diff --git a/apps/client/src/features/app-settings/panel/automations-panel/AutomationsList.tsx b/apps/client/src/features/app-settings/panel/automations-panel/AutomationsList.tsx
index 89e1fc256..fa9053336 100644
--- a/apps/client/src/features/app-settings/panel/automations-panel/AutomationsList.tsx
+++ b/apps/client/src/features/app-settings/panel/automations-panel/AutomationsList.tsx
@@ -2,8 +2,6 @@ import { Automation, AutomationDTO, NormalisedAutomation, Trigger } from 'ontime
 import { Fragment, useEffect, useMemo, useState } from 'react';
 import { IoAdd, IoPencil, IoSparklesOutline, IoTrash } from 'react-icons/io5';
 
-import { deleteAutomation } from '../../../../common/api/automation';
-import { maybeAxiosError } from '../../../../common/api/utils';
 import Button from '../../../../common/components/buttons/Button';
 import IconButton from '../../../../common/components/buttons/IconButton';
 import Info from '../../../../common/components/info/Info';
@@ -15,6 +13,7 @@ import { summariseOutputs } from '../../../../common/utils/automationOutputs';
 import * as Panel from '../../panel-utils/PanelUtils';
 import AutomationForm from './AutomationForm';
 import { groupTriggersByAutomation } from './automationUtils';
+import DeleteAutomationDialog from './DeleteAutomationDialog';
 import RecipeLibraryModal from './recipes/RecipeLibraryModal';
 
 import style from './AutomationsList.module.scss';
@@ -37,7 +36,7 @@ export default function AutomationsList({ automations, triggers, enabledAutomati
   const { refetch } = useAutomationSettings();
   const [automationFormData, setAutomationFormData] = useState<AutomationDTO | null>(null);
   const [showRecipes, setShowRecipes] = useState(false);
-  const [deleteError, setDeleteError] = useState<string | null>(null);
+  const [deleteTarget, setDeleteTarget] = useState<Automation | null>(null);
 
   /**
    * A recipe lands in the editor rather than only in the list.
@@ -50,15 +49,9 @@ export default function AutomationsList({ automations, triggers, enabledAutomati
     setAutomationFormData(created);
   };
 
-  const handleDelete = async (id: string) => {
-    try {
-      setDeleteError(null);
-      await deleteAutomation(id);
-    } catch (error) {
-      setDeleteError(maybeAxiosError(error));
-    } finally {
-      refetch();
-    }
+  const handleDeleted = async () => {
+    setDeleteTarget(null);
+    await refetch();
   };
 
   const lifecyclesByAutomation = useMemo(() => groupTriggersByAutomation(triggers), [triggers]);
@@ -82,6 +75,14 @@ export default function AutomationsList({ automations, triggers, enabledAutomati
             onInstalled={(_recipe, created) => handleRecipeInstalled(created)}
           />
         )}
+        {deleteTarget !== null && (
+          <DeleteAutomationDialog
+            automation={deleteTarget}
+            blockingTriggers={triggers.filter((trigger) => trigger.automationId === deleteTarget.id)}
+            onCancel={() => setDeleteTarget(null)}
+            onDeleted={handleDeleted}
+          />
+        )}
         <Panel.SubHeader>
           Manage automations
           <Panel.InlineElements relation='inner'>
@@ -181,7 +182,7 @@ export default function AutomationsList({ automations, triggers, enabledAutomati
                         <IconButton
                           variant='ghosted-destructive'
                           aria-label='Delete entry'
-                          onClick={() => handleDelete(automationId)}
+                          onClick={() => setDeleteTarget(automation)}
                         >
                           <IoTrash />
                         </IconButton>
@@ -190,13 +191,6 @@ export default function AutomationsList({ automations, triggers, enabledAutomati
                   </Fragment>
                 );
               })}
-              {deleteError && (
-                <tr>
-                  <td colSpan={6}>
-                    <Panel.Error>{deleteError}</Panel.Error>
-                  </td>
-                </tr>
-              )}
             </tbody>
           </Panel.Table>
         </Panel.Section>
diff --git a/apps/client/src/features/app-settings/panel/automations-panel/DeleteAutomationDialog.tsx b/apps/client/src/features/app-settings/panel/automations-panel/DeleteAutomationDialog.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5db34ff68
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/client/src/features/app-settings/panel/automations-panel/DeleteAutomationDialog.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,102 @@
+import type { Automation, Trigger } from 'ontime-types';
+import { useState } from 'react';
+
+import { deleteAutomation, deleteTrigger } from '../../../../common/api/automation';
+import { maybeAxiosError } from '../../../../common/api/utils';
+import Button from '../../../../common/components/buttons/Button';
+import Dialog from '../../../../common/components/dialog/Dialog';
+import Info from '../../../../common/components/info/Info';
+import { getLifecycleLabel } from '../../../../common/constants/timerLifecycle';
+import * as Panel from '../../panel-utils/PanelUtils';
+
+interface DeleteAutomationDialogProps {
+  automation: Automation;
+  /** global triggers pointing at this automation, they block the delete server side */
+  blockingTriggers: Trigger[];
+  onCancel: () => void;
+  onDeleted: () => void;
+}
+
+/**
+ * The server refuses to delete an automation that is still referenced, and the panel used to
+ * dump that refusal into a stray row under the table. Global triggers are ours to clean up, so
+ * we offer to do it. A reference from a rundown event is not: editing rundown data from a
+ * settings screen would be a surprising, hard to undo action, so that stays a block with an
+ * explanation of where to go.
+ */
+export default function DeleteAutomationDialog({
+  automation,
+  blockingTriggers,
+  onCancel,
+  onDeleted,
+}: DeleteAutomationDialogProps) {
+  const [error, setError] = useState<string | null>(null);
+  const [isDeleting, setIsDeleting] = useState(false);
+
+  const handleDelete = async () => {
+    setError(null);
+    setIsDeleting(true);
+
+    try {
+      for (const trigger of blockingTriggers) {
+        await deleteTrigger(trigger.id);
+      }
+      await deleteAutomation(automation.id);
+      onDeleted();
+    } catch (error) {
+      setError(maybeAxiosError(error));
+    } finally {
+      setIsDeleting(false);
+    }
+  };
+
+  return (
+    <Dialog
+      isOpen
+      onClose={onCancel}
+      showBackdrop
+      showCloseButton
+      title='Delete automation'
+      bodyElements={
+        <Panel.Section>
+          <Panel.Paragraph>
+            Delete <strong>{automation.title}</strong>? This cannot be undone.
+          </Panel.Paragraph>
+
+          {blockingTriggers.length > 0 && (
+            <Info type='warning'>
+              <Info.Title>
+                {blockingTriggers.length === 1
+                  ? 'One trigger will be deleted with it'
+                  : `${blockingTriggers.length} triggers will be deleted with it`}
+              </Info.Title>
+              <Info.Body>
+                {blockingTriggers.map((trigger) => `${trigger.title} (${getLifecycleLabel(trigger.trigger)})`).join(', ')}
+              </Info.Body>
+            </Info>
+          )}
+
+          {error && (
+            <Info type='error'>
+              <Info.Title>Could not delete this automation</Info.Title>
+              <Info.Body>{error}</Info.Body>
+              <Info.Footer>
+                Automations attached to a single event have to be removed from that event first, in the event editor.
+              </Info.Footer>
+            </Info>
+          )}
+        </Panel.Section>
+      }
+      footerElements={
+        <>
+          <Button onClick={onCancel} disabled={isDeleting}>
+            Cancel
+          </Button>
+          <Button variant='destructive' onClick={handleDelete} loading={isDeleting}>
+            {blockingTriggers.length > 0 ? 'Delete triggers and automation' : 'Delete'}
+          </Button>
+        </>
+      }
+    />
+  );
+}