diff --git a/client/src/components/ChatInput.tsx b/client/src/components/ChatInput.tsx
index 04263e7..3b600e6 100644
--- a/client/src/components/ChatInput.tsx
+++ b/client/src/components/ChatInput.tsx
@@ -1,17 +1,25 @@
 import React, { useState } from "react";
+import { ClientChatMessage, ClientMessage } from "../../../shared";
 
 interface ChatInputProps {
-  onSendMessage: (content: string) => void;
+  sendMessage: (message: ClientMessage) => void;
 }
 
-function ChatInput({ onSendMessage }: ChatInputProps) {
+function ChatInput({ sendMessage }: ChatInputProps) {
   const [message, setMessage] = useState("");
 
   function handleSubmit(e: React.FormEvent) {
     e.preventDefault();
     if (!message.trim()) return;
 
-    onSendMessage(message);
+    const chatMessage: ClientChatMessage = {
+      type: "CHAT_MESSAGE",
+      payload: {
+        content: message,
+      },
+    };
+
+    sendMessage(chatMessage);
     setMessage("");
   }
 
diff --git a/client/src/components/ChatMessage.tsx b/client/src/components/ChatMessage.tsx
index a20d3c3..752759f 100644
--- a/client/src/components/ChatMessage.tsx
+++ b/client/src/components/ChatMessage.tsx
@@ -4,11 +4,19 @@ import { ChatMessage } from "../../../shared";
 function ChatMessageDisplay({
   message,
   userId,
+  onDelete,
+  onEdit,
 }: {
   message: ChatMessage;
-  userId: string | undefined; // pass userId as string to avoid rerendering. if we useChatState here, it would rerender every single message every time a new chat message is added.
+  userId: string | undefined;
+  onDelete: (messageId: string) => void;
+  onEdit: (messageId: string) => void;
 }) {
   const isOwn = userId === message.author.userId;
+  const timestamp = new Date(message.timestamp).toLocaleTimeString([], {
+    hour: "2-digit",
+    minute: "2-digit",
+  });
 
   return (
     <div key={message.id} className={`mb-4 ${isOwn ? "ml-auto" : "mr-auto"}`}>
@@ -19,21 +27,38 @@ function ChatMessageDisplay({
         {!isOwn && (
           <span className="font-bold text-gray-700">{message.author.name}</span>
         )}
-        <span className="font-medium opacity-45">
-          {new Date(message.timestamp).toLocaleTimeString([], {
-            hour: "2-digit",
-            minute: "2-digit",
-          })}
-        </span>
+        <span className="font-medium opacity-45">{timestamp}</span>
         {isOwn && (
           <span className="font-bold text-gray-700">{message.author.name}</span>
         )}
       </div>
-      <div
-        className={`max-w-[80%] p-3 rounded-2xl shadow-sm bg-gray-200
-        ${isOwn ? "ml-auto rounded-tr-none" : "mr-auto rounded-tl-none"}`}
-      >
-        {message.content}
+      <div className="relative">
+        <div
+          className={`max-w-[80%] p-3 rounded-2xl shadow-sm bg-gray-200
+          ${isOwn ? "ml-auto rounded-tr-none" : "mr-auto rounded-tl-none"}`}
+        >
+          {message.content}
+        </div>
+        {isOwn && (
+          <div
+            className={`flex gap-2 mt-0.5 text-[10px]
+            ${isOwn ? "justify-end" : "justify-start"}`}
+          >
+            <button
+              onClick={() => onEdit?.(message.id)}
+              className="text-blue-600 hover:text-blue-800 active:text-blue-900"
+            >
+              Edit
+            </button>
+            <span className="text-gray-400">•</span>
+            <button
+              onClick={() => onDelete?.(message.id)}
+              className="text-red-600 hover:text-red-800 active:text-red-900"
+            >
+              Delete
+            </button>
+          </div>
+        )}
       </div>
     </div>
   );
diff --git a/client/src/components/ChatProvider.tsx b/client/src/components/ChatProvider.tsx
index b98ee68..20508a9 100644
--- a/client/src/components/ChatProvider.tsx
+++ b/client/src/components/ChatProvider.tsx
@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@ export function ChatProvider({ children }: { children: React.ReactNode }) {
     state,
     dispatch,
     actions: {
+      deleteMessage: (messageId: string) =>
+        dispatch({ type: "DELETE_MESSAGE", payload: messageId }),
       addMessage: (message: Message) =>
         dispatch({ type: "ADD_MESSAGE", payload: message }),
       setUser: (user: User) => dispatch({ type: "SET_USER", payload: user }),
diff --git a/client/src/components/MessageDisplay.tsx b/client/src/components/MessageDisplay.tsx
index 2c1f459..0f7821c 100644
--- a/client/src/components/MessageDisplay.tsx
+++ b/client/src/components/MessageDisplay.tsx
@@ -1,9 +1,17 @@
 import React, { useEffect, useRef } from "react";
-import { ServerMessage } from "../../../shared";
+import {
+  ClientDeleteMessage,
+  ClientMessage,
+  ServerMessage,
+} from "../../../shared";
 import { useChatState } from "../contexts/ChatContext";
 import ChatMessage from "./ChatMessage";
 
-function ChatMessages() {
+interface MessageDisplayProps {
+  sendMessage: (message: ClientMessage) => void;
+}
+
+function ChatMessages({ sendMessage }: MessageDisplayProps) {
   const { state } = useChatState();
   const userId = state.currentUser?.userId;
   const messagesEndRef = useRef<HTMLDivElement>(null); // ref to an empty div at the end to scroll to
@@ -12,6 +20,19 @@ function ChatMessages() {
     messagesEndRef.current?.scrollIntoView({ behavior: "smooth" });
   };
 
+  const onDelete = (messageId: string) => {
+    const deleteMessage: ClientDeleteMessage = {
+      type: "DELETE_MESSAGE",
+      payload: {
+        messageId,
+      },
+    };
+
+    sendMessage(deleteMessage);
+  };
+
+  const onEdit = (messageId: string) => {};
+
   // scroll to bottom when messages change
   useEffect(() => {
     scrollToBottom();
@@ -25,6 +46,8 @@ function ChatMessages() {
             message={message.payload}
             userId={userId}
             key={message.payload.id}
+            onDelete={onDelete}
+            onEdit={onEdit}
           />
         );
       case "USER_JOINED":
diff --git a/client/src/contexts/ChatContext.tsx b/client/src/contexts/ChatContext.tsx
index 8d2288a..18b43da 100644
--- a/client/src/contexts/ChatContext.tsx
+++ b/client/src/contexts/ChatContext.tsx
@@ -19,12 +19,14 @@ export type ChatState = {
 
 export type ChatAction =
   | { type: "ADD_MESSAGE"; payload: Message }
+  | { type: "DELETE_MESSAGE"; payload: string }
   | { type: "SET_USER"; payload: User }
   | { type: "SET_CONNECTED"; payload: boolean }
   | { type: "CLEAR_MESSAGES" };
 
 export type ChatActions = {
   addMessage: (message: Message) => void;
+  deleteMessage: (messageId: string) => void;
   setUser: (user: User) => void;
   setConnected: (isConnected: boolean) => void;
 };
diff --git a/client/src/hooks/useWebSocket.ts b/client/src/hooks/useWebSocket.ts
index f9ef96d..5c6dc8d 100644
--- a/client/src/hooks/useWebSocket.ts
+++ b/client/src/hooks/useWebSocket.ts
@@ -28,6 +28,10 @@ export function useWebSocket(roomId: string) {
           actions.addMessage(message);
           break;
 
+        case "MESSAGE_DELETED":
+          actions.deleteMessage(message.payload.messageId);
+          break;
+
         default:
           console.error("Unknown message type", message);
       }
@@ -37,12 +41,8 @@ export function useWebSocket(roomId: string) {
 
   // Send a message to the server
   const sendMessage = useCallback(
-    (content: string) => {
+    (message: ClientMessage) => {
       if (ws?.readyState === WebSocket.OPEN) {
-        const message: ClientMessage = {
-          type: "CHAT_MESSAGE",
-          payload: { content },
-        };
         ws.send(JSON.stringify(message));
       } else {
         console.error("WebSocket connection not established");
diff --git a/client/src/pages/Room.tsx b/client/src/pages/Room.tsx
index 99dbb07..162ca40 100644
--- a/client/src/pages/Room.tsx
+++ b/client/src/pages/Room.tsx
@@ -33,8 +33,8 @@ function Room() {
         {!isConnected && <Connect onConnect={connect} />}
         {isConnected && (
           <>
-            <ChatMessages />
-            <ChatInput onSendMessage={sendMessage} />
+            <ChatMessages sendMessage={sendMessage} />
+            <ChatInput sendMessage={sendMessage} />
           </>
         )}
       </section>
diff --git a/client/src/reducers/chatReducers.ts b/client/src/reducers/chatReducers.ts
index cb27885..5eeaf11 100644
--- a/client/src/reducers/chatReducers.ts
+++ b/client/src/reducers/chatReducers.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,17 @@ import { ChatAction, ChatState } from "../contexts/ChatContext";
 
 export function chatReducer(state: ChatState, action: ChatAction): ChatState {
   switch (action.type) {
+    case "DELETE_MESSAGE":
+      return {
+        ...state,
+        messages: state.messages.filter((message) => {
+          // only potentially delete chat messages, dont touch system messages
+          if ("type" in message && message.type === "CHAT_MESSAGE") {
+            return message.payload.id !== action.payload;
+          }
+          return true;
+        }),
+      };
     case "ADD_MESSAGE":
       return {
         ...state,
diff --git a/server/src/handleClientMessage.ts b/server/src/handleClientMessage.ts
index eff88e8..6834794 100644
--- a/server/src/handleClientMessage.ts
+++ b/server/src/handleClientMessage.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import { randomUUIDv7, type ServerWebSocket } from "bun";
 import type {
   ClientMessage,
   ServerChatMessage,
+  ServerMessageDeletedMessage,
   ServerRegistrationConfirmed,
   ServerUserJoinedMessage,
   User,
@@ -61,5 +62,20 @@ export default function handleClientMessage(
         socket.send(JSON.stringify(chatMessage));
       }
       break;
+
+    case "DELETE_MESSAGE":
+      // verify that the sender is the author of the message
+      // TODO: implement this, would need to store all messages on the server side
+
+      const deleteMessage: ServerMessageDeletedMessage = {
+        type: "MESSAGE_DELETED",
+        payload: {
+          messageId: data.payload.messageId,
+        },
+      };
+
+      for (const [socket] of room.userConnections) {
+        socket.send(JSON.stringify(deleteMessage));
+      }
   }
 }