diff --git a/kernel/include/kernel/FS/Ext2/Inode.h b/kernel/include/kernel/FS/Ext2/Inode.h
index d93d68d8..c5329b11 100644
--- a/kernel/include/kernel/FS/Ext2/Inode.h
+++ b/kernel/include/kernel/FS/Ext2/Inode.h
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ namespace Kernel
 		BAN::ErrorOr<void> link_inode_to_directory(Ext2Inode&, BAN::StringView name);
 		BAN::ErrorOr<bool> is_directory_empty();
 
+		void cleanup_indirect_block(uint32_t block, uint32_t depth);
 		BAN::ErrorOr<void> cleanup_default_links();
 		void cleanup_from_fs();
 
diff --git a/kernel/kernel/FS/Ext2/FileSystem.cpp b/kernel/kernel/FS/Ext2/FileSystem.cpp
index 8a2bb6af..48da9e3f 100644
--- a/kernel/kernel/FS/Ext2/FileSystem.cpp
+++ b/kernel/kernel/FS/Ext2/FileSystem.cpp
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 
 #define EXT2_DEBUG_PRINT 0
 #define EXT2_VERIFY_INODE 0
+#define EXT2_VERIFY_NO_BLOCKS 1
 
 namespace Kernel
 {
@@ -244,6 +245,10 @@ namespace Kernel
 		auto inode_location = locate_inode(ino);
 		read_block(inode_location.block, inode_buffer);
 		auto& inode = inode_buffer.span().slice(inode_location.offset).as<Ext2::Inode>();
+#if EXT2_VERIFY_NO_BLOCKS
+		static const char zero_buffer[sizeof(inode.block)] {};
+		ASSERT(memcmp(inode.block, zero_buffer, sizeof(inode.block)) == 0);
+#endif
 		bool is_directory = Inode::Mode(inode.mode).ifdir();
 		memset(&inode, 0x00, m_superblock.inode_size);
 		write_block(inode_location.block, inode_buffer);
diff --git a/kernel/kernel/FS/Ext2/Inode.cpp b/kernel/kernel/FS/Ext2/Inode.cpp
index 29b81bc7..28c0afc7 100644
--- a/kernel/kernel/FS/Ext2/Inode.cpp
+++ b/kernel/kernel/FS/Ext2/Inode.cpp
@@ -259,11 +259,54 @@ namespace Kernel
 		return {};
 	}
 
+	void Ext2Inode::cleanup_indirect_block(uint32_t block, uint32_t depth)
+	{
+		ASSERT(block);
+
+		if (depth == 0)
+		{
+			m_fs.release_block(block);
+			return;
+		}
+
+		auto block_buffer = m_fs.get_block_buffer();
+		m_fs.read_block(block, block_buffer);
+
+		const uint32_t ids_per_block = blksize() / sizeof(uint32_t);
+		for (uint32_t i = 0; i < ids_per_block; i++)
+		{
+			const uint32_t idx = ((uint32_t*)block_buffer.data())[i];
+			if (idx > 0)
+				cleanup_indirect_block(idx, depth - 1);
+		}
+
+		m_fs.release_block(block);
+	}
+
 	void Ext2Inode::cleanup_from_fs()
 	{
 		ASSERT(m_inode.links_count == 0);
-		for (uint32_t i = 0; i < blocks(); i++)
-			m_fs.release_block(fs_block_of_data_block_index(i));
+
+		// cleanup direct blocks
+		for (uint32_t i = 0; i < 12; i++)
+			if (m_inode.block[i])
+				m_fs.release_block(m_inode.block[i]);
+
+		// cleanup indirect blocks
+		if (m_inode.block[12])
+			cleanup_indirect_block(m_inode.block[12], 1);
+		if (m_inode.block[13])
+			cleanup_indirect_block(m_inode.block[13], 2);
+		if (m_inode.block[14])
+			cleanup_indirect_block(m_inode.block[14], 3);
+		
+		// mark blocks as deleted
+		memset(m_inode.block, 0x00, sizeof(m_inode.block));
+
+		// FIXME: this is only required since fs does not get
+		//        deleting inode from its cache
+		sync();
+	
 		m_fs.delete_inode(ino());
 	}