diff --git a/cmd/unikraft/instances_test.go b/cmd/unikraft/instances_test.go
index 1ce3f56e..5ceb3fbb 100644
--- a/cmd/unikraft/instances_test.go
+++ b/cmd/unikraft/instances_test.go
@@ -306,6 +306,33 @@ func instancesTests(t *testing.T, r *testRunner) {
 			})
 	})
 
+	t.Run("rm", func(t *testing.T) {
+		r.
+			online().
+			withCleaners(instanceCleaners).
+			run(t, []command{
+				// Create a running instance with --rm so it is auto-deleted
+				// when stopped.
+				{args: []string{
+					unikraftCmd, "instance", "create",
+					"--output", "quiet",
+					"--rm",
+					"--set", "name=test-$UNIQ_INST",
+					"--set", "metro=" + metroName,
+					"--set", "image=nginx:latest",
+					"--set", "autostart=true",
+					"--set", "resources.memory=128",
+					"--set", "resources.vcpus=1",
+				}},
+				{args: []string{unikraftCmd, "instance", "wait", "--until", "state==running", "--timeout", "30s", "test-$UNIQ_INST"}},
+				// Stop the instance — delete-on-stop removes it and the
+				// diff should show everything being deleted.
+				{args: []string{unikraftCmd, "instance", "stop", "test-$UNIQ_INST"}},
+				// Verify the instance no longer exists.
+				{args: []string{unikraftCmd, "instance", "inspect", "test-$UNIQ_INST"}, allowErr: true},
+			})
+	})
+
 	t.Run("add-domain", func(t *testing.T) {
 		r.
 			online().
diff --git a/cmd/unikraft/testdata/TestGolden/instances/help b/cmd/unikraft/testdata/TestGolden/instances/help
index 944cd265..eb805a48 100644
--- a/cmd/unikraft/testdata/TestGolden/instances/help
+++ b/cmd/unikraft/testdata/TestGolden/instances/help
@@ -425,6 +425,8 @@ stdout:
 	          Instance features.
 	      --template=<name>
 	          Create from instance template.
+	      --rm
+	          Automatically delete the instance when it stops.
 
 $ unikraft instance edit --help
 
diff --git a/cmd/unikraft/testdata/TestGolden/instances/rm b/cmd/unikraft/testdata/TestGolden/instances/rm
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..911985b0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/unikraft/testdata/TestGolden/instances/rm
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+$ unikraft instance create --output quiet --rm --set name=test-$UNIQ_INST --set metro=test --set image=nginx:latest --set autostart=true --set resources.memory=128 --set resources.vcpus=1
+
+stdout:
+	test/test-<INST>
+
+$ unikraft instance wait --until state==running --timeout 30s test-$UNIQ_INST
+
+stdout:
+	metro:        test
+	name:         test-<INST>
+	uuid:         12345678-1234-1234-1234-123456789abc
+	state:        running
+	image:        nginx
+	resources:
+	  memory:     128MiB
+	  vcpus:      1
+	networks:
+	- uuid:       12345678-1234-1234-1234-123456789abc
+	  private-ip: 10.X.X.X
+	  mac:        aa:bb:cc:dd:ee:ff
+	timestamps:
+	  created:    RELATIVE_TIME
+
+$ unikraft instance stop test-$UNIQ_INST
+
+stdout:
+	- metro:        test
+	- name:         test-<INST>
+	- uuid:         12345678-1234-1234-1234-123456789abc
+	- state:        running
+	- image:        nginx
+	- resources:
+	-   memory:     128MiB
+	-   vcpus:      1
+	- networks:
+	- - uuid:       12345678-1234-1234-1234-123456789abc
+	-   private-ip: 10.X.X.X
+	-   mac:        aa:bb:cc:dd:ee:ff
+	- timestamps:
+	-   created:    RELATIVE_TIME
+
+$ unikraft instance inspect test-$UNIQ_INST
+
+stderr:
+	│  
+	│ error:
+	│   references not found: [test-<INST>]
+	│
+
+exit code: 1
diff --git a/internal/cmd/instances.go b/internal/cmd/instances.go
index 72124759..4a849532 100644
--- a/internal/cmd/instances.go
+++ b/internal/cmd/instances.go
@@ -89,12 +89,16 @@ type InstanceCreateCmd struct {
 	Replicas  int64    `group:"flag-create" shortcut:"replicas" help:"Number of replicas." placeholder:"n" example:"1,3"`
 	Features  []string `group:"flag-create" shortcut:"features" help:"Instance features." placeholder:"feature"`
 	Template  string   `group:"flag-create" shortcut:"template" help:"Create from instance template." placeholder:"name"`
+	Rm        bool     `group:"flag-create" help:"Automatically delete the instance when it stops."`
 }
 
 func (c *InstanceCreateCmd) Run(ctx context.Context, stdio config.Stdio, sandbox *resource.Sandbox, kctx *kong.Context) error {
 	if err := cmd.ApplyShortcutFlags(&c.SetArgs, kctx.Flags()); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
+	if c.Rm {
+		c.Set = append(c.Set, map[string]string{"features": string(platform.CreateInstanceRequestFeaturesDelete_on_stop)})
+	}
 	return c.ResourceCreateCmd.Run(ctx, stdio, sandbox)
 }
 
@@ -1183,9 +1187,17 @@ func (c *InstancesStopCmd) Run(ctx context.Context, stdio config.Stdio) error {
 	}
 
 	updated, getErr := Instance{}.Get(ctx, stopped.Strings())
-	opErr = errors.Join(opErr, getErr)
+	// If the stopped instances are not found (e.g. removed by
+	// delete-on-stop), show a diff against an empty "after" state
+	// instead of returning an error.
 	if getErr != nil && len(updated) == 0 {
-		return opErr
+		var refErr group.ErrRefNotFound
+		if !errors.As(getErr, &refErr) {
+			opErr = errors.Join(opErr, getErr)
+			return opErr
+		}
+	} else {
+		opErr = errors.Join(opErr, getErr)
 	}
 
 	keySet := make(map[string]struct{}, len(stopped))
@@ -1252,14 +1264,27 @@ func (c *InstancesRestartCmd) Run(ctx context.Context, stdio config.Stdio) error
 
 	started, startErr := startInstances(ctx, g, stopped)
 	opErr = errors.Join(opErr, startErr)
+	// If all stopped instances were removed (e.g. by delete-on-stop)
+	// before they could be restarted, show a diff reflecting the
+	// deletion instead of returning a confusing error.
 	if len(started) == 0 {
-		return opErr
+		var refErr group.ErrRefNotFound
+		if startErr == nil || !errors.As(startErr, &refErr) {
+			return opErr
+		}
 	}
 
 	updated, getErr := Instance{}.Get(ctx, started.Strings())
-	opErr = errors.Join(opErr, getErr)
+	// Same as above: tolerate not-found when delete-on-stop already
+	// removed the instances.
 	if getErr != nil && len(updated) == 0 {
-		return opErr
+		var refErr group.ErrRefNotFound
+		if !errors.As(getErr, &refErr) {
+			opErr = errors.Join(opErr, getErr)
+			return opErr
+		}
+	} else {
+		opErr = errors.Join(opErr, getErr)
 	}
 
 	keySet := make(map[string]struct{}, len(started))