diff --git a/src/client/cli/cmd/common_cli.cpp b/src/client/cli/cmd/common_cli.cpp
index 8cf1a27de5..7c260d26f9 100644
--- a/src/client/cli/cmd/common_cli.cpp
+++ b/src/client/cli/cmd/common_cli.cpp
@@ -76,6 +76,25 @@ mp::InstanceNames cmd::add_instance_names(const mp::ArgParser* parser, const std
     return instance_names;
 }
 
+std::vector<mp::InstanceSnapshotPair> cmd::add_instance_and_snapshot_names(const mp::ArgParser* parser)
+{
+    std::vector<mp::InstanceSnapshotPair> instance_snapshot_names;
+    instance_snapshot_names.reserve(parser->positionalArguments().count());
+
+    for (const auto& arg : parser->positionalArguments())
+    {
+        mp::InstanceSnapshotPair inst_snap_name;
+        auto index = arg.indexOf('.');
+        inst_snap_name.set_instance_name(arg.left(index).toStdString());
+        if (index >= 0)
+            inst_snap_name.set_snapshot_name(arg.right(arg.length() - index - 1).toStdString());
+
+        instance_snapshot_names.push_back(inst_snap_name);
+    }
+
+    return instance_snapshot_names;
+}
+
 mp::ParseCode cmd::handle_format_option(const mp::ArgParser* parser, mp::Formatter** chosen_formatter,
                                         std::ostream& cerr)
 {
diff --git a/src/client/cli/cmd/common_cli.h b/src/client/cli/cmd/common_cli.h
index bd5eeea68f..4d8d1a10d2 100644
--- a/src/client/cli/cmd/common_cli.h
+++ b/src/client/cli/cmd/common_cli.h
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ const QString format_option_name{"format"};
 ParseCode check_for_name_and_all_option_conflict(const ArgParser* parser, std::ostream& cerr, bool allow_empty = false);
 InstanceNames add_instance_names(const ArgParser* parser);
 InstanceNames add_instance_names(const ArgParser* parser, const std::string& default_name);
+std::vector<InstanceSnapshotPair> add_instance_and_snapshot_names(const ArgParser* parser);
 ParseCode handle_format_option(const ArgParser* parser, Formatter** chosen_formatter, std::ostream& cerr);
 std::string instance_action_message_for(const InstanceNames& instance_names, const std::string& action_name);
 ReturnCode run_cmd(const QStringList& args, const ArgParser* parser, std::ostream& cout, std::ostream& cerr);
diff --git a/src/client/cli/cmd/delete.cpp b/src/client/cli/cmd/delete.cpp
index dd8ce3b7af..92a067d9bd 100644
--- a/src/client/cli/cmd/delete.cpp
+++ b/src/client/cli/cmd/delete.cpp
@@ -75,24 +75,25 @@ std::string cmd::Delete::name() const
 
 QString cmd::Delete::short_help() const
 {
-    return QStringLiteral("Delete instances");
+    return QStringLiteral("Delete instances and snapshots");
 }
 
 QString cmd::Delete::description() const
 {
-    return QStringLiteral("Delete instances, to be purged with the \"purge\" command,\n"
-                          "or recovered with the \"recover\" command.");
+    return QStringLiteral(
+        "Delete instances and snapshots. Instances can be purged immediately or later on,"
+        "with the \"purge\" command. Until they are purged, instances can be recovered"
+        "with the \"recover\" command. Snapshots cannot be recovered after deletion and must be purged at once.");
 }
 
 mp::ParseCode cmd::Delete::parse_args(mp::ArgParser* parser)
 {
-    parser->addPositionalArgument("name", "Names of instances to delete", "<name> [<name> ...]");
+    parser->addPositionalArgument("name", "Names of instances and snapshots to delete",
+                                  "<instance>[.snapshot] [<instance>[.snapshot] ...]");
 
-    QCommandLineOption all_option(all_option_name, "Delete all instances");
-    parser->addOption(all_option);
-
-    QCommandLineOption purge_option({"p", "purge"}, "Purge instances immediately");
-    parser->addOption(purge_option);
+    QCommandLineOption all_option(all_option_name, "Delete all instances and snapshots");
+    QCommandLineOption purge_option({"p", "purge"}, "Purge specified instances and snapshots immediately");
+    parser->addOptions({all_option, purge_option});
 
     auto status = parser->commandParse(this);
     if (status != ParseCode::Ok)
@@ -102,11 +103,18 @@ mp::ParseCode cmd::Delete::parse_args(mp::ArgParser* parser)
     if (parse_code != ParseCode::Ok)
         return parse_code;
 
-    request.mutable_instance_names()->CopyFrom(add_instance_names(parser));
-
-    if (parser->isSet(purge_option))
+    request.set_purge(parser->isSet(purge_option));
+    for (const auto& item : add_instance_and_snapshot_names(parser))
     {
-        request.set_purge(true);
+        if (item.has_snapshot_name() && !request.purge())
+        {
+            cerr << "Snapshots can only be purged (after deletion, they cannot be recovered). Please use the `--purge` "
+                    "flag if that is what you want.\n";
+            return mp::ParseCode::CommandLineError;
+        }
+
+        request.add_instances_snapshots()->CopyFrom(item);
     }
+
     return status;
 }
diff --git a/src/client/cli/cmd/info.cpp b/src/client/cli/cmd/info.cpp
index b4cb504d00..34bb7d9143 100644
--- a/src/client/cli/cmd/info.cpp
+++ b/src/client/cli/cmd/info.cpp
@@ -24,29 +24,6 @@
 namespace mp = multipass;
 namespace cmd = multipass::cmd;
 
-namespace
-{
-// TODO@snapshots move this to common_cli once required by other commands
-std::vector<mp::InstanceSnapshotPair> add_instance_and_snapshot_names(const mp::ArgParser* parser)
-{
-    std::vector<mp::InstanceSnapshotPair> instance_snapshot_names;
-    instance_snapshot_names.reserve(parser->positionalArguments().count());
-
-    for (const auto& arg : parser->positionalArguments())
-    {
-        mp::InstanceSnapshotPair inst_snap_name;
-        auto index = arg.indexOf('.');
-        inst_snap_name.set_instance_name(arg.left(index).toStdString());
-        if (index >= 0)
-            inst_snap_name.set_snapshot_name(arg.right(arg.length() - index - 1).toStdString());
-
-        instance_snapshot_names.push_back(inst_snap_name);
-    }
-
-    return instance_snapshot_names;
-}
-} // namespace
-
 mp::ReturnCode cmd::Info::run(mp::ArgParser* parser)
 {
     auto ret = parse_args(parser);
diff --git a/src/daemon/daemon.cpp b/src/daemon/daemon.cpp
index 936abddd6d..f27455c37b 100644
--- a/src/daemon/daemon.cpp
+++ b/src/daemon/daemon.cpp
@@ -1160,6 +1160,23 @@ bool is_ipv4_valid(const std::string& ipv4)
     return true;
 }
 
+template <typename Instances>
+std::unordered_map<std::string, std::unordered_set<std::string>> map_snapshots_to_instances(const Instances& instances)
+{
+    std::unordered_map<std::string, std::unordered_set<std::string>> instance_snapshots_map;
+
+    for (const auto& it : instances)
+    {
+        if (it.snapshot_name().empty())
+            instance_snapshots_map[it.instance_name()];
+        else if (const auto& entry = instance_snapshots_map.find(it.instance_name());
+                 entry == instance_snapshots_map.end() || !entry->second.empty())
+            instance_snapshots_map[it.instance_name()].insert(it.snapshot_name());
+    }
+
+    return instance_snapshots_map;
+}
+
 void add_aliases(google::protobuf::RepeatedPtrField<mp::FindReply_ImageInfo>* container, const std::string& remote_name,
                  const mp::VMImageInfo& info, const std::string& default_remote)
 {
@@ -1770,14 +1787,7 @@ try // clang-format on
 
     if (status.ok())
     {
-        for (const auto& it : request->instances_snapshots())
-        {
-            if (it.snapshot_name().empty())
-                instance_snapshots_map[it.instance_name()];
-            else if (const auto& entry = instance_snapshots_map.find(it.instance_name());
-                     entry == instance_snapshots_map.end() || !entry->second.empty())
-                instance_snapshots_map[it.instance_name()].insert(it.snapshot_name());
-        }
+        instance_snapshots_map = map_snapshots_to_instances(request->instances_snapshots());
 
         // TODO@snapshots change cmd logic to include detailed snapshot info output
         auto cmd =
@@ -2245,12 +2255,13 @@ try // clang-format on
     DeleteReply response;
 
     auto [instance_selection, status] =
-        select_instances_and_react(operative_instances, deleted_instances, request->instance_names().instance_name(),
+        select_instances_and_react(operative_instances, deleted_instances, request->instances_snapshots(),
                                    InstanceGroup::All, require_existing_instances_reaction);
 
     if (status.ok())
     {
         const bool purge = request->purge();
+        auto instance_snapshots_map = map_snapshots_to_instances(request->instances_snapshots());
 
         for (const auto& vm_it : instance_selection.operative_selection)
         {
@@ -2266,6 +2277,24 @@ try // clang-format on
 
             if (purge)
             {
+                // TODO@snapshots call method to delete snapshots
+                /*
+                if (const auto& it = instance_snapshots_map.find(name);
+                    it == instance_snapshots_map.end() || it.second.empty())
+                {
+                    // Delete instance and snapshots
+                    // release_resources(name);
+                    // response.add_purged_instances(name);
+                }
+                else
+                {
+                    for (const auto& snapshot_name : instance_snapshots_map[name])
+                    {
+                        // Delete snapshot
+                    }
+                }
+                */
+
                 release_resources(name);
                 response.add_purged_instances(name);
             }
diff --git a/src/rpc/multipass.proto b/src/rpc/multipass.proto
index db464aaaf8..5933e7ff8e 100644
--- a/src/rpc/multipass.proto
+++ b/src/rpc/multipass.proto
@@ -424,7 +424,7 @@ message RestartReply {
 }
 
 message DeleteRequest {
-    InstanceNames instance_names = 1;
+    repeated InstanceSnapshotPair instances_snapshots = 1;
     bool purge = 2;
     int32 verbosity_level = 3;
 }