diff --git a/src/wp-admin/includes/ajax-actions.php b/src/wp-admin/includes/ajax-actions.php
index c380583207..bf04c22bce 100644
--- a/src/wp-admin/includes/ajax-actions.php
+++ b/src/wp-admin/includes/ajax-actions.php
@@ -1877,6 +1877,10 @@ function wp_ajax_save_widget() {
 
 		$sidebar = array_diff( $sidebar, array($widget_id) );
 		$_POST = array('sidebar' => $sidebar_id, 'widget-' . $id_base => array(), 'the-widget-id' => $widget_id, 'delete_widget' => '1');
+
+		/** This action is documented in wp-admin/widgets.php */
+		do_action( 'delete_widget', $widget_id, $sidebar_id, $id_base );
+
 	} elseif ( $settings && preg_match( '/__i__|%i%/', key($settings) ) ) {
 		if ( !$multi_number )
 			wp_die( $error );
diff --git a/src/wp-admin/widgets.php b/src/wp-admin/widgets.php
index b72fd195e2..69b3161529 100644
--- a/src/wp-admin/widgets.php
+++ b/src/wp-admin/widgets.php
@@ -152,6 +152,17 @@ if ( isset($_POST['savewidget']) || isset($_POST['removewidget']) ) {
 
 		$sidebar = array_diff( $sidebar, array($widget_id) );
 		$_POST = array('sidebar' => $sidebar_id, 'widget-' . $id_base => array(), 'the-widget-id' => $widget_id, 'delete_widget' => '1');
+
+		/**
+		 * Fires immediately after a widget has been marked for deletion.
+		 * 
+		 * @since 4.4.0
+		 *
+		 * @param string $widget_id  ID of the widget marked for deletion.
+		 * @param string $sidebar_id ID of the sidebar the widget was deleted from.
+		 * @param string $id_base    ID base for the widget.
+		 */
+		do_action( 'delete_widget', $widget_id, $sidebar_id, $id_base );
 	}
 
 	$_POST['widget-id'] = $sidebar;