diff --git a/OvmfPkg/VirtioFsDxe/SimpleFsClose.c b/OvmfPkg/VirtioFsDxe/SimpleFsClose.c
index 01bbeae214..bc91ad726b 100644
--- a/OvmfPkg/VirtioFsDxe/SimpleFsClose.c
+++ b/OvmfPkg/VirtioFsDxe/SimpleFsClose.c
@@ -24,20 +24,36 @@ VirtioFsSimpleFileClose (
   VirtioFs     = VirtioFsFile->OwnerFs;
 
   //
-  // At this point, the implementation is only suitable for closing the
-  // VIRTIO_FS_FILE that was created by VirtioFsOpenVolume().
+  // All actions in this function are "best effort"; the UEFI spec requires
+  // EFI_FILE_PROTOCOL.Close() to sync all data to the device, but it also
+  // requires EFI_FILE_PROTOCOL.Close() to release resources unconditionally,
+  // and to return EFI_SUCCESS unconditionally.
   //
-  ASSERT (VirtioFsFile->IsDirectory);
-  ASSERT (VirtioFsFile->NodeId == VIRTIO_FS_FUSE_ROOT_DIR_NODE_ID);
-  //
-  // Close the root directory.
-  //
-  // Ignore any errors, because EFI_FILE_PROTOCOL.Close() is required to
-  // release the EFI_FILE_PROTOCOL object unconditionally.
+  // Flush, sync, release, and (if needed) forget. If any action fails, we
+  // still try the others.
   //
+  if (VirtioFsFile->IsOpenForWriting) {
+    if (!VirtioFsFile->IsDirectory) {
+      VirtioFsFuseFlush (VirtioFs, VirtioFsFile->NodeId,
+        VirtioFsFile->FuseHandle);
+    }
+
+    VirtioFsFuseFsyncFileOrDir (VirtioFs, VirtioFsFile->NodeId,
+      VirtioFsFile->FuseHandle, VirtioFsFile->IsDirectory);
+  }
+
   VirtioFsFuseReleaseFileOrDir (VirtioFs, VirtioFsFile->NodeId,
     VirtioFsFile->FuseHandle, VirtioFsFile->IsDirectory);
 
+  //
+  // VirtioFsFile->FuseHandle is gone at this point, but VirtioFsFile->NodeId
+  // is still valid. If we've known VirtioFsFile->NodeId from a lookup, then
+  // now we should ask the server to forget it *once*.
+  //
+  if (VirtioFsFile->NodeId != VIRTIO_FS_FUSE_ROOT_DIR_NODE_ID) {
+    VirtioFsFuseForget (VirtioFs, VirtioFsFile->NodeId);
+  }
+
   //
   // One fewer file left open for the owner filesystem.
   //
diff --git a/OvmfPkg/VirtioFsDxe/SimpleFsDelete.c b/OvmfPkg/VirtioFsDxe/SimpleFsDelete.c
index 3209923d1e..bbad64bf78 100644
--- a/OvmfPkg/VirtioFsDxe/SimpleFsDelete.c
+++ b/OvmfPkg/VirtioFsDxe/SimpleFsDelete.c
@@ -6,6 +6,9 @@
   SPDX-License-Identifier: BSD-2-Clause-Patent
 **/
 
+#include <Library/BaseLib.h>             // RemoveEntryList()
+#include <Library/MemoryAllocationLib.h> // FreePool()
+
 #include "VirtioFsDxe.h"
 
 EFI_STATUS
@@ -14,16 +17,52 @@ VirtioFsSimpleFileDelete (
   IN EFI_FILE_PROTOCOL *This
   )
 {
+  VIRTIO_FS_FILE *VirtioFsFile;
+  VIRTIO_FS      *VirtioFs;
+  EFI_STATUS     Status;
+
+  VirtioFsFile = VIRTIO_FS_FILE_FROM_SIMPLE_FILE (This);
+  VirtioFs     = VirtioFsFile->OwnerFs;
+
   //
-  // At this point, the implementation is only suitable for closing the
-  // VIRTIO_FS_FILE that was created by VirtioFsOpenVolume().
+  // All actions in this function are "best effort"; the UEFI spec requires
+  // EFI_FILE_PROTOCOL.Delete() to release resources unconditionally. If a step
+  // related to removing the file fails, it's only reflected in the return
+  // status (EFI_WARN_DELETE_FAILURE rather than EFI_SUCCESS).
   //
-  // Actually deleting the root directory is not possible, so we're only going
-  // to release resources, and return EFI_WARN_DELETE_FAILURE.
+  // Release, remove, and (if needed) forget. We don't waste time flushing and
+  // syncing; if the EFI_FILE_PROTOCOL user cares enough, they should keep the
+  // parent directory open until after this function call returns, and then
+  // force a sync on *that* EFI_FILE_PROTOCOL instance, using either the
+  // Flush() member function, or the Close() member function.
   //
-  // In order to release resources, VirtioFsSimpleFileClose() is just right
-  // here.
+  // If any action fails below, we still try the others.
   //
-  VirtioFsSimpleFileClose (This);
-  return EFI_WARN_DELETE_FAILURE;
+  VirtioFsFuseReleaseFileOrDir (VirtioFs, VirtioFsFile->NodeId,
+    VirtioFsFile->FuseHandle, VirtioFsFile->IsDirectory);
+
+  //
+  // VirtioFsFile->FuseHandle is gone at this point, but VirtioFsFile->NodeId
+  // is still valid. Continue with removing the file or directory. The result
+  // of this operation determines the return status of the function.
+  //
+  // TODO
+  //
+  Status = EFI_WARN_DELETE_FAILURE;
+
+  //
+  // Finally, if we've known VirtioFsFile->NodeId from a lookup, then we should
+  // also ask the server to forget it *once*.
+  //
+  if (VirtioFsFile->NodeId != VIRTIO_FS_FUSE_ROOT_DIR_NODE_ID) {
+    VirtioFsFuseForget (VirtioFs, VirtioFsFile->NodeId);
+  }
+
+  //
+  // One fewer file left open for the owner filesystem.
+  //
+  RemoveEntryList (&VirtioFsFile->OpenFilesEntry);
+
+  FreePool (VirtioFsFile);
+  return Status;
 }
diff --git a/OvmfPkg/VirtioFsDxe/SimpleFsOpenVolume.c b/OvmfPkg/VirtioFsDxe/SimpleFsOpenVolume.c
index 8c1457a68a..67d2deb6bd 100644
--- a/OvmfPkg/VirtioFsDxe/SimpleFsOpenVolume.c
+++ b/OvmfPkg/VirtioFsDxe/SimpleFsOpenVolume.c
@@ -62,6 +62,7 @@ VirtioFsOpenVolume (
   VirtioFsFile->SimpleFile.SetInfo     = VirtioFsSimpleFileSetInfo;
   VirtioFsFile->SimpleFile.Flush       = VirtioFsSimpleFileFlush;
   VirtioFsFile->IsDirectory            = TRUE;
+  VirtioFsFile->IsOpenForWriting       = FALSE;
   VirtioFsFile->OwnerFs                = VirtioFs;
   VirtioFsFile->NodeId                 = VIRTIO_FS_FUSE_ROOT_DIR_NODE_ID;
   VirtioFsFile->FuseHandle             = RootDirHandle;
diff --git a/OvmfPkg/VirtioFsDxe/VirtioFsDxe.h b/OvmfPkg/VirtioFsDxe/VirtioFsDxe.h
index 7151a62bb4..1cbd27d8fb 100644
--- a/OvmfPkg/VirtioFsDxe/VirtioFsDxe.h
+++ b/OvmfPkg/VirtioFsDxe/VirtioFsDxe.h
@@ -110,6 +110,7 @@ typedef struct {
   UINT64            Signature;
   EFI_FILE_PROTOCOL SimpleFile;
   BOOLEAN           IsDirectory;
+  BOOLEAN           IsOpenForWriting;
   VIRTIO_FS         *OwnerFs;
   LIST_ENTRY        OpenFilesEntry;
   //