diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/midi_region_view.cc b/gtk2_ardour/midi_region_view.cc
index 24433cd30a..c14fbb094f 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/midi_region_view.cc
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/midi_region_view.cc
@@ -927,7 +927,6 @@ MidiRegionView::clear_events ()
 		}
 	}
 
-
 	_note_group->clear (true);
 	_events.clear();
 	_patch_changes.clear();
@@ -1460,6 +1459,8 @@ MidiRegionView::display_sysexes()
 
 	const std::shared_ptr<MidiRegion> mregion (midi_region());
 
+	SysExes to_remove = _sys_exes;
+
 	for (MidiModel::SysExes::const_iterator i = _model->sysexes().begin(); i != _model->sysexes().end(); ++i) {
 		MidiModel::SysExPtr sysex_ptr = *i;
 		timepos_t time = timepos_t (sysex_ptr->time());
@@ -1490,11 +1491,12 @@ MidiRegionView::display_sysexes()
 
 		if (!sysex) {
 			sysex = std::shared_ptr<SysEx>(
-				new SysEx (*this, _note_group, text, height, x, 1.0, sysex_ptr));
+				new SysEx (*this, group, text, height, x, 1.0, sysex_ptr));
 			_sys_exes.insert (make_pair (sysex_ptr, sysex));
 		} else {
 			sysex->set_height (height);
 			sysex->item().set_position (ArdourCanvas::Duple (x, 1.0));
+			to_remove.erase (sysex_ptr);
 		}
 
 		// Show unless message is beyond the region bounds
@@ -1504,6 +1506,10 @@ MidiRegionView::display_sysexes()
 			sysex->show();
 		}
 	}
+
+	for (auto const& i : to_remove ) {
+		_sys_exes.erase (i.first);
+	}
 }
 
 void
@@ -4537,16 +4543,13 @@ MidiRegionView::edit_patch_change (PatchChange* pc)
 }
 
 void
-MidiRegionView::delete_sysex (SysEx* /*sysex*/)
+MidiRegionView::delete_sysex (SysEx* sysex)
 {
-	// CAIROCANVAS
-	// sysyex object doesn't have a pointer to a sysex event
-	// MidiModel::SysExDiffCommand* c = _model->new_sysex_diff_command (_("delete sysex"));
-	// c->remove (sysex->sysex());
-	// _model->apply_command (*trackview.session(), c);
+	MidiModel::SysExDiffCommand* c = _model->new_sysex_diff_command (_("delete sysex"));
+	c->remove (sysex->sysex ());
+	_model->apply_diff_command_as_commit (*trackview.session(), c);
 
-	//_sys_exes.clear ();
-	// display_sysexes();
+	display_sysexes();
 }
 
 std::string
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/sys_ex.cc b/gtk2_ardour/sys_ex.cc
index 2363b7be0a..b5283d659a 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/sys_ex.cc
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/sys_ex.cc
@@ -17,7 +17,13 @@
  */
 
 #include <iostream>
+
 #include "canvas/flag.h"
+
+#include "gtkmm2ext/keyboard.h"
+
+#include "editor.h"
+#include "midi_region_view.h"
 #include "sys_ex.h"
 #include "ui_config.h"
 
@@ -32,6 +38,7 @@ SysEx::SysEx (
 	double                      y,
 	ARDOUR::MidiModel::SysExPtr sysex)
 	: _sysex (sysex)
+	, _region (region)
 {
 	_flag = new ArdourCanvas::Flag (
 		parent,
@@ -41,37 +48,34 @@ SysEx::SysEx (
 		ArdourCanvas::Duple (x, y)
 		);
 
+	_flag->Event.connect (sigc::mem_fun (*this, &SysEx::event_handler));
+	_flag->set_font_description (UIConfiguration::instance ().get_SmallFont ());
 	_flag->set_text (text);
 }
 
 SysEx::~SysEx()
 {
-	/* do not delete flag because it was added to a parent/container which
-	   will delete it.
-	*/
-	_flag = 0;
+	delete _flag;
 }
 
 bool
 SysEx::event_handler (GdkEvent* ev)
 {
+	/* XXX: icky dcast */
+	Editor* e = dynamic_cast<Editor*> (&_region.get_time_axis_view ().editor ());
+
+	if (!e->internal_editing ()) {
+		return false;
+	}
+
 	switch (ev->type) {
-	case GDK_BUTTON_PRESS:
-		if (ev->button.button == 3) {
-			return true;
-		}
-		break;
-
-	case GDK_SCROLL:
-		if (ev->scroll.direction == GDK_SCROLL_UP) {
-			return true;
-		} else if (ev->scroll.direction == GDK_SCROLL_DOWN) {
-			return true;
-		}
-		break;
-
-	default:
-		break;
+		case GDK_BUTTON_PRESS:
+			if (Gtkmm2ext::Keyboard::is_delete_event (&ev->button)) {
+				_region.delete_sysex (this);
+				return true;
+			}
+		default:
+			break;
 	}
 
 	return false;
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/sys_ex.h b/gtk2_ardour/sys_ex.h
index 2dea6110bd..3ab6172a71 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/sys_ex.h
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/sys_ex.h
@@ -35,6 +35,8 @@ public:
 		double                      y,
 		ARDOUR::MidiModel::SysExPtr sysex);
 
+	SysEx (SysEx const&) = delete;
+
 	~SysEx ();
 
 	void hide ();
@@ -43,12 +45,13 @@ public:
 	void set_height (ArdourCanvas::Distance h) { _flag->set_height (h); }
 
 	ArdourCanvas::Item& item() const { return *_flag; }
+	ARDOUR::MidiModel::SysExPtr sysex () const { return _sysex; }
 
 private:
 	bool event_handler (GdkEvent* ev);
-	SysEx(const SysEx& rhs){}
 	ArdourCanvas::Flag* _flag;
 	ARDOUR::MidiModel::SysExPtr _sysex;
+	MidiRegionView&             _region;
 };
 
 #endif /* __SYSEX_H__ */