diff --git a/src/funtracks/user_actions/user_delete_nodes.py b/src/funtracks/user_actions/user_delete_nodes.py
index 279351b1..2a355b4e 100644
--- a/src/funtracks/user_actions/user_delete_nodes.py
+++ b/src/funtracks/user_actions/user_delete_nodes.py
@@ -22,6 +22,9 @@ class UserDeleteNodes(ActionGroup):
         nodes: The node ids to delete.
         pixels: Optional list of pixel masks for each node, matching the order
             of nodes. Defaults to None.
+        _top_level: If True, add this action to the history and emit the refresh
+            signal. Set to False when this action is part of a bigger action group,
+            so that the whole group is undone in one step. Defaults to True.
     """
 
     def __init__(
@@ -29,6 +32,7 @@ def __init__(
         tracks: Tracks,
         nodes: list[int],
         pixels: None | list[tuple[np.ndarray, ...]] = None,
+        _top_level: bool = True,
     ):
         super().__init__(tracks, actions=[])
         self.tracks: Tracks  # Narrow type from base class
@@ -42,5 +46,6 @@ def __init__(
                 )
             )
 
-        self.tracks.action_history.add_new_action(self)
-        self.tracks.refresh.emit()
+        if _top_level:
+            self.tracks.action_history.add_new_action(self)
+            self.tracks.refresh.emit()
diff --git a/src/funtracks/user_actions/user_update_segmentation.py b/src/funtracks/user_actions/user_update_segmentation.py
index 04941e52..ffa9c88a 100644
--- a/src/funtracks/user_actions/user_update_segmentation.py
+++ b/src/funtracks/user_actions/user_update_segmentation.py
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ def __init__(
         updated_pixels: list[tuple[tuple[np.ndarray, ...], int]],
         current_track_id: int,
         force: bool = False,
+        _top_level: bool = True,
     ):
         """Assumes that the pixels have already been updated in the project.segmentation
         NOTE: Re discussion with Kasia: we should have a basic action that updates the
@@ -40,6 +41,9 @@ def __init__(
                 the currently selected track id in the viewer.
             force (bool): Whether to force the operation by removing conflicting edges.
                 Defaults to False.
+            _top_level (bool): If True, add this action to the history and emit the
+                refresh signal. Set to False when this action is part of a bigger action
+                group, so that the whole group is undone in one step. Defaults to True.
         """
         super().__init__(tracks, actions=[])
         self.tracks: Tracks  # Narrow type from base class
@@ -118,5 +122,7 @@ def __init__(
                 self.actions.append(
                     UpdateNodeSeg(tracks, old_value, mask_pixels, added=False)
                 )
-        self.tracks.action_history.add_new_action(self)
-        self.tracks.refresh.emit(node_to_select)
+        self.node_to_select = node_to_select
+        if _top_level:
+            self.tracks.action_history.add_new_action(self)
+            self.tracks.refresh.emit(node_to_select)
diff --git a/tests/user_actions/test_user_update_segmentation.py b/tests/user_actions/test_user_update_segmentation.py
index 1a9a2f3b..644b9f44 100644
--- a/tests/user_actions/test_user_update_segmentation.py
+++ b/tests/user_actions/test_user_update_segmentation.py
@@ -3,8 +3,9 @@
 import numpy as np
 import pytest
 
+from funtracks.actions import ActionGroup
 from funtracks.exceptions import InvalidActionError
-from funtracks.user_actions import UserUpdateSegmentation
+from funtracks.user_actions import UserDeleteNodes, UserUpdateSegmentation
 from funtracks.utils.tracksdata_utils import td_mask_to_pixels
 
 iou_key = "iou"
@@ -289,3 +290,57 @@ def test_missing_seg(get_tracks):
     tracks = get_tracks(ndim=3, with_seg=False, prefill_track_ids=True)
     with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="Cannot update non-existing segmentation"):
         UserUpdateSegmentation(tracks, 0, [], 1)
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("ndim", [3])
+def test_not_top_level_actions_group_into_one_undo(get_tracks, ndim):
+    """With ``_top_level=False`` the action is applied but not recorded, so a caller can
+    group several actions into a single, jointly undoable step."""
+
+    tracks = get_tracks(ndim=ndim, with_seg=True, prefill_track_ids=True)
+    node_id = 3
+    orig_pixels = td_mask_to_pixels(
+        tracks.get_mask(node_id), tracks.get_time(node_id), ndim=tracks.ndim
+    )
+    orig_area = tracks.get_node_attr(node_id, area_key)
+    n_actions = len(tracks.action_history.undo_stack)
+
+    # remove the pixels in two steps, neither of which lands in the history
+    first = tuple(orig_pixels[d][1:2] for d in range(len(orig_pixels)))
+    second = tuple(orig_pixels[d][2:] for d in range(len(orig_pixels)))
+    actions = [
+        UserUpdateSegmentation(
+            tracks,
+            new_value=0,
+            updated_pixels=[(pixels, node_id)],
+            current_track_id=1,
+            _top_level=False,
+        )
+        for pixels in (first, second)
+    ]
+
+    assert tracks.get_node_attr(node_id, area_key) == orig_area - (
+        len(first[0]) + len(second[0])
+    )
+    assert len(tracks.action_history.undo_stack) == n_actions
+
+    # grouped, the two updates are undone together
+    group = ActionGroup(tracks, actions=actions)
+    tracks.action_history.add_new_action(group)
+    assert len(tracks.action_history.undo_stack) == n_actions + 1
+
+    tracks.undo()
+    assert tracks.get_node_attr(node_id, area_key) == orig_area
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("ndim", [3])
+def test_delete_nodes_not_top_level(get_tracks, ndim):
+    """UserDeleteNodes with ``_top_level=False`` deletes without recording history."""
+
+    tracks = get_tracks(ndim=ndim, with_seg=True, prefill_track_ids=True)
+    n_actions = len(tracks.action_history.undo_stack)
+
+    UserDeleteNodes(tracks, nodes=[3], _top_level=False)
+
+    assert not tracks.graph.has_node(3)
+    assert len(tracks.action_history.undo_stack) == n_actions