diff --git a/quickshell/Common/SessionData.qml b/quickshell/Common/SessionData.qml
index 654ce3575..c40f77e2d 100644
--- a/quickshell/Common/SessionData.qml
+++ b/quickshell/Common/SessionData.qml
@@ -1512,6 +1512,15 @@ Singleton {
         saveSettings();
     }
 
+    function removeRecentColor(color) {
+        const colorStr = color.toString();
+        const recent = recentColors.filter(c => c !== colorStr);
+        if (recent.length === recentColors.length)
+            return;
+        recentColors = recent;
+        saveSettings();
+    }
+
     function setShowThirdPartyPlugins(enabled) {
         showThirdPartyPlugins = enabled;
         saveSettings();
diff --git a/quickshell/Modals/ColorPickerModal.qml b/quickshell/Modals/ColorPickerModal.qml
index 8860b76d9..f145b9191 100644
--- a/quickshell/Modals/ColorPickerModal.qml
+++ b/quickshell/Modals/ColorPickerModal.qml
@@ -42,7 +42,12 @@ DModal {
         shouldBeVisible ? hideInstant() : show();
     }
 
-    onSelectedColorChanged: contentLoader?.item?.setColor(selectedColor)
+    // show() applies selectedColor on open. While the picker is open, a change to the
+    // recent colors (which selectedColor follows) must not reset the color being edited.
+    onSelectedColorChanged: {
+        if (!shouldBeVisible)
+            contentLoader?.item?.setColor(selectedColor);
+    }
     onBackgroundClicked: hide()
     onOpened: Qt.callLater(() => contentLoader?.item?.focusInitial())
     onDialogClosed: {
diff --git a/quickshell/Modules/ColorPicker/ColorPickerContent.qml b/quickshell/Modules/ColorPicker/ColorPickerContent.qml
index 1ac6a01a6..e0a388614 100644
--- a/quickshell/Modules/ColorPicker/ColorPickerContent.qml
+++ b/quickshell/Modules/ColorPicker/ColorPickerContent.qml
@@ -388,11 +388,46 @@ DDialog {
             Repeater {
                 model: SessionData.recentColors.slice(0, 5)
 
-                CommonWidgets.DColorButton {
+                Item {
+                    id: recentSwatch
+
                     required property var modelData
-                    swatchColor: modelData
-                    selected: Qt.colorEqual(root.currentColor, swatchColor)
-                    onClicked: root.setColor(swatchColor)
+
+                    implicitWidth: recentButton.implicitWidth
+                    implicitHeight: recentButton.implicitHeight
+
+                    HoverHandler {
+                        id: recentHover
+                    }
+
+                    CommonWidgets.DColorButton {
+                        id: recentButton
+                        anchors.fill: parent
+                        swatchColor: recentSwatch.modelData
+                        selected: Qt.colorEqual(root.currentColor, swatchColor)
+                        onClicked: root.setColor(swatchColor)
+                        Keys.onDeletePressed: SessionData.removeRecentColor(recentSwatch.modelData)
+                        Keys.onPressed: event => {
+                            if (event.key !== Qt.Key_Backspace)
+                                return;
+                            SessionData.removeRecentColor(recentSwatch.modelData);
+                            event.accepted = true;
+                        }
+                    }
+
+                    CommonWidgets.DActionButton {
+                        anchors.top: parent.top
+                        anchors.right: parent.right
+                        anchors.margins: -Theme.spacingXS
+                        buttonSize: Theme.iconSizeSmall + Theme.spacingXS
+                        iconSize: Theme.iconSizeSmall - Theme.spacingXS
+                        iconName: "close"
+                        backgroundColor: Theme.surfaceContainerHighest
+                        focusPolicy: Qt.NoFocus
+                        visible: recentHover.hovered
+                        tooltipText: I18n.tr("Remove from recent colors", "button on a recently picked color swatch")
+                        onClicked: SessionData.removeRecentColor(recentSwatch.modelData)
+                    }
                 }
             }
         }
diff --git a/quickshell/tests/session-recent-colors.test.mjs b/quickshell/tests/session-recent-colors.test.mjs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9efa88227
--- /dev/null
+++ b/quickshell/tests/session-recent-colors.test.mjs
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+import assert from "node:assert/strict";
+import { readFileSync } from "node:fs";
+import vm from "node:vm";
+import test from "node:test";
+
+const source = readFileSync(new URL("../Common/SessionData.qml", import.meta.url), "utf8");
+
+function session(recentColors) {
+    const context = vm.createContext({ recentColors, saves: 0 });
+    vm.runInContext("function saveSettings() { saves++; }", context);
+    const methods = ["addRecentColor", "removeRecentColor"];
+    const found = [];
+    for (const match of source.matchAll(/^    function (\w+)\([^\n]*\)(?:: \w+)? \{\n[\s\S]*?^    \}/gm)) {
+        if (!methods.includes(match[1]))
+            continue;
+        found.push(match[1]);
+        vm.runInContext(match[0], context);
+    }
+    assert.deepEqual(found.sort(), [...methods].sort());
+    return context;
+}
+
+test("removing a recent color drops only that color and saves", () => {
+    const context = session(["#ff0000", "#00ff00", "#0000ff"]);
+    context.removeRecentColor("#00ff00");
+    assert.deepEqual(Array.from(context.recentColors), ["#ff0000", "#0000ff"]);
+    assert.equal(context.saves, 1);
+});
+
+test("removing a color that is not in the list changes nothing", () => {
+    const context = session(["#ff0000"]);
+    context.removeRecentColor("#123456");
+    assert.deepEqual(Array.from(context.recentColors), ["#ff0000"]);
+    assert.equal(context.saves, 0);
+});
+
+test("a removed color can be picked again and comes back first", () => {
+    const context = session(["#ff0000", "#00ff00"]);
+    context.removeRecentColor("#ff0000");
+    context.addRecentColor("#ff0000");
+    assert.deepEqual(Array.from(context.recentColors), ["#ff0000", "#00ff00"]);
+});