diff --git a/PENDING.md b/PENDING.md
index 3a7a6d2f74db..a905c1939ef6 100644
--- a/PENDING.md
+++ b/PENDING.md
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ FEATURES
 * Gaia REST API (`gaiacli advanced rest-server`)
 
 * Gaia CLI  (`gaiacli`)
+  - [\#2961](https://github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/issues/2961) Add --force flag to gaiacli keys delete command to skip passphrase check and force key deletion unconditionally.
 
 * Gaia
 
diff --git a/client/keys/delete.go b/client/keys/delete.go
index c53385f1a47c..e3fac4b7fb51 100644
--- a/client/keys/delete.go
+++ b/client/keys/delete.go
@@ -19,7 +19,8 @@ import (
 )
 
 const (
-	flagYes = "yes"
+	flagYes   = "yes"
+	flagForce = "force"
 )
 
 func deleteKeyCommand() *cobra.Command {
@@ -39,6 +40,8 @@ gaiacli.
 
 	cmd.Flags().BoolP(flagYes, "y", false,
 		"Skip confirmation prompt when deleting offline or ledger key references")
+	cmd.Flags().BoolP(flagForce, "f", false,
+		"Remove the key unconditionally without asking for the passphrase")
 	return cmd
 }
 
@@ -62,20 +65,24 @@ func runDeleteCmd(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 				return err
 			}
 		}
-		if err := kb.Delete(name, ""); err != nil {
+		if err := kb.Delete(name, "", true); err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
 		fmt.Fprintln(os.Stderr, "Public key reference deleted")
 		return nil
 	}
 
-	oldpass, err := client.GetPassword(
-		"DANGER - enter password to permanently delete key:", buf)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
+	// skip passphrase check if run with --force
+	skipPass := viper.GetBool(flagForce)
+	var oldpass string
+	if !skipPass {
+		if oldpass, err = client.GetPassword(
+			"DANGER - enter password to permanently delete key:", buf); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
 	}
 
-	err = kb.Delete(name, oldpass)
+	err = kb.Delete(name, oldpass, skipPass)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
@@ -113,7 +120,7 @@ func DeleteKeyRequestHandler(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		return
 	}
 
-	err = kb.Delete(name, m.Password)
+	err = kb.Delete(name, m.Password, false)
 	if keyerror.IsErrKeyNotFound(err) {
 		w.WriteHeader(http.StatusNotFound)
 		w.Write([]byte(err.Error()))
diff --git a/cmd/gaia/cli_test/cli_test.go b/cmd/gaia/cli_test/cli_test.go
index 25818025a894..882644cc6e7a 100644
--- a/cmd/gaia/cli_test/cli_test.go
+++ b/cmd/gaia/cli_test/cli_test.go
@@ -616,8 +616,8 @@ func getTestingHomeDirs() (string, string) {
 func initializeFixtures(t *testing.T) (chainID, servAddr, port string) {
 	tests.ExecuteT(t, fmt.Sprintf("gaiad --home=%s unsafe-reset-all", gaiadHome), "")
 	os.RemoveAll(filepath.Join(gaiadHome, "config", "gentx"))
-	executeWrite(t, fmt.Sprintf("gaiacli keys delete --home=%s foo", gaiacliHome), app.DefaultKeyPass)
-	executeWrite(t, fmt.Sprintf("gaiacli keys delete --home=%s bar", gaiacliHome), app.DefaultKeyPass)
+	executeWrite(t, fmt.Sprintf("gaiacli keys delete --home=%s --force foo", gaiacliHome))
+	executeWrite(t, fmt.Sprintf("gaiacli keys delete --home=%s --force bar", gaiacliHome))
 	executeWriteCheckErr(t, fmt.Sprintf("gaiacli keys add --home=%s foo", gaiacliHome), app.DefaultKeyPass, app.DefaultKeyPass)
 	executeWriteCheckErr(t, fmt.Sprintf("gaiacli keys add --home=%s bar", gaiacliHome), app.DefaultKeyPass, app.DefaultKeyPass)
 	fooAddr, _ := executeGetAddrPK(t, fmt.Sprintf(
diff --git a/crypto/keys/keybase.go b/crypto/keys/keybase.go
index a5ec66893d00..982a4e7266ae 100644
--- a/crypto/keys/keybase.go
+++ b/crypto/keys/keybase.go
@@ -371,13 +371,13 @@ func (kb dbKeybase) ImportPubKey(name string, armor string) (err error) {
 // passphrases don't match.
 // Passphrase is ignored when deleting references to
 // offline and Ledger / HW wallet keys.
-func (kb dbKeybase) Delete(name, passphrase string) error {
+func (kb dbKeybase) Delete(name, passphrase string, skipPass bool) error {
 	// verify we have the proper password before deleting
 	info, err := kb.Get(name)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	if linfo, ok := info.(localInfo); ok {
+	if linfo, ok := info.(localInfo); ok && !skipPass {
 		if _, err = mintkey.UnarmorDecryptPrivKey(linfo.PrivKeyArmor, passphrase); err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
diff --git a/crypto/keys/keybase_test.go b/crypto/keys/keybase_test.go
index c8c65609ea8f..3c7f9806043e 100644
--- a/crypto/keys/keybase_test.go
+++ b/crypto/keys/keybase_test.go
@@ -73,9 +73,9 @@ func TestKeyManagement(t *testing.T) {
 	require.Equal(t, i2.GetPubKey(), keyS[0].GetPubKey())
 
 	// deleting a key removes it
-	err = cstore.Delete("bad name", "foo")
+	err = cstore.Delete("bad name", "foo", false)
 	require.NotNil(t, err)
-	err = cstore.Delete(n1, p1)
+	err = cstore.Delete(n1, p1, false)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	keyS, err = cstore.List()
 	require.NoError(t, err)
@@ -96,14 +96,14 @@ func TestKeyManagement(t *testing.T) {
 	require.Equal(t, 2, len(keyS))
 
 	// delete the offline key
-	err = cstore.Delete(o1, "")
+	err = cstore.Delete(o1, "", false)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	keyS, err = cstore.List()
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	require.Equal(t, 1, len(keyS))
 
-	// addr cache gets nuked
-	err = cstore.Delete(n2, p2)
+	// addr cache gets nuked - and test skip flag
+	err = cstore.Delete(n2, "", true)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	require.False(t, db.Has(addrKey(i2.GetAddress())))
 }
@@ -336,7 +336,7 @@ func TestSeedPhrase(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.NotEmpty(t, mnemonic)
 
 	// now, let us delete this key
-	err = cstore.Delete(n1, p1)
+	err = cstore.Delete(n1, p1, false)
 	require.Nil(t, err, "%+v", err)
 	_, err = cstore.Get(n1)
 	require.NotNil(t, err)
diff --git a/crypto/keys/types.go b/crypto/keys/types.go
index eeb4fdfcf0ce..b4b328516f02 100644
--- a/crypto/keys/types.go
+++ b/crypto/keys/types.go
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ type Keybase interface {
 	List() ([]Info, error)
 	Get(name string) (Info, error)
 	GetByAddress(address types.AccAddress) (Info, error)
-	Delete(name, passphrase string) error
+	Delete(name, passphrase string, skipPass bool) error
 
 	// Sign some bytes, looking up the private key to use
 	Sign(name, passphrase string, msg []byte) ([]byte, crypto.PubKey, error)