diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/operator_delete.go b/pkg/yqlib/operator_delete.go
index aa38960e..eb475da5 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/operator_delete.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/operator_delete.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package yqlib
 
 import (
+	"container/list"
 	"fmt"
 
 	yaml "gopkg.in/yaml.v3"
@@ -16,10 +17,22 @@ func deleteChildOperator(d *dataTreeNavigator, context Context, expressionNode *
 	for el := nodesToDelete.MatchingNodes.Back(); el != nil; el = el.Prev() {
 		candidate := el.Value.(*CandidateNode)
 
-		//problem: context may already be '.a' and then I pass in '.a.a2'.
-		// should pass in .a2.
-		if candidate.Parent == nil {
-			log.Info("Could not find parent of %v", candidate.GetKey())
+		if candidate.Node.Kind == yaml.DocumentNode {
+			//need to delete this node from context.
+			newResults := list.New()
+			for item := context.MatchingNodes.Front(); item != nil; item = item.Next() {
+				nodeInContext := item.Value.(*CandidateNode)
+				if nodeInContext.Node != candidate.Node {
+					newResults.PushBack(nodeInContext)
+				} else {
+					log.Info("Need to delete this %v", NodeToString(nodeInContext))
+				}
+			}
+			return context.ChildContext(newResults), nil
+		} else if candidate.Parent == nil {
+			//problem: context may already be '.a' and then I pass in '.a.a2'.
+			// should pass in .a2.
+			log.Info("Could not find parent of %v", NodeToString(candidate))
 			return context, nil
 		}
 
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/operator_delete_test.go b/pkg/yqlib/operator_delete_test.go
index 76d95224..afc938c5 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/operator_delete_test.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/operator_delete_test.go
@@ -29,6 +29,16 @@ var deleteOperatorScenarios = []expressionScenario{
 			"D0, P[a], (!!map)::{a2: frood}\n",
 		},
 	},
+	{
+		skipDoc:     true,
+		description: "delete whole document",
+		document2:   `a: slow`,
+		document:    `a: fast`,
+		expression:  `del(select(.a == "fast"))`,
+		expected: []string{
+			"D0, P[], (doc)::a: slow\n",
+		},
+	},
 	{
 		skipDoc:    true,
 		document:   `a: [1,2,3]`,