diff --git a/app/src/actions/Global.ts b/app/src/actions/Global.ts
index c575828..a1b3a67 100644
--- a/app/src/actions/Global.ts
+++ b/app/src/actions/Global.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { ActionTypes } from '../reducers/Global'
+import { ActionTypes, ConfirmationRequest } from '../reducers/Global'
 import { Dispatch } from 'redux'
 
 export const showError = (error?: string) => ({
@@ -20,3 +20,30 @@ export const toggleSettingsVisibility = () => (dispatch: Dispatch<any>) => {
     type: ActionTypes.toggleSettingsVisibility,
   })
 }
+
+export const requestConfirmation = (title: string, inquiry: string) => (dispatch: Dispatch<any>) => {
+  return new Promise(resolve => {
+    const confirmationRequest = {
+      title,
+      inquiry,
+      callback: (confirmed: boolean) => {
+        resolve(confirmed)
+        dispatch(removeConfirmationRequest(confirmationRequest))
+      },
+    }
+
+    dispatch({
+      confirmationRequest,
+      type: ActionTypes.requestConfirmation,
+    })
+  })
+}
+
+export const removeConfirmationRequest = (confirmationRequest: ConfirmationRequest) => (dispatch: Dispatch<any>) => {
+  return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+    dispatch({
+      confirmationRequest,
+      type: ActionTypes.removeConfirmationRequest,
+    })
+  })
+}
diff --git a/app/src/actions/clearTopic.ts b/app/src/actions/clearTopic.ts
index afdcf20..5bc4233 100644
--- a/app/src/actions/clearTopic.ts
+++ b/app/src/actions/clearTopic.ts
@@ -3,11 +3,28 @@ import { AppState } from '../reducers'
 import { Dispatch } from 'redux'
 import { makePublishEvent, rendererEvents } from '../../../events'
 import { moveSelectionUpOrDownwards } from './visibleTreeTraversal'
+import { globalActions } from '.'
 
-export const clearTopic = (topic: q.TreeNode<any>, recursive: boolean, subtopicClearLimit = 50) => (
+export const clearTopic = (topic: q.TreeNode<any>, recursive: boolean, subtopicClearLimit = 50) => async (
   dispatch: Dispatch<any>,
   getState: () => AppState
 ) => {
+  if (recursive) {
+    const topicCount = topic.childTopicCount()
+    const deleteLimitMessage =
+      topicCount > subtopicClearLimit ? ` You can only delete ${subtopicClearLimit} child topics at once.` : ''
+    const childTopicsMessage = topicCount > 0 ? ` and ${topicCount} child ${topicCount === 1 ? 'topic' : 'topics'}` : ''
+    const confirmed = await dispatch(
+      globalActions.requestConfirmation(
+        'Confirm delete',
+        `Do you want to delete "${topic.path()}"${childTopicsMessage}?${deleteLimitMessage}`
+      )
+    )
+    if (!confirmed) {
+      return
+    }
+  }
+
   dispatch(moveSelectionUpOrDownwards('next'))
 
   const { connectionId } = getState().connection
diff --git a/app/src/components/App.tsx b/app/src/components/App.tsx
index e4c5931..2bb533b 100644
--- a/app/src/components/App.tsx
+++ b/app/src/components/App.tsx
@@ -1,12 +1,14 @@
-import * as React from 'react'
+import ConfirmationDialog from './ConfirmationDialog'
 import ConnectionSetup from './ConnectionSetup/ConnectionSetup'
 import CssBaseline from '@material-ui/core/CssBaseline'
 import ErrorBoundary from './ErrorBoundary'
 import Notification from './Layout/Notification'
+import React from 'react'
 import TitleBar from './Layout/TitleBar'
 import UpdateNotifier from './UpdateNotifier'
 import { AppState } from '../reducers'
 import { bindActionCreators } from 'redux'
+import { ConfirmationRequest } from '../reducers/Global'
 import { connect } from 'react-redux'
 import { globalActions, settingsActions } from '../actions'
 import { Theme, withStyles } from '@material-ui/core/styles'
@@ -23,6 +25,7 @@ interface Props {
   actions: typeof globalActions
   settingsActions: typeof settingsActions
   launching: boolean
+  confirmationRequests: Array<ConfirmationRequest>
 }
 
 class App extends React.PureComponent<Props, {}> {
@@ -67,6 +70,7 @@ class App extends React.PureComponent<Props, {}> {
       <div className={centerContent}>
         <CssBaseline />
         <ErrorBoundary>
+          <ConfirmationDialog confirmationRequests={this.props.confirmationRequests} />
           {this.renderNotification()}
           <React.Suspense fallback={<div></div>}>
             <Settings />
@@ -149,6 +153,7 @@ const mapStateToProps = (state: AppState) => {
     notification: state.globalState.get('notification'),
     highlightTopicUpdates: state.settings.get('highlightTopicUpdates'),
     launching: state.globalState.get('launching'),
+    confirmationRequests: state.globalState.get('confirmationRequests'),
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/app/src/components/ConfirmationDialog.tsx b/app/src/components/ConfirmationDialog.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d1972a3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/src/components/ConfirmationDialog.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+import React, { useRef, useCallback, memo } from 'react'
+import { ConfirmationRequest } from '../reducers/Global'
+import { Dialog, DialogTitle, DialogContent, DialogContentText, DialogActions, Button } from '@material-ui/core'
+import { KeyCodes } from '../utils/KeyCodes'
+
+function ConfirmationDialog(props: { confirmationRequests: Array<ConfirmationRequest> }) {
+  const request = props.confirmationRequests[0]
+  const yesRef = useRef<HTMLButtonElement>()
+  const noRef = useRef<HTMLButtonElement>()
+  const arrowKeyHandler = useCallback((event: KeyboardEvent) => {
+    const isArrowKey = event.keyCode === KeyCodes.arrow_left || event.keyCode === KeyCodes.arrow_right
+    if (!isArrowKey) {
+      return
+    }
+
+    event.stopPropagation()
+    if (document.activeElement === noRef.current) {
+      yesRef.current && yesRef.current.focus()
+    } else {
+      noRef.current && noRef.current.focus()
+    }
+  }, [])
+
+  const confirm = React.useCallback(() => {
+    request && request.callback(true)
+  }, [request])
+  const reject = React.useCallback(() => {
+    request && request.callback(false)
+  }, [request])
+
+  if (!request) {
+    return null
+  }
+
+  return (
+    <Dialog
+      open={true}
+      onClose={reject}
+      aria-labelledby="alert-dialog-title"
+      aria-describedby="alert-dialog-description"
+      onKeyDown={arrowKeyHandler}
+    >
+      <DialogTitle id="alert-dialog-title">{request.title}</DialogTitle>
+      <DialogContent>
+        <DialogContentText id="alert-dialog-description">{request.inquiry}</DialogContentText>
+      </DialogContent>
+      <DialogActions>
+        <Button ref={yesRef} variant="contained" onClick={confirm} color="primary" autoFocus>
+          Yes
+        </Button>
+        <Button ref={noRef} variant="contained" onClick={reject} color="secondary">
+          No
+        </Button>
+      </DialogActions>
+    </Dialog>
+  )
+}
+
+export default memo(ConfirmationDialog)
diff --git a/app/src/components/Sidebar/TopicPanel/RecursiveTopicDeleteButton.tsx b/app/src/components/Sidebar/TopicPanel/RecursiveTopicDeleteButton.tsx
index dc3e130..2edcfb8 100644
--- a/app/src/components/Sidebar/TopicPanel/RecursiveTopicDeleteButton.tsx
+++ b/app/src/components/Sidebar/TopicPanel/RecursiveTopicDeleteButton.tsx
@@ -8,11 +8,16 @@ export const RecursiveTopicDeleteButton = (props: {
   node?: q.TreeNode<any>
   deleteTopicAction: (node: q.TreeNode<any>, a: boolean, limit: number) => void
 }) => {
-  const onClick = useCallback(() => {
-    if (props.node) {
-      props.deleteTopicAction(props.node, true, deleteLimit)
-    }
-  }, [props.node])
+  const onClick = useCallback(
+    (event: React.MouseEvent) => {
+      if (props.node) {
+        event.stopPropagation()
+        event.preventDefault()
+        props.deleteTopicAction(props.node, true, deleteLimit)
+      }
+    },
+    [props.node]
+  )
   if (!props.node) {
     return null
   }
diff --git a/app/src/reducers/Global.ts b/app/src/reducers/Global.ts
index c61808b..079b07b 100644
--- a/app/src/reducers/Global.ts
+++ b/app/src/reducers/Global.ts
@@ -9,6 +9,14 @@ export enum ActionTypes {
   showNotification = 'SHOW_NOTIFICATION',
   didLaunch = 'DID_LAUNCH',
   toggleSettingsVisibility = 'TOGGLE_SETTINGS_VISIBILITY',
+  requestConfirmation = 'REQUEST_CONFIRMATION',
+  removeConfirmationRequest = 'REMOVE_CONFIRMATION_REQUEST',
+}
+
+export interface ConfirmationRequest {
+  inquiry: string
+  title: string
+  callback: (confirmed: boolean) => void
 }
 
 export interface GlobalAction extends Action {
@@ -17,6 +25,7 @@ export interface GlobalAction extends Action {
   showUpdateDetails?: boolean
   error?: string
   notification?: string
+  confirmationRequest?: ConfirmationRequest
 }
 
 interface GlobalStateInterface {
@@ -26,6 +35,7 @@ interface GlobalStateInterface {
   notification?: string
   launching: boolean
   settingsVisible: boolean
+  confirmationRequests: Array<ConfirmationRequest>
 }
 
 export type GlobalState = Record<GlobalStateInterface>
@@ -37,6 +47,7 @@ const initialStateFactory = Record<GlobalStateInterface>({
   notification: undefined,
   launching: true,
   settingsVisible: false,
+  confirmationRequests: [],
 })
 
 export const globalState: Reducer<Record<GlobalStateInterface>, GlobalAction> = (
@@ -67,6 +78,21 @@ export const globalState: Reducer<Record<GlobalStateInterface>, GlobalAction> =
       }
       return state.set('showUpdateDetails', action.showUpdateDetails)
 
+    case ActionTypes.requestConfirmation:
+      if (action.confirmationRequest === undefined) {
+        return state
+      }
+      return state.set('confirmationRequests', [...state.get('confirmationRequests'), action.confirmationRequest])
+
+    case ActionTypes.removeConfirmationRequest:
+      if (action.confirmationRequest === undefined) {
+        return state
+      }
+      return state.set(
+        'confirmationRequests',
+        state.get('confirmationRequests').filter(a => a !== action.confirmationRequest)
+      )
+
     default:
       return state
   }