diff --git a/internal/app/teams.go b/internal/app/teams.go
index fd2c5dfd..5a189dc1 100644
--- a/internal/app/teams.go
+++ b/internal/app/teams.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ package app
 
 import (
 	"errors"
+	"fmt"
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 
@@ -34,7 +35,7 @@ func (a *application) teamCommand() *cobra.Command {
 	group.AddCommand(list)
 	for _, verb := range []string{"view", "create", "edit", "delete"} {
 		var name, description, permission string
-		var createRepo, allRepos bool
+		var createRepo, allRepos, force bool
 		var units map[string]string
 		command := &cobra.Command{Use: verb + " <id>", Short: titleCase(verb) + " an organization team", Args: argsExact(1)}
 		switch verb {
@@ -42,6 +43,7 @@ func (a *application) teamCommand() *cobra.Command {
 			command.Use = "create <org>"
 		case "delete":
 			command.Annotations = textOutput("team deletion does not return a resource")
+			command.Flags().BoolVar(&force, "force", false, "Allow deleting the organization's owner team")
 		}
 		if verb == "create" || verb == "edit" {
 			command.Flags().StringVar(&name, "name", "", "Team name")
@@ -120,12 +122,8 @@ func (a *application) teamCommand() *cobra.Command {
 				return err
 			}
 			service := services.Teams{Client: target.client}
-			if verb == "delete" || prompted {
-				subject := args[0]
-				if verb == "create" {
-					subject = name + " in " + args[0]
-				}
-				if err := a.confirm(cmd, verb+" team "+subject+" on "+target.Host); err != nil {
+			if prompted {
+				if err := a.confirm(cmd, "create team "+name+" in "+args[0]+" on "+target.Host); err != nil {
 					return err
 				}
 			}
@@ -138,7 +136,7 @@ func (a *application) teamCommand() *cobra.Command {
 			case "edit":
 				item, err = service.Edit(cmd.Context(), id, opts)
 			case "delete":
-				return service.Delete(cmd.Context(), id)
+				return a.deleteTeam(cmd, service, id, force)
 			}
 			if err != nil {
 				return err
@@ -151,6 +149,31 @@ func (a *application) teamCommand() *cobra.Command {
 	return group
 }
 
+// deleteTeam names the team in its confirmation and deletes an organization's owner team only
+// with --force, after the user types its name.
+func (a *application) deleteTeam(cmd *cobra.Command, service services.Teams, id int64, force bool) error {
+	team, err := service.View(cmd.Context(), id)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	subject, answer := fmt.Sprintf("team %q (ID %d)", team.Name, team.ID), team.Name
+	if team.Organization != "" {
+		subject += " from " + team.Organization
+		answer = team.Organization + "/" + team.Name
+	}
+	if team.Permission != "owner" {
+		err = a.confirm(cmd, "Delete "+subject+"?")
+	} else if !force {
+		return clierr.Wrap(clierr.Usage, fmt.Errorf("%s is the organization's owner team and its members would lose owner access; pass --force to delete it", subject))
+	} else {
+		err = a.confirmTyped(cmd, "Delete owner "+subject+"? Its members lose owner access.", answer)
+	}
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	return service.Delete(cmd.Context(), id)
+}
+
 func (a *application) teamAccessCommand(repository bool) *cobra.Command {
 	kind := "member"
 	if repository {
diff --git a/internal/app/teams_test.go b/internal/app/teams_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e61cb92a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/app/teams_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+// Copyright 2026 The Gitea Authors. All rights reserved.
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
+
+package app
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"net/http"
+	"testing"
+
+	"gitea.dev/tea/internal/clierr"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+)
+
+func TestTeamDeleteNamesTheTeamAndProtectsTheOwnerTeam(t *testing.T) {
+	var deleted []string
+	server := newAuthenticatedServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		switch r.Method + " " + r.URL.Path {
+		case "GET /api/v1/teams/3":
+			_, _ = w.Write([]byte(`{"id":3,"name":"Owners","permission":"owner","organization":{"username":"acme"}}`))
+		case "GET /api/v1/teams/5":
+			_, _ = w.Write([]byte(`{"id":5,"name":"devs","permission":"write","organization":{"username":"acme"}}`))
+		case "DELETE /api/v1/teams/3", "DELETE /api/v1/teams/5":
+			deleted = append(deleted, r.URL.Path)
+			w.WriteHeader(http.StatusNoContent)
+		default:
+			t.Errorf("unexpected request %s %s", r.Method, r.URL.Path)
+			w.WriteHeader(http.StatusTeapot)
+		}
+	}))
+	defer server.Close()
+	deps, _, _ := serverDeps(t, server.URL)
+	err := Execute(context.Background(), deps, []string{"team", "delete", "3", "--yes"})
+	require.Equal(t, clierr.Usage, clierr.ExitCode(err), "%v", err)
+	require.ErrorContains(t, err, `team "Owners" (ID 3) from acme is the organization's owner team`)
+	require.ErrorContains(t, err, "--force")
+	require.Empty(t, deleted)
+
+	deps.Streams.InTTY, deps.Streams.ErrTTY = true, true
+	prompt := &scriptedPrompter{inputs: map[string]string{`Delete owner team "Owners" (ID 3) from acme? Its members lose owner access. Type acme/Owners to confirm:`: "Owners"}}
+	deps.Prompter = prompt
+	err = Execute(context.Background(), deps, []string{"team", "delete", "3", "--force"})
+	require.Equal(t, clierr.Canceled, clierr.ExitCode(err), "%v", err)
+	require.Len(t, prompt.asked, 1)
+	require.Empty(t, deleted)
+	prompt.inputs[prompt.asked[0]] = "acme/Owners"
+	require.NoError(t, Execute(context.Background(), deps, []string{"team", "delete", "3", "--force"}))
+	require.Equal(t, []string{"/api/v1/teams/3"}, deleted)
+
+	prompt.accept = true
+	require.NoError(t, Execute(context.Background(), deps, []string{"team", "delete", "5"}))
+	require.Equal(t, []string{`Delete team "devs" (ID 5) from acme?`}, prompt.confirmations)
+	require.Equal(t, []string{"/api/v1/teams/3", "/api/v1/teams/5"}, deleted)
+}