diff --git a/backend/local_rag.py b/backend/local_rag.py
index ef4b905..2392b89 100644
--- a/backend/local_rag.py
+++ b/backend/local_rag.py
@@ -984,6 +984,48 @@ def create_library(req: CreateLibraryRequest):
     return library_payload(data)
 
 
+@router.post("/libraries/purge")
+def purge_libraries():
+    active_jobs = [
+        job for job in JOBS.values()
+        if job["status"] in {"queued", "running"}
+    ]
+    if active_jobs:
+        active_slugs = sorted({str(job.get("slug") or "") for job in active_jobs if job.get("slug")})
+        detail = "Cannot purge databases while library sync jobs are still running."
+        if active_slugs:
+            detail = f"{detail} Active databases: {', '.join(active_slugs)}."
+        raise HTTPException(status_code=409, detail=detail)
+
+    removed: List[str] = []
+    failures: List[str] = []
+
+    for path in list(LIB_ROOT.iterdir()):
+        if not path.is_dir():
+            continue
+        try:
+            shutil.rmtree(path)
+            removed.append(path.name)
+        except Exception as exc:
+            failures.append(f"{path.name}: {type(exc).__name__}: {exc}")
+
+    LIB_ROOT.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+    JOBS.clear()
+    LIB_LOCKS.clear()
+
+    if failures:
+        preview = "; ".join(failures[:3])
+        if len(failures) > 3:
+            preview = f"{preview}; ..."
+        raise HTTPException(status_code=500, detail=f"Failed to purge some databases. {preview}")
+
+    return {
+        "ok": True,
+        "count": len(removed),
+        "removed": removed,
+    }
+
+
 @router.get("/libraries/{slug}")
 def get_library(slug: str):
     return library_payload(read_library(slug))
diff --git a/src/App.jsx b/src/App.jsx
index 2138a75..59b15db 100644
--- a/src/App.jsx
+++ b/src/App.jsx
@@ -808,6 +808,17 @@ async function regenerateFromIndex(index, overrideUserText = null) {
     }
   }
 
+  async function handleLibrariesPurged() {
+    setLibraries([])
+    setLibraryJobs([])
+    setActiveLibrarySlug(null)
+    setEditingLibrarySlug(null)
+    setIsDbPickerOpen(false)
+    setChatLibraryBySession({})
+    await refreshLibraries()
+    await refreshLibraryJobs()
+  }
+
   // Load chat sessions from backend on initial render
   useEffect(() => {
     if (!backendApiUrl) return;
diff --git a/src/GeneralSettings.jsx b/src/GeneralSettings.jsx
index 99018a5..f5b6f90 100644
--- a/src/GeneralSettings.jsx
+++ b/src/GeneralSettings.jsx
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ function getStatusTone(state) {
   return 'neutral';
 }
 
-export default function GeneralSettings({ onModelChange, onStreamOutputChange }) {
+export default function GeneralSettings({ onModelChange, onStreamOutputChange, onLibrariesPurged }) {
   const [backendApiUrl, setBackendApiUrl] = useState('');
   const [ollamaApiUrl, setOllamaApiUrl] = useState('');
   const [models, setModels] = useState([]);
@@ -37,6 +37,8 @@ export default function GeneralSettings({ onModelChange, onStreamOutputChange })
   const [streamOutput, setStreamOutput] = useState(false);
   const [updateStatus, setUpdateStatus] = useState(DEFAULT_UPDATE_STATUS);
   const [isCheckingForUpdates, setIsCheckingForUpdates] = useState(false);
+  const [isPurgingLibraries, setIsPurgingLibraries] = useState(false);
+  const [libraryPurgeStatus, setLibraryPurgeStatus] = useState({ tone: 'neutral', message: '' });
 
   useEffect(() => {
     let cancelled = false;
@@ -127,6 +129,48 @@ export default function GeneralSettings({ onModelChange, onStreamOutputChange })
     }
   };
 
+  const handlePurgeLibraries = async () => {
+    const confirmed = window.confirm(
+      'Delete all Heimgeist databases, staged files, and indexes from local storage? Chat history will be kept.'
+    );
+    if (!confirmed) {
+      return;
+    }
+
+    setIsPurgingLibraries(true);
+    setLibraryPurgeStatus({ tone: 'neutral', message: '' });
+
+    try {
+      const response = await fetch(`${backendApiUrl}/libraries/purge`, {
+        method: 'POST',
+      });
+      const data = await response.json().catch(() => null);
+
+      if (!response.ok) {
+        throw new Error(data?.detail || `HTTP ${response.status}`);
+      }
+
+      const count = Number(data?.count) || 0;
+      setLibraryPurgeStatus({
+        tone: 'success',
+        message: count > 0
+          ? `Removed ${count} database${count === 1 ? '' : 's'} from local storage.`
+          : 'No local databases were found to remove.',
+      });
+
+      if (onLibrariesPurged) {
+        await Promise.resolve(onLibrariesPurged());
+      }
+    } catch (error) {
+      setLibraryPurgeStatus({
+        tone: 'error',
+        message: `Database purge failed: ${error.message || String(error)}`,
+      });
+    } finally {
+      setIsPurgingLibraries(false);
+    }
+  };
+
   const updateCheckedAtLabel = updateStatus.checkedAt
     ? new Date(updateStatus.checkedAt).toLocaleString()
     : null;
@@ -205,6 +249,27 @@ export default function GeneralSettings({ onModelChange, onStreamOutputChange })
           </div>
         )}
       </div>
+      <div className="setting-section danger-zone">
+        <h3>Purge Databases</h3>
+        <div className="setting-control-row">
+          <button
+            type="button"
+            className="button danger"
+            onClick={handlePurgeLibraries}
+            disabled={isPurgingLibraries || !backendApiUrl}
+          >
+            {isPurgingLibraries ? 'Purging...' : 'Delete All Databases'}
+          </button>
+        </div>
+        <p className="setting-description">
+          Removes every local Heimgeist database, including staged files, corpora, and indexes. This is meant as a recovery action when the DB panel becomes unusable. Chat history stays intact.
+        </p>
+        {libraryPurgeStatus.message && (
+          <p className={`setting-status ${libraryPurgeStatus.tone}`}>
+            {libraryPurgeStatus.message}
+          </p>
+        )}
+      </div>
     </div>
   );
 }