diff --git a/ui/src/components/OperationPanel.jsx b/ui/src/components/OperationPanel.jsx
index 110b112..0bfa855 100644
--- a/ui/src/components/OperationPanel.jsx
+++ b/ui/src/components/OperationPanel.jsx
@@ -289,7 +289,7 @@ function groupDigits(raw) {
   return `${neg ? '-' : ''}${grouped}${dot === -1 ? '' : `.${frac}`}`
 }
 
-function LedgerInput({ value, active, held, onChange, onFocus, suffix }) {
+function LedgerInput({ value, active, held, onChange, onFocus, onClear, suffix }) {
   const ref     = useRef(null)
   const caret   = useRef(null)
   const display = groupDigits(value)
@@ -328,6 +328,7 @@ function LedgerInput({ value, active, held, onChange, onFocus, suffix }) {
           onChange(el.value.replace(/,/g, ''))
         }}
         onFocus={onFocus} placeholder="—"
+        onKeyDown={e => { if (e.key === 'Escape' && onClear) { e.preventDefault(); onClear(); e.target.blur() } }}
         title={held ? 'Held by the Absorbed by setting — type here to set it yourself' : undefined}
         className={`border rounded py-0.5 text-xs w-24 text-right font-mono tabular-nums transition-colors
           ${suffix ? 'pl-2 pr-5' : 'px-2'}
@@ -517,6 +518,17 @@ function ScaleLedger({ currentTotals, scaleInputs, setScaleInputs, scalePlug, se
   const setEdit = (key, field, raw) =>
     setScaleInputs(prev => ({ ...prev, [key]: { field, raw } }))
 
+  // Hand a measure back to being derived. Emptying the box does the same thing
+  // -- filled() is false either way -- but that is only obvious once you know
+  // it, and clicking into a held column to look at it and then wanting out
+  // again is the ordinary case, not the awkward one.
+  const clearEdit = (key) =>
+    setScaleInputs(prev => {
+      if (!(key in prev)) return prev
+      const { [key]: _drop, ...rest } = prev
+      return rest
+    })
+
   // focusing a different row hands that measure's edit to the focused row,
   // carrying across whatever it currently reads
   const focusRow = (key, field) =>
@@ -577,6 +589,11 @@ function ScaleLedger({ currentTotals, scaleInputs, setScaleInputs, scalePlug, se
                 {m.key === heldKey
                   ? <span className="text-gray-400"> · holds</span>
                   : m.hint && <span className="text-gray-500"> · {m.hint}</span>}
+                {scaleInputs[m.key] && (
+                  <button onClick={() => clearEdit(m.key)}
+                    title={`Stop editing ${m.label} — let it follow from the others again`}
+                    className="ml-1 text-gray-300 hover:text-red-500 leading-none">✕</button>
+                )}
               </th>
             ))}
             {showRunning && (
@@ -694,6 +711,7 @@ function ScaleLedger({ currentTotals, scaleInputs, setScaleInputs, scalePlug, se
                       held={m.key === heldKey}
                       onChange={(raw) => setEdit(m.key, field, raw)}
                       onFocus={() => focusRow(m.key, field)}
+                      onClear={() => clearEdit(m.key)}
                       suffix={field === 'pct' ? '%' : null}
                     />
                   </td>