diff --git a/autobatch/autobatch.go b/autobatch/autobatch.go
index 62ea38d681e9c6fcda03286f2114cdb9f7e1f409..aeca9a455bbfc842b2c067497a1c92d8731ccc1b 100644
--- a/autobatch/autobatch.go
+++ b/autobatch/autobatch.go
@@ -13,38 +13,43 @@ type Datastore struct {
 	child ds.Batching
 
 	// TODO: discuss making ds.Batch implement the full ds.Datastore interface
-	buffer           map[ds.Key][]byte
+	buffer           map[ds.Key]op
 	maxBufferEntries int
 }
 
+type op struct {
+	delete bool
+	value  []byte
+}
+
 // NewAutoBatching returns a new datastore that automatically
 // batches writes using the given Batching datastore. The size
 // of the memory pool is given by size.
 func NewAutoBatching(d ds.Batching, size int) *Datastore {
 	return &Datastore{
 		child:            d,
-		buffer:           make(map[ds.Key][]byte),
+		buffer:           make(map[ds.Key]op, size),
 		maxBufferEntries: size,
 	}
 }
 
 // Delete deletes a key/value
 func (d *Datastore) Delete(k ds.Key) error {
-	_, found := d.buffer[k]
-	delete(d.buffer, k)
-
-	err := d.child.Delete(k)
-	if found && err == ds.ErrNotFound {
-		return nil
+	d.buffer[k] = op{delete: true}
+	if len(d.buffer) > d.maxBufferEntries {
+		return d.Flush()
 	}
-	return err
+	return nil
 }
 
 // Get retrieves a value given a key.
 func (d *Datastore) Get(k ds.Key) ([]byte, error) {
-	val, ok := d.buffer[k]
+	o, ok := d.buffer[k]
 	if ok {
-		return val, nil
+		if o.delete {
+			return nil, ds.ErrNotFound
+		}
+		return o.value, nil
 	}
 
 	return d.child.Get(k)
@@ -52,7 +57,7 @@ func (d *Datastore) Get(k ds.Key) ([]byte, error) {
 
 // Put stores a key/value.
 func (d *Datastore) Put(k ds.Key, val []byte) error {
-	d.buffer[k] = val
+	d.buffer[k] = op{value: val}
 	if len(d.buffer) > d.maxBufferEntries {
 		return d.Flush()
 	}
@@ -66,23 +71,32 @@ func (d *Datastore) Flush() error {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	for k, v := range d.buffer {
-		err := b.Put(k, v)
+	for k, o := range d.buffer {
+		var err error
+		if o.delete {
+			err = b.Delete(k)
+			if err == ds.ErrNotFound {
+				// Ignore these, let delete be idempotent.
+				err = nil
+			}
+		} else {
+			err = b.Put(k, o.value)
+		}
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
 	}
 	// clear out buffer
-	d.buffer = make(map[ds.Key][]byte)
+	d.buffer = make(map[ds.Key]op, d.maxBufferEntries)
 
 	return b.Commit()
 }
 
 // Has checks if a key is stored.
 func (d *Datastore) Has(k ds.Key) (bool, error) {
-	_, ok := d.buffer[k]
+	o, ok := d.buffer[k]
 	if ok {
-		return true, nil
+		return !o.delete, nil
 	}
 
 	return d.child.Has(k)
@@ -90,9 +104,12 @@ func (d *Datastore) Has(k ds.Key) (bool, error) {
 
 // GetSize implements Datastore.GetSize
 func (d *Datastore) GetSize(k ds.Key) (int, error) {
-	v, ok := d.buffer[k]
+	o, ok := d.buffer[k]
 	if ok {
-		return len(v), nil
+		if o.delete {
+			return -1, ds.ErrNotFound
+		}
+		return len(o.value), nil
 	}
 
 	return d.child.GetSize(k)
@@ -114,5 +131,13 @@ func (d *Datastore) DiskUsage() (uint64, error) {
 }
 
 func (d *Datastore) Close() error {
-	return d.child.Close()
+	err1 := d.Flush()
+	err2 := d.child.Close()
+	if err1 != nil {
+		return err1
+	}
+	if err2 != nil {
+		return err2
+	}
+	return nil
 }
diff --git a/autobatch/autobatch_test.go b/autobatch/autobatch_test.go
index 4eebb5339479d540834bd344d9bac91cae078932..0dcf2a0c5d6bf77daadd4546159b637a4f108571 100644
--- a/autobatch/autobatch_test.go
+++ b/autobatch/autobatch_test.go
@@ -30,18 +30,48 @@ func TestFlushing(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 	}
 
+	// Get works normally.
+	for _, k := range keys {
+		val, err := d.Get(k)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+
+		if !bytes.Equal(val, v) {
+			t.Fatal("wrong value")
+		}
+	}
+
+	// Not flushed
 	_, err := child.Get(keys[0])
 	if err != ds.ErrNotFound {
 		t.Fatal("shouldnt have found value")
 	}
 
+	// Delete works.
+	err = d.Delete(keys[14])
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	_, err = d.Get(keys[14])
+	if err != ds.ErrNotFound {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	// Still not flushed
+	_, err = child.Get(keys[0])
+	if err != ds.ErrNotFound {
+		t.Fatal("shouldnt have found value")
+	}
+
+	// Final put flushes.
 	err = d.Put(ds.NewKey("test16"), v)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
 
 	// should be flushed now, try to get keys from child datastore
-	for _, k := range keys {
+	for _, k := range keys[:14] {
 		val, err := child.Get(k)
 		if err != nil {
 			t.Fatal(err)
@@ -51,4 +81,25 @@ func TestFlushing(t *testing.T) {
 			t.Fatal("wrong value")
 		}
 	}
+
+	// Never flushed the deleted key.
+	_, err = child.Get(keys[14])
+	if err != ds.ErrNotFound {
+		t.Fatal("shouldnt have found value")
+	}
+
+	// Delete doesn't flush
+	err = d.Delete(keys[0])
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	val, err := child.Get(keys[0])
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	if !bytes.Equal(val, v) {
+		t.Fatal("wrong value")
+	}
 }