diff --git a/app/Actions/Projects/DeleteProject.php b/app/Actions/Projects/DeleteProject.php
index 02a111d..da2499f 100644
--- a/app/Actions/Projects/DeleteProject.php
+++ b/app/Actions/Projects/DeleteProject.php
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 namespace App\Actions\Projects;
 
 use App\Models\Project;
+use Illuminate\Support\Facades\DB;
 
 class DeleteProject
 {
@@ -10,7 +11,12 @@ class DeleteProject
     {
         $projectName = $project->name;
 
-        $project->delete();
+        DB::transaction(function () use ($project): void {
+            $baseTemplate = $project->baseTemplate()->first();
+
+            $project->delete();
+            $baseTemplate?->delete();
+        });
 
         return $projectName;
     }
diff --git a/app/Http/Requests/DeleteProjectRequest.php b/app/Http/Requests/DeleteProjectRequest.php
index bec6563..3654ea7 100644
--- a/app/Http/Requests/DeleteProjectRequest.php
+++ b/app/Http/Requests/DeleteProjectRequest.php
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ class DeleteProjectRequest extends FormRequest
 {
     public function authorize(): bool
     {
-        return $this->user()?->can('access-admin') ?? false;
+        return $this->user()?->can('admin-project', $this->route('project')) ?? false;
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/routes/web/projects.php b/routes/web/projects.php
index 60a5553..880e3d3 100644
--- a/routes/web/projects.php
+++ b/routes/web/projects.php
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ Route::prefix('projects')->name('projects.')->group(function (): void {
             });
 
             Route::delete('/', [ProjectController::class, 'destroy'])
-                ->middleware('can:access-admin')
+                ->middleware('can:admin-project,project')
                 ->name('destroy');
 
             Route::middleware('can:admin-project,project')->group(function (): void {
diff --git a/tests/Feature/Api/ProjectApiTest.php b/tests/Feature/Api/ProjectApiTest.php
index 1fc8846..fbccb00 100644
--- a/tests/Feature/Api/ProjectApiTest.php
+++ b/tests/Feature/Api/ProjectApiTest.php
@@ -291,7 +291,14 @@ class ProjectApiTest extends TestCase
             ->assertOk()
             ->assertJsonPath('data.key', 'CORE');
 
-        $this->syncGlobalPermissions($admin, ['admin']);
+        $this->withApplicationKey($user)
+            ->deleteJson(route('api.projects.destroy', $project), [
+                'confirmation_key' => 'CORE',
+            ])
+            ->assertForbidden();
+
+        $this->syncProjectPermissions($project, $admin, ['admin']);
+        $this->assertTrue($admin->can('admin-project', $project));
 
         $this->withApplicationKey($admin)
             ->deleteJson(route('api.projects.destroy', $project), [
diff --git a/tests/Feature/Projects/ProjectControllerTest.php b/tests/Feature/Projects/ProjectControllerTest.php
index 54f9c32..8e4ea02 100644
--- a/tests/Feature/Projects/ProjectControllerTest.php
+++ b/tests/Feature/Projects/ProjectControllerTest.php
@@ -817,6 +817,75 @@ class ProjectControllerTest extends TestCase
         ]);
     }
 
+    public function test_project_admins_can_delete_their_own_projects_and_reuse_the_key(): void
+    {
+        $user = User::factory()->create();
+        $this->syncGlobalPermissions($user, ['create']);
+
+        $this->actingAs($user)
+            ->post(route('projects.store'), [
+                'creation_mode' => 'scratch',
+                'name' => 'Core Platform',
+                'key' => 'CORE',
+            ])
+            ->assertRedirect();
+
+        $project = Project::query()->where('key', 'CORE')->firstOrFail();
+        $baseTemplateId = $project->project_template_id;
+        $this->assertTrue($user->can('admin-project', $project));
+
+        $this->actingAs($user)
+            ->delete(route('projects.destroy', $project), [
+                'confirmation_key' => 'CORE',
+            ])
+            ->assertRedirect(route('projects.index'));
+
+        $this->assertDatabaseMissing('projects', ['id' => $project->id]);
+        $this->assertDatabaseMissing('project_templates', ['id' => $baseTemplateId]);
+
+        $this->actingAs($user)
+            ->post(route('projects.store'), [
+                'creation_mode' => 'scratch',
+                'name' => 'New Core Platform',
+                'key' => 'CORE',
+            ])
+            ->assertRedirect();
+
+        $this->assertDatabaseHas('projects', [
+            'key' => 'CORE',
+            'name' => 'New Core Platform',
+        ]);
+    }
+
+    public function test_deleting_a_project_preserves_its_published_template_and_linked_projects(): void
+    {
+        $admin = User::factory()->admin()->create();
+        $project = Project::factory()->create(['key' => 'CORE']);
+        $otherProject = Project::factory()->create(['key' => 'OTHER']);
+        $template = ProjectTemplate::factory()->create([
+            'source_project_id' => $project->id,
+            'is_published' => true,
+        ]);
+
+        $project->update(['project_template_id' => $template->id]);
+        $otherProject->update(['project_template_id' => $template->id]);
+
+        $this->actingAs($admin)
+            ->delete(route('projects.destroy', $project), [
+                'confirmation_key' => 'CORE',
+            ])
+            ->assertRedirect(route('projects.index'));
+
+        $this->assertDatabaseHas('project_templates', [
+            'id' => $template->id,
+            'source_project_id' => null,
+        ]);
+        $this->assertDatabaseHas('projects', [
+            'id' => $otherProject->id,
+            'project_template_id' => $template->id,
+        ]);
+    }
+
     /**
      * Ensure project deletion requires the exact project key confirmation.
      */
@@ -841,16 +910,18 @@ class ProjectControllerTest extends TestCase
     }
 
     /**
-     * Ensure non-admin users cannot delete projects.
+     * Ensure users without project administration cannot delete projects.
      */
-    public function test_non_admin_users_cannot_delete_projects(): void
+    public function test_project_readers_cannot_delete_projects(): void
     {
         $user = User::factory()->create();
+        $otherProject = Project::factory()->create();
         $project = Project::factory()->create([
             'key' => 'CORE',
         ]);
 
-        $this->syncProjectPermissions($project, $user, ['admin']);
+        $this->syncProjectPermissions($otherProject, $user, ['admin']);
+        $this->syncProjectPermissions($project, $user, ['view']);
 
         $this->actingAs($user)
             ->delete(route('projects.destroy', $project), [