for delete Image {}: {}".format(target, e))
-                results = 2
+            if self.syscontainers.has_system_container_image(target):
+                self.syscontainers.delete_image(target)
+            else:
+                try:
+                    self.d.remove_image(target)
+                except NotFound as e:
+                    util.write_err("Failed to delete Image {}: {}".format(target, e))
+                    results = 2
+                except APIError as e:
+                    util.write_err("Failed operation for delete Image {}: {}".format(target, e))
+                    results = 2
         return results
diff --git a/Atomic/syscontainers.py b/Atomic/syscontainers.py
index 9d7520c2..04f22093 100644
--- a/Atomic/syscontainers.py
+++ b/Atomic/syscontainers.py
@@ -358,6 +358,17 @@ def get_system_containers(self):
             ret.append(container)
         return ret
 
+    def delete_image(self, image):
+        repo = self._get_ostree_repo()
+        if not repo:
+            return
+        imagebranch = SystemContainers._get_ostree_image_branch(image)
+        commit_rev = repo.resolve_rev(imagebranch, True)
+        if not commit_rev[1]:
+            return
+        ref = OSTree.parse_refspec(imagebranch)
+        repo.set_ref_immediate(ref[1], ref[2], None)
+
     def get_system_images(self, repo=None):
         if repo is None:
             repo = self._get_ostree_repo()
diff --git a/tests/integration/test_system_containers.sh b/tests/integration/test_system_containers.sh
index 46081c75..5c48a2e7 100755
--- a/tests/integration/test_system_containers.sh
+++ b/tests/integration/test_system_containers.sh
@@ -109,8 +109,8 @@ test \! -e ${ATOMIC_OSTREE_CHECKOUT_PATH}/${NAME}.0
 test \! -e ${ATOMIC_OSTREE_CHECKOUT_PATH}/${NAME}.1
 
 # check that there are not any "ociimage/" prefixed branch left after images prune
-ostree --repo=${ATOMIC_OSTREE_REPO} refs --delete "ociimage/atomic-test-system-latest"
-ostree --repo=${ATOMIC_OSTREE_REPO} refs --delete "ociimage/busybox-latest"
+${ATOMIC} images delete -f atomic-test-system
+${ATOMIC} images delete -f busybox
 ${ATOMIC} images prune
 OUTPUT=$(! ostree --repo=${ATOMIC_OSTREE_REPO} refs | grep -c ociimage)
 if test $OUTPUT \!= 0; then