diff --git a/src/calibre/db/backend.py b/src/calibre/db/backend.py
index 851b9df1d6..1b87da8548 100644
--- a/src/calibre/db/backend.py
+++ b/src/calibre/db/backend.py
@@ -1199,14 +1199,18 @@ class DB(object):
     def has_format(self, book_id, fmt, fname, path):
         return self.format_abspath(book_id, fmt, fname, path) is not None
 
-    def remove_format(self, book_id, fmt, fname, path):
-        path = self.format_abspath(book_id, fmt, fname, path)
-        if path is not None:
-            try:
-                delete_service().delete_files((path,), self.library_path)
-            except:
-                import traceback
-                traceback.print_exc()
+    def remove_formats(self, remove_map):
+        paths = []
+        for book_id, removals in remove_map.iteritems():
+            for fmt, fname, path in removals:
+                path = self.format_abspath(book_id, fmt, fname, path)
+                if path is not None:
+                    paths.append(path)
+        try:
+            delete_service().delete_files(paths, self.library_path)
+        except:
+            import traceback
+            traceback.print_exc()
 
     def cover_last_modified(self, path):
         path = os.path.abspath(os.path.join(self.library_path, path, 'cover.jpg'))
diff --git a/src/calibre/db/cache.py b/src/calibre/db/cache.py
index 0313e6ffe6..bf3a807984 100644
--- a/src/calibre/db/cache.py
+++ b/src/calibre/db/cache.py
@@ -1280,6 +1280,7 @@ class Cache(object):
                 self.format_metadata_cache[book_id].pop(fmt, None)
 
         if not db_only:
+            removes = defaultdict(set)
             for book_id, fmts in formats_map.iteritems():
                 try:
                     path = self._field_for('path', book_id).replace('/', os.sep)
@@ -1291,7 +1292,9 @@ class Cache(object):
                     except:
                         continue
                     if name and path:
-                        self.backend.remove_format(book_id, fmt, name, path)
+                        removes[book_id].add((fmt, name, path))
+            if removes:
+                self.backend.remove_formats(removes)
 
         size_map = table.remove_formats(formats_map, self.backend)
         self.fields['size'].table.update_sizes(size_map)
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/actions/delete.py b/src/calibre/gui2/actions/delete.py
index ddd71ee18f..654da7d6a3 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/actions/delete.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/actions/delete.py
@@ -196,12 +196,10 @@ class DeleteAction(InterfaceAction):
             _('Choose formats to be deleted'), ids)
         if not fmts:
             return
-        for id in ids:
-            for fmt in fmts:
-                self.gui.library_view.model().db.remove_format(id, fmt,
-                        index_is_id=True, notify=False)
-        self.gui.library_view.model().refresh_ids(ids)
-        self.gui.library_view.model().current_changed(self.gui.library_view.currentIndex(),
+        m = self.gui.library_view.model()
+        m.db.new_api.remove_formats({book_id:fmts for book_id in ids})
+        m.refresh_ids(ids)
+        m.current_changed(self.gui.library_view.currentIndex(),
                 self.gui.library_view.currentIndex())
         if ids:
             self.gui.tags_view.recount()
@@ -216,8 +214,10 @@ class DeleteAction(InterfaceAction):
             exclude=True)
         if fmts is None:
             return
+        m = self.gui.library_view.model()
+        removals = {}
         for id in ids:
-            bfmts = self.gui.library_view.model().db.formats(id, index_is_id=True)
+            bfmts = m.db.formats(id, index_is_id=True)
             if bfmts is None:
                 continue
             bfmts = set([x.lower() for x in bfmts.split(',')])
@@ -225,14 +225,14 @@ class DeleteAction(InterfaceAction):
             if bfmts - rfmts:
                 # Do not delete if it will leave the book with no
                 # formats
-                for fmt in rfmts:
-                    self.gui.library_view.model().db.remove_format(id, fmt,
-                            index_is_id=True, notify=False)
-        self.gui.library_view.model().refresh_ids(ids)
-        self.gui.library_view.model().current_changed(self.gui.library_view.currentIndex(),
-                self.gui.library_view.currentIndex())
-        if ids:
-            self.gui.tags_view.recount()
+                removals[id] = rfmts
+        if removals:
+            m.db.new_api.remove_formats(removals)
+            m.refresh_ids(ids)
+            m.current_changed(self.gui.library_view.currentIndex(),
+                    self.gui.library_view.currentIndex())
+            if ids:
+                self.gui.tags_view.recount()
 
     def delete_all_formats(self, *args):
         ids = self._get_selected_ids()
@@ -244,17 +244,18 @@ class DeleteAction(InterfaceAction):
                             +'</p>', 'delete_all_formats', self.gui):
             return
         db = self.gui.library_view.model().db
+        removals = {}
         for id in ids:
             fmts = db.formats(id, index_is_id=True, verify_formats=False)
             if fmts:
-                for fmt in fmts.split(','):
-                    self.gui.library_view.model().db.remove_format(id, fmt,
-                            index_is_id=True, notify=False)
-        self.gui.library_view.model().refresh_ids(ids)
-        self.gui.library_view.model().current_changed(self.gui.library_view.currentIndex(),
-                self.gui.library_view.currentIndex())
-        if ids:
-            self.gui.tags_view.recount()
+                removals[id] = fmts.split(',')
+        if removals:
+            db.new_api.remove_formats(removals)
+            self.gui.library_view.model().refresh_ids(ids)
+            self.gui.library_view.model().current_changed(self.gui.library_view.currentIndex(),
+                    self.gui.library_view.currentIndex())
+            if ids:
+                self.gui.tags_view.recount()
 
     def remove_matching_books_from_device(self, *args):
         if not self.gui.device_manager.is_device_present:
diff --git a/src/calibre/library/cli.py b/src/calibre/library/cli.py
index f0760e7439..e52525be9f 100644
--- a/src/calibre/library/cli.py
+++ b/src/calibre/library/cli.py
@@ -398,13 +398,14 @@ def command_add(args, dbpath):
     return 0
 
 def do_remove(db, ids):
+    book_ids = set()
     for x in ids:
         if isinstance(x, int):
-            db.delete_book(x)
+            book_ids.add(x)
         else:
-            for y in x:
-                db.delete_book(y)
+            book_ids |= set(x)
 
+    db.new_api.remove_books(book_ids)
     db.clean()
     send_message()