diff --git a/langgraph/graph/message.py b/langgraph/graph/message.py
index 6908028df..26a9cfb29 100644
--- a/langgraph/graph/message.py
+++ b/langgraph/graph/message.py
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+from itertools import filterfalse
 import uuid
 from typing import Annotated, Literal, TypedDict, Union
 
@@ -7,19 +8,17 @@ from langchain_core.messages import (
     convert_to_messages,
     message_chunk_to_message,
 )
-from langchain_core.messages.base import BaseMessage
 
 from langgraph.graph.state import StateGraph
 
-Messages = Union[list[MessageLikeRepresentation], MessageLikeRepresentation]
 
-
-class DeleteMessage(BaseMessage):
+class MessageModifier(TypedDict):
     id: str
-    type: Literal["delete"] = "delete"
+    action: Literal["delete"] = "delete"
 
-    def __init__(self, **kwargs):
-        return super().__init__("delete-message", **kwargs)
+
+Message = Union[MessageLikeRepresentation, MessageModifier]
+Messages = Union[list[MessageLikeRepresentation], MessageLikeRepresentation]
 
 
 def add_messages(left: Messages, right: Messages) -> Messages:
@@ -73,6 +72,10 @@ def add_messages(left: Messages, right: Messages) -> Messages:
         left = [left]
     if not isinstance(right, list):
         right = [right]
+
+    is_modifier = lambda m: isinstance(m, dict) and m.get("action")
+    message_modifiers = list(filter(is_modifier, right))
+    right = list(filterfalse(is_modifier, right))
     # coerce to message
     left = [message_chunk_to_message(m) for m in convert_to_messages(left)]
     right = [message_chunk_to_message(m) for m in convert_to_messages(right)]
@@ -84,21 +87,26 @@ def add_messages(left: Messages, right: Messages) -> Messages:
         if m.id is None:
             m.id = str(uuid.uuid4())
     # merge
-    left_idx_by_id = {m.id: i for i, m in enumerate(left)}
+    existing_idx_by_id = {m.id: i for i, m in enumerate(left)}
     merged = left.copy()
     for m in right:
-        if (existing_idx := left_idx_by_id.get(m.id)) is not None:
-            if isinstance(m, DeleteMessage):
-                del merged[existing_idx]
-            else:
-                merged[existing_idx] = m
+        if (existing_idx := existing_idx_by_id.get(m.id)) is not None:
+            merged[existing_idx] = m
         else:
-            if isinstance(m, DeleteMessage):
-                raise ValueError(
-                    f"Attempting to delete a message with an ID that doesn't exist ('{m.id}')"
-                )
-
+            existing_idx_by_id[m.id] = len(merged)
             merged.append(m)
+
+    for modifier in message_modifiers:
+        if (existing_idx := existing_idx_by_id.get(modifier["id"])) is None:
+            raise ValueError(
+                f"Attempting to modify a message with an ID that doesn't exist ('{modifier['id']}')"
+            )
+
+        if modifier["action"] == "delete":
+            del merged[existing_idx]
+        else:
+            raise ValueError(f"Unsupported modifier action '{modifier['action']}'")
+
     return merged