diff --git a/internal/handlers/watchlist.go b/internal/handlers/watchlist.go
index 7e33adf..e329aae 100644
--- a/internal/handlers/watchlist.go
+++ b/internal/handlers/watchlist.go
@@ -101,14 +101,15 @@ func (h *WatchlistHandler) HandleDeleteWatchlist(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.
 		return
 	}
 
-	animeIDStr := r.URL.Path[len("/api/watchlist/"):]
-	animeID, err := strconv.ParseInt(animeIDStr, 10, 64)
+	// Parse the path to get anime ID (path is /api/watchlist/{id} possibly with query params)
+	path := r.URL.Path[len("/api/watchlist/"):]
+	animeID, err := strconv.ParseInt(path, 10, 64)
 	if err != nil {
 		http.Error(w, "invalid anime ID", http.StatusBadRequest)
 		return
 	}
 
-	// Get anime info before deleting
+	// Get anime info before deleting (for dropdown refresh on anime page)
 	anime, err := h.db.GetAnime(r.Context(), animeID)
 	if err != nil {
 		http.Error(w, "anime not found", http.StatusNotFound)
@@ -125,6 +126,14 @@ func (h *WatchlistHandler) HandleDeleteWatchlist(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.
 	}
 
 	w.Header().Set("HX-Trigger", `{"toast": "removed from watchlist"}`)
+
+	// If called from watchlist page, just return empty (hx-swap="delete" handles removal)
+	if r.URL.Query().Get("from") == "watchlist" {
+		w.WriteHeader(http.StatusOK)
+		return
+	}
+
+	// Otherwise return updated dropdown for anime page
 	templates.WatchlistDropdown(int(animeID), anime.Title, anime.ImageUrl, "").Render(r.Context(), w)
 }
 
diff --git a/internal/templates/watchlist.templ b/internal/templates/watchlist.templ
index 1c95ceb..c78d86c 100644
--- a/internal/templates/watchlist.templ
+++ b/internal/templates/watchlist.templ
@@ -58,9 +58,9 @@ templ Watchlist(entries []database.GetUserWatchListRow, layout string, currentSt
 							<div class="watchlist-status">{ entry.Status }</div>
 							<button 
 								class="remove-btn"
-								hx-delete={ string(templ.URL(fmt.Sprintf("/api/watchlist/%d", entry.AnimeID))) } 
+								hx-delete={ string(templ.URL(fmt.Sprintf("/api/watchlist/%d?from=watchlist", entry.AnimeID))) } 
 								hx-target={ fmt.Sprintf("#watchlist-entry-%d", entry.AnimeID) } 
-								hx-swap="outerHTML"
+								hx-swap="delete"
 							>&times;</button>
 						</div>
 					}
@@ -92,9 +92,9 @@ templ Watchlist(entries []database.GetUserWatchListRow, layout string, currentSt
 								<td class="actions-cell">
 									<button 
 										class="remove-link"
-										hx-delete={ string(templ.URL(fmt.Sprintf("/api/watchlist/%d", entry.AnimeID))) } 
+										hx-delete={ string(templ.URL(fmt.Sprintf("/api/watchlist/%d?from=watchlist", entry.AnimeID))) } 
 										hx-target={ fmt.Sprintf("#watchlist-entry-%d", entry.AnimeID) } 
-										hx-swap="outerHTML"
+										hx-swap="delete"
 										style="background: none; border: none; cursor: pointer;"
 									>remove</button>
 								</td>
diff --git a/internal/templates/watchlist_templ.go b/internal/templates/watchlist_templ.go
index 90ce5cd..2946103 100644
--- a/internal/templates/watchlist_templ.go
+++ b/internal/templates/watchlist_templ.go
@@ -455,9 +455,9 @@ func Watchlist(entries []database.GetUserWatchListRow, layout string, currentSta
 							return templ_7745c5c3_Err
 						}
 						var templ_7745c5c3_Var33 string
-						templ_7745c5c3_Var33, templ_7745c5c3_Err = templ.JoinStringErrs(string(templ.URL(fmt.Sprintf("/api/watchlist/%d", entry.AnimeID))))
+						templ_7745c5c3_Var33, templ_7745c5c3_Err = templ.JoinStringErrs(string(templ.URL(fmt.Sprintf("/api/watchlist/%d?from=watchlist", entry.AnimeID))))
 						if templ_7745c5c3_Err != nil {
-							return templ.Error{Err: templ_7745c5c3_Err, FileName: `internal/templates/watchlist.templ`, Line: 61, Col: 86}
+							return templ.Error{Err: templ_7745c5c3_Err, FileName: `internal/templates/watchlist.templ`, Line: 61, Col: 101}
 						}
 						_, templ_7745c5c3_Err = templ_7745c5c3_Buffer.WriteString(templ.EscapeString(templ_7745c5c3_Var33))
 						if templ_7745c5c3_Err != nil {
@@ -476,7 +476,7 @@ func Watchlist(entries []database.GetUserWatchListRow, layout string, currentSta
 						if templ_7745c5c3_Err != nil {
 							return templ_7745c5c3_Err
 						}
-						templ_7745c5c3_Err = templruntime.WriteString(templ_7745c5c3_Buffer, 42, "\" hx-swap=\"outerHTML\">&times;</button></div>")
+						templ_7745c5c3_Err = templruntime.WriteString(templ_7745c5c3_Buffer, 42, "\" hx-swap=\"delete\">&times;</button></div>")
 						if templ_7745c5c3_Err != nil {
 							return templ_7745c5c3_Err
 						}
@@ -587,9 +587,9 @@ func Watchlist(entries []database.GetUserWatchListRow, layout string, currentSta
 							return templ_7745c5c3_Err
 						}
 						var templ_7745c5c3_Var42 string
-						templ_7745c5c3_Var42, templ_7745c5c3_Err = templ.JoinStringErrs(string(templ.URL(fmt.Sprintf("/api/watchlist/%d", entry.AnimeID))))
+						templ_7745c5c3_Var42, templ_7745c5c3_Err = templ.JoinStringErrs(string(templ.URL(fmt.Sprintf("/api/watchlist/%d?from=watchlist", entry.AnimeID))))
 						if templ_7745c5c3_Err != nil {
-							return templ.Error{Err: templ_7745c5c3_Err, FileName: `internal/templates/watchlist.templ`, Line: 95, Col: 88}
+							return templ.Error{Err: templ_7745c5c3_Err, FileName: `internal/templates/watchlist.templ`, Line: 95, Col: 103}
 						}
 						_, templ_7745c5c3_Err = templ_7745c5c3_Buffer.WriteString(templ.EscapeString(templ_7745c5c3_Var42))
 						if templ_7745c5c3_Err != nil {
@@ -608,7 +608,7 @@ func Watchlist(entries []database.GetUserWatchListRow, layout string, currentSta
 						if templ_7745c5c3_Err != nil {
 							return templ_7745c5c3_Err
 						}
-						templ_7745c5c3_Err = templruntime.WriteString(templ_7745c5c3_Buffer, 54, "\" hx-swap=\"outerHTML\" style=\"background: none; border: none; cursor: pointer;\">remove</button></td></tr>")
+						templ_7745c5c3_Err = templruntime.WriteString(templ_7745c5c3_Buffer, 54, "\" hx-swap=\"delete\" style=\"background: none; border: none; cursor: pointer;\">remove</button></td></tr>")
 						if templ_7745c5c3_Err != nil {
 							return templ_7745c5c3_Err
 						}