diff --git a/k8sdeps/kunstruct/kunstruct.go b/k8sdeps/kunstruct/kunstruct.go
index 477c3fa50d..17395b3abb 100644
--- a/k8sdeps/kunstruct/kunstruct.go
+++ b/k8sdeps/kunstruct/kunstruct.go
@@ -338,7 +338,11 @@ func (fs *UnstructAdapter) Patch(patch ifc.Kunstructured) error {
 		}
 	}
 	fs.SetMap(merged)
-	fs.SetName(saveName)
+	if len(fs.Map()) != 0 {
+		// if the patch deletes the object
+		// don't reset the name
+		fs.SetName(saveName)
+	}
 	return nil
 }
 
diff --git a/plugin/builtin/PatchStrategicMergeTransformer.go b/plugin/builtin/PatchStrategicMergeTransformer.go
index 4f0c34d98a..ed4ef76c27 100644
--- a/plugin/builtin/PatchStrategicMergeTransformer.go
+++ b/plugin/builtin/PatchStrategicMergeTransformer.go
@@ -70,6 +70,14 @@ func (p *PatchStrategicMergeTransformerPlugin) Transform(m resmap.ResMap) error
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
+		// remove the resource from resmap
+		// when the patch is to $patch: delete that target
+		if len(target.Map()) == 0 {
+			err = m.Remove(target.CurId())
+			if err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+		}
 	}
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/plugin/builtin/patchstrategicmergetransformer/PatchStrategicMergeTransformer.go b/plugin/builtin/patchstrategicmergetransformer/PatchStrategicMergeTransformer.go
index d6c8d629d2..4486a5a629 100644
--- a/plugin/builtin/patchstrategicmergetransformer/PatchStrategicMergeTransformer.go
+++ b/plugin/builtin/patchstrategicmergetransformer/PatchStrategicMergeTransformer.go
@@ -71,6 +71,14 @@ func (p *plugin) Transform(m resmap.ResMap) error {
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
+		// remove the resource from resmap
+		// when the patch is to $patch: delete that target
+		if len(target.Map()) == 0 {
+			err = m.Remove(target.CurId())
+			if err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+		}
 	}
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/plugin/builtin/patchstrategicmergetransformer/PatchStrategicMergeTransformer_test.go b/plugin/builtin/patchstrategicmergetransformer/PatchStrategicMergeTransformer_test.go
index 3983fd936b..7d67996b9c 100644
--- a/plugin/builtin/patchstrategicmergetransformer/PatchStrategicMergeTransformer_test.go
+++ b/plugin/builtin/patchstrategicmergetransformer/PatchStrategicMergeTransformer_test.go
@@ -1198,3 +1198,32 @@ func TestMultipleNamespaces(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 	}
 }
+
+func TestPatchStrategicMergeTransformerPatchDelete(t *testing.T) {
+	tc := plugins_test.NewEnvForTest(t).Set()
+	defer tc.Reset()
+
+	tc.BuildGoPlugin(
+		"builtin", "", "PatchStrategicMergeTransformer")
+
+	th := kusttest_test.NewKustTestPluginHarness(t, "/app")
+
+	th.WriteF("/app/patch.yaml", `
+apiVersion: apps/v1
+metadata:
+  name: myDeploy
+kind: Deployment
+$patch: delete
+`)
+
+	rm := th.LoadAndRunTransformer(`
+apiVersion: builtin
+kind: PatchStrategicMergeTransformer
+metadata:
+  name: notImportantHere
+paths:
+- patch.yaml
+`, target)
+
+	th.AssertActualEqualsExpected(rm, ``)
+}
\ No newline at end of file