diff --git a/src/common/compute/interactive/message.js b/src/common/compute/interactive/message.js
index 50299f963..e13050b9e 100644
--- a/src/common/compute/interactive/message.js
+++ b/src/common/compute/interactive/message.js
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
     }
 }(this, function() {
     const Constants = makeEnum('STDOUT', 'STDERR', 'RUN', 'ADD_ARTIFACT',
-        'ADD_FILE', 'ADD_USER_DATA', 'COMPLETE', 'ERROR', 'SET_ENV');
+        'ADD_FILE', 'REMOVE_FILE', 'ADD_USER_DATA', 'COMPLETE', 'ERROR', 'SET_ENV');
 
     function makeEnum() {
         const names = Array.prototype.slice.call(arguments);
diff --git a/src/common/compute/interactive/session.js b/src/common/compute/interactive/session.js
index 9ec70b820..943b88d73 100644
--- a/src/common/compute/interactive/session.js
+++ b/src/common/compute/interactive/session.js
@@ -141,6 +141,13 @@ define([
             await this.runTask(task);
         }
 
+        async removeFile(filepath) {
+            this.ensureIdle('remove file');
+            const msg = new Message(Message.REMOVE_FILE, [filepath]);
+            const task = new Task(this.ws, msg);
+            await this.runTask(task);
+        }
+
         async setEnvVar(name, value) {
             this.ensureIdle('set env var');
             const msg = new Message(Message.SET_ENV, [name, value]);
diff --git a/src/routers/InteractiveCompute/job-files/start.js b/src/routers/InteractiveCompute/job-files/start.js
index 0477e427d..327539008 100644
--- a/src/routers/InteractiveCompute/job-files/start.js
+++ b/src/routers/InteractiveCompute/job-files/start.js
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@ class InteractiveClient {
         } else if (msg.type === Message.ADD_FILE) {
             this.runTask(() => {
                 const [filepath, content] = msg.data;
+                this.ensureValidPath(filepath);
                 this.writeFile(filepath, content);
             });
         } else if (msg.type === Message.SET_ENV) {
@@ -64,6 +65,25 @@ class InteractiveClient {
                 const [name, value] = msg.data;
                 process.env[name] = value;
             });
+        } else if (msg.type === Message.REMOVE_FILE) {
+            this.runTask(async () => {
+                const [filepath] = msg.data;
+                this.ensureValidPath(filepath);
+                await fsp.unlink(filepath);
+            });
+        } else {
+            this.sendMessage(Message.COMPLETE, 2);
+        }
+    }
+
+    ensureValidPath(filepath) {
+        const isOutsideWorkspace = path.relative(
+            path.resolve(__dirname),
+            path.resolve(filepath)
+        ).startsWith('..');
+
+        if (isOutsideWorkspace) {
+            throw new Error('Cannot edit files outside workspace: ' + filepath);
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/test/integration/InteractiveCompute.js b/test/integration/InteractiveCompute.js
index 87cd62521..0127542be 100644
--- a/test/integration/InteractiveCompute.js
+++ b/test/integration/InteractiveCompute.js
@@ -42,4 +42,15 @@ describe('InteractiveCompute', function() {
         const {stdout} = await session.exec('cat test.txt');
         assert.equal(stdout, 'hello world');
     });
+
+    it('should remove file', async function() {
+        try {
+            await session.addFile('test.txt', 'hello world');
+            await session.removeFile('test.txt');
+            const {stdout} = await session.exec('cat test.txt');
+            assert(false);
+        } catch (err) {
+            assert(err.jobResult.stderr.includes('No such file'));
+        }
+    });
 });