diff --git a/common/scala/src/main/scala/org/apache/openwhisk/core/entity/WhiskAction.scala b/common/scala/src/main/scala/org/apache/openwhisk/core/entity/WhiskAction.scala
index 98154fe885e..6dd60a1f12a 100644
--- a/common/scala/src/main/scala/org/apache/openwhisk/core/entity/WhiskAction.scala
+++ b/common/scala/src/main/scala/org/apache/openwhisk/core/entity/WhiskAction.scala
@@ -56,7 +56,8 @@ case class WhiskActionPut(exec: Option[Exec] = None,
                           limits: Option[ActionLimitsOption] = None,
                           version: Option[SemVer] = None,
                           publish: Option[Boolean] = None,
-                          annotations: Option[Parameters] = None) {
+                          annotations: Option[Parameters] = None,
+                          delAnnotations: Option[Array[String]] = None) {
 
   protected[core] def replace(exec: Exec) = {
     WhiskActionPut(Some(exec), parameters, limits, version, publish, annotations)
@@ -643,5 +644,5 @@ object ActionLimitsOption extends DefaultJsonProtocol {
 }
 
 object WhiskActionPut extends DefaultJsonProtocol {
-  implicit val serdes = jsonFormat6(WhiskActionPut.apply)
+  implicit val serdes = jsonFormat7(WhiskActionPut.apply)
 }
diff --git a/core/controller/src/main/scala/org/apache/openwhisk/core/controller/Actions.scala b/core/controller/src/main/scala/org/apache/openwhisk/core/controller/Actions.scala
index 056aadf4390..79389683a86 100644
--- a/core/controller/src/main/scala/org/apache/openwhisk/core/controller/Actions.scala
+++ b/core/controller/src/main/scala/org/apache/openwhisk/core/controller/Actions.scala
@@ -537,6 +537,14 @@ trait WhiskActionsApi extends WhiskCollectionAPI with PostActionActivation with
 
     val exec = content.exec getOrElse action.exec
 
+    var newAnnotations = action.annotations
+    content.delAnnotations.map { annotationArray =>
+      annotationArray.foreach { annotation =>
+        newAnnotations -= annotation
+      }
+    }
+    newAnnotations = newAnnotations ++ content.annotations
+
     WhiskAction(
       action.namespace,
       action.name,
@@ -545,7 +553,7 @@ trait WhiskActionsApi extends WhiskCollectionAPI with PostActionActivation with
       limits,
       content.version getOrElse action.version.upPatch,
       content.publish getOrElse action.publish,
-      WhiskActionsApi.amendAnnotations(content.annotations getOrElse action.annotations, exec, create = false))
+      WhiskActionsApi.amendAnnotations(newAnnotations, exec, create = false))
       .revision[WhiskAction](action.docinfo.rev)
   }