diff --git a/frontend-vue/- b/frontend-vue/-
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d813db5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend-vue/-
@@ -0,0 +1,228 @@
+<template>
+  <div class="base-textarea">
+    <label v-if="label" :for="textareaId" class="base-textarea__label">
+      {{ label }}
+      <span v-if="required" class="base-textarea__required">*</span>
+    </label>
+    
+    <div class="base-textarea__wrapper">
+      <textarea
+        :id="textareaId"
+        ref="textareaRef"
+        :value="modelValue"
+        :placeholder="placeholder"
+        :disabled="disabled"
+        :readonly="readonly"
+        :required="required"
+        :rows="rows"
+        :maxlength="maxlength"
+        :aria-invalid="error ? 'true' : 'false'"
+        :aria-describedby="error ? `${textareaId}-error` : undefined"
+        :class="[
+          'base-textarea__field',
+          { 'base-textarea__field--error': error }
+        ]"
+        @input="handleInput"
+        @blur="$emit('blur', $event)"
+        @focus="$emit('focus', $event)"
+        @keydown="handleKeydown"
+        @keyup="$emit('keyup', $event)"
+      />
+    </div>
+    
+    <div v-if="showCharCount && maxlength" class="base-textarea__char-count">
+      {{ modelValue.length }}/{{ maxlength }}
+    </div>
+    
+    <div v-if="error" :id="`${textareaId}-error`" class="base-textarea__error">
+      {{ error }}
+    </div>
+    
+    <div v-else-if="helpText" class="base-textarea__help">
+      {{ helpText }}
+    </div>
+  </div>
+</template>
+
+<script setup lang="ts">
+import { ref, computed } from 'vue'
+
+interface Props {
+  modelValue: string
+  label?: string
+  placeholder?: string
+  disabled?: boolean
+  readonly?: boolean
+  required?: boolean
+  rows?: number
+  maxlength?: number
+  showCharCount?: boolean
+  error?: string
+  helpText?: string
+  id?: string
+  autoResize?: boolean
+}
+
+const props = withDefaults(defineProps<Props>(), {
+  disabled: false,
+  readonly: false,
+  required: false,
+  rows: 3,
+  showCharCount: false,
+  autoResize: false
+})
+
+const emit = defineEmits<{
+  'update:modelValue': [value: string]
+  blur: [event: FocusEvent]
+  focus: [event: FocusEvent]
+  keydown: [event: KeyboardEvent]
+  keyup: [event: KeyboardEvent]
+  submit: []
+}>()
+
+const textareaRef = ref<HTMLTextAreaElement>()
+const textareaId = computed(() => props.id || `textarea-${Math.random().toString(36).substr(2, 9)}`)
+
+const handleInput = (event: Event) => {
+  const target = event.target as HTMLTextAreaElement
+  emit('update:modelValue', target.value)
+  
+  if (props.autoResize) {
+    autoResize(target)
+  }
+}
+
+const handleKeydown = (event: KeyboardEvent) => {
+  emit('keydown', event)
+  
+  // Submit on Ctrl+Enter or Cmd+Enter
+  if ((event.ctrlKey || event.metaKey) && event.key === 'Enter') {
+    event.preventDefault()
+    emit('submit')
+  }
+}
+
+const autoResize = (textarea: HTMLTextAreaElement) => {
+  textarea.style.height = 'auto'
+  textarea.style.height = textarea.scrollHeight + 'px'
+}
+
+const focus = () => {
+  textareaRef.value?.focus()
+}
+
+const selectAll = () => {
+  textareaRef.value?.select()
+}
+
+defineExpose({
+  focus,
+  selectAll,
+  textareaRef
+})
+</script>
+
+<style scoped>
+.base-textarea {
+  display: flex;
+  flex-direction: column;
+  gap: 0.5rem;
+}
+
+.base-textarea__label {
+  font-size: 0.875rem;
+  font-weight: 500;
+  color: #374151;
+}
+
+.base-textarea__required {
+  color: #ef4444;
+}
+
+.base-textarea__wrapper {
+  position: relative;
+}
+
+.base-textarea__field {
+  width: 100%;
+  padding: 0.75rem 1rem;
+  border: 1px solid #d1d5db;
+  border-radius: 8px;
+  font-size: 1rem;
+  font-family: inherit;
+  background-color: #ffffff;
+  color: #111827;
+  transition: all 0.2s ease;
+  outline: none;
+  resize: vertical;
+  min-height: 3rem;
+}
+
+.base-textarea__field:focus {
+  border-color: #646cff;
+  box-shadow: 0 0 0 3px rgba(100, 108, 255, 0.1);
+}
+
+.base-textarea__field:disabled {
+  background-color: #f9fafb;
+  color: #9ca3af;
+  cursor: not-allowed;
+  resize: none;
+}
+
+.base-textarea__field:readonly {
+  background-color: #f9fafb;
+  cursor: default;
+  resize: none;
+}
+
+.base-textarea__field--error {
+  border-color: #ef4444;
+}
+
+.base-textarea__field--error:focus {
+  border-color: #ef4444;
+  box-shadow: 0 0 0 3px rgba(239, 68, 68, 0.1);
+}
+
+.base-textarea__char-count {
+  font-size: 0.75rem;
+  color: #6b7280;
+  text-align: right;
+}
+
+.base-textarea__error {
+  font-size: 0.875rem;
+  color: #ef4444;
+}
+
+.base-textarea__help {
+  font-size: 0.875rem;
+  color: #6b7280;
+}
+
+/* Dark mode */
+@media (prefers-color-scheme: dark) {
+  .base-textarea__label {
+    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.87);
+  }
+  
+  .base-textarea__field {
+    background-color: #374151;
+    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.87);
+    border-color: #4b5563;
+  }
+  
+  .base-textarea__field:disabled,
+  .base-textarea__field:readonly {
+    background-color: #1f2937;
+    color: #9ca3af;
+  }
+  
+  .base-textarea__help,
+  .base-textarea__char-count {
+    color: #9ca3af;
+  }
+}
+</style>
diff --git a/frontend-vue/src/components/chat/MessageItem.vue b/frontend-vue/src/components/chat/MessageItem.vue
index 218e811..d036570 100644
--- a/frontend-vue/src/components/chat/MessageItem.vue
+++ b/frontend-vue/src/components/chat/MessageItem.vue
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
       'message',
       { 'message--unsent': isUnsent }
     ]"
+    ref="rootEl"
     :data-message-id="message.id"
     :tabindex="tabindex || -1"
     :aria-label="messageAriaLabel"
@@ -33,10 +34,11 @@
 </template>
 
 <script setup lang="ts">
-import { computed } from 'vue'
+import { computed, ref, nextTick } from 'vue'
 import { useAudio } from '@/composables/useAudio'
 import { useToastStore } from '@/stores/toast'
 import { useAppStore } from '@/stores/app'
+import { apiService } from '@/services/api'
 import { formatSmartTimestamp, formatTimestampForScreenReader } from '@/utils/time'
 import FileAttachment from './FileAttachment.vue'
 import type { ExtendedMessage, UnsentMessage, FileAttachment as FileAttachmentType } from '@/types'
@@ -57,6 +59,17 @@ const { speak, playSound } = useAudio()
 const toastStore = useToastStore()
 const appStore = useAppStore()
 
+// Root element ref for DOM-based focus management
+const rootEl = ref<HTMLElement | null>(null)
+
+// Fallback: focus the chat input textarea
+const focusFallbackToInput = () => {
+  const inputEl = document.querySelector('.message-input .base-textarea__field') as HTMLElement | null
+  if (inputEl) {
+    inputEl.focus()
+  }
+}
+
 // Check if message has a file attachment
 const hasFileAttachment = computed(() => {
   return 'fileId' in props.message && !!props.message.fileId
@@ -160,6 +173,55 @@ const handleKeydown = (event: KeyboardEvent) => {
     } else {
       toastStore.info('Text-to-speech is disabled')
     }
+  } else if (event.key === 'Delete') {
+    event.preventDefault()
+    handleDelete()
+  }
+}
+
+// Delete current message (supports sent and unsent)
+const handleDelete = async () => {
+  try {
+    // Capture neighboring elements before removal
+    const current = rootEl.value
+    const prevEl = (current?.previousElementSibling as HTMLElement | null) || null
+    const nextEl = (current?.nextElementSibling as HTMLElement | null) || null
+    const isFirst = !prevEl
+    const targetToFocus = isFirst ? nextEl : prevEl
+
+    if (props.isUnsent) {
+      // Unsent local message
+      const unsent = props.message as UnsentMessage
+      appStore.removeUnsentMessage(unsent.id)
+      toastStore.success('Unsent message removed')
+      // focus the closest message
+      await nextTick()
+      if (targetToFocus && document.contains(targetToFocus)) {
+        if (!targetToFocus.hasAttribute('tabindex')) targetToFocus.setAttribute('tabindex', '-1')
+        targetToFocus.focus()
+      } else {
+        focusFallbackToInput()
+      }
+      return
+    }
+
+    // Sent message: call API then update store
+    const msg = props.message as ExtendedMessage
+    await apiService.deleteMessage(msg.channel_id, msg.id)
+    appStore.removeMessage(msg.id)
+    toastStore.success('Message deleted')
+    // focus the closest message
+    await nextTick()
+    if (targetToFocus && document.contains(targetToFocus)) {
+      if (!targetToFocus.hasAttribute('tabindex')) targetToFocus.setAttribute('tabindex', '-1')
+      targetToFocus.focus()
+    } else {
+      focusFallbackToInput()
+    }
+    
+  } catch (error) {
+    console.error('Failed to delete message:', error)
+    toastStore.error('Failed to delete message')
   }
 }
 </script>
@@ -239,4 +301,4 @@ const handleKeydown = (event: KeyboardEvent) => {
     color: #a0aec0;
   }
 }
-</style>
\ No newline at end of file
+</style>