diff --git a/components/app.js b/components/app.js
index eac383c..7a2fe18 100644
--- a/components/app.js
+++ b/components/app.js
@@ -153,6 +153,7 @@ export default class App extends Component {
 		this.handleConnectSubmit = this.handleConnectSubmit.bind(this);
 		this.handleJoinSubmit = this.handleJoinSubmit.bind(this);
 		this.handleBufferListClick = this.handleBufferListClick.bind(this);
+		this.handleBufferListClose = this.handleBufferListClose.bind(this);
 		this.toggleBufferList = this.toggleBufferList.bind(this);
 		this.toggleMemberList = this.toggleMemberList.bind(this);
 		this.handleComposerSubmit = this.handleComposerSubmit.bind(this);
@@ -1095,6 +1096,11 @@ export default class App extends Component {
 		this.closeBufferList();
 	}
 
+	handleBufferListClose(id) {
+		this.close(id);
+		this.closeBufferList();
+	}
+
 	toggleBufferList() {
 		this.setState((state) => {
 			let openPanels = {
@@ -1430,6 +1436,7 @@ export default class App extends Component {
 					isBouncer=${isBouncer}
 					activeBuffer=${this.state.activeBuffer}
 					onBufferClick=${this.handleBufferListClick}
+					onBufferClose=${this.handleBufferListClose}
 				/>
 				<button
 					class="expander"
diff --git a/components/buffer-list.js b/components/buffer-list.js
index b9dc907..c2930ec 100644
--- a/components/buffer-list.js
+++ b/components/buffer-list.js
@@ -7,6 +7,12 @@ function BufferItem(props) {
 		event.preventDefault();
 		props.onClick();
 	}
+	function handleMouseDown(event) {
+		if (event.button === 1) { // middle click
+			event.preventDefault();
+			props.onClose();
+		}
+	}
 
 	let name = props.buffer.name;
 	if (props.buffer.type == BufferType.SERVER) {
@@ -23,7 +29,11 @@ function BufferItem(props) {
 
 	return html`
 		<li class="${classes.join(" ")}">
-			<a href=${getBufferURL(props.buffer)} onClick=${handleClick}>${name}</a>
+			<a
+				href=${getBufferURL(props.buffer)}
+				onClick=${handleClick}
+				onMouseDown=${handleMouseDown}
+			>${name}</a>
 		</li>
 	`;
 }
@@ -47,6 +57,7 @@ export default function BufferList(props) {
 				isBouncer=${props.isBouncer}
 				bouncerNetwork=${bouncerNetwork}
 				onClick=${() => props.onBufferClick(buf)}
+				onClose=${() => props.onBufferClose(buf)}
 				active=${props.activeBuffer == buf.id}
 			/>
 		`;