diff --git a/src/towncrier/_git.py b/src/towncrier/_git.py
index 2ff7d56b..fe632ed3 100644
--- a/src/towncrier/_git.py
+++ b/src/towncrier/_git.py
@@ -1,12 +1,24 @@
 # Copyright (c) Amber Brown, 2015
 # See LICENSE for details.
 
-from subprocess import call
-
 import os
+import sys
+from subprocess import call, check_output, CalledProcessError
+
 import click
 
 
+def run(args, **kwargs):
+    # Use UTF-8 both when sys.stdout does not have .encoding (Python 2.7) and
+    # when the attribute is present but set to None (explicitly piped output
+    # and also some CI such as GitHub Actions).
+    encoding = getattr(sys.stdout, "encoding", None)
+    if encoding is None:
+        encoding = "utf8"
+
+    return check_output(args, **kwargs).decode(encoding).strip()
+
+
 def remove_files(fragment_filenames, answer_yes):
     if not fragment_filenames:
         return
@@ -16,11 +28,23 @@ def remove_files(fragment_filenames, answer_yes):
     else:
         click.echo("I want to remove the following files:")
 
-    for filename in fragment_filenames:
+    for filename in sorted(fragment_filenames):
         click.echo(filename)
 
+    # Filter out files that are unknown to git
+    try:
+        known_fragments = run(
+            ["git", "ls-files"] + fragment_filenames
+        ).split("\n")
+    except CalledProcessError:
+        known_fragments = []
+
     if answer_yes or click.confirm("Is it okay if I remove those files?", default=True):
-        call(["git", "rm", "--quiet"] + fragment_filenames)
+        call(["git", "rm", "--quiet", "--force"] + known_fragments)
+        known_fragments_full = [os.path.abspath(f) for f in known_fragments]
+        unknown_fragments = set(fragment_filenames) - set(known_fragments_full)
+        for unknown_fragment in unknown_fragments:
+            os.remove(unknown_fragment)
 
 
 def stage_newsfile(directory, filename):
diff --git a/src/towncrier/check.py b/src/towncrier/check.py
index 16b2dd3f..27608d6b 100644
--- a/src/towncrier/check.py
+++ b/src/towncrier/check.py
@@ -8,15 +8,11 @@
 
 import click
 
-from subprocess import CalledProcessError, check_output, STDOUT
+from subprocess import CalledProcessError, STDOUT
 
 from ._settings import load_config_from_options
 from ._builder import find_fragments
-
-
-def _run(args, **kwargs):
-    kwargs["stderr"] = STDOUT
-    return check_output(args, **kwargs)
+from ._git import run
 
 
 @click.command(name="check")
@@ -31,20 +27,10 @@ def __main(comparewith, directory, config):
 
     base_directory, config = load_config_from_options(directory, config)
 
-    # Use UTF-8 both when sys.stdout does not have .encoding (Python 2.7) and
-    # when the attribute is present but set to None (explicitly piped output
-    # and also some CI such as GitHub Actions).
-    encoding = getattr(sys.stdout, "encoding", None)
-    if encoding is None:
-        encoding = "utf8"
-
     try:
-        files_changed = (
-            _run(
-                ["git", "diff", "--name-only", comparewith + "..."], cwd=base_directory
-            )
-            .decode(encoding)
-            .strip()
+        files_changed = run(
+            ["git", "diff", "--name-only", comparewith + "..."],
+            cwd=base_directory, stderr=STDOUT
         )
     except CalledProcessError as e:
         click.echo("git produced output while failing:")
diff --git a/src/towncrier/newsfragments/X.feature.rst b/src/towncrier/newsfragments/X.feature.rst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..4f5aceac
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/towncrier/newsfragments/X.feature.rst
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Handle deletion of uncommitted news fragments
diff --git a/src/towncrier/test/test_build.py b/src/towncrier/test/test_build.py
index fb3955f7..38730260 100644
--- a/src/towncrier/test/test_build.py
+++ b/src/towncrier/test/test_build.py
@@ -836,3 +836,81 @@ def test_start_string(self):
         """)
 
         self.assertEqual(expected_output, output)
+
+    def test_uncommitted_files(self):
+        runner = CliRunner()
+
+        with runner.isolated_filesystem():
+            setup_simple_project()
+            with open("foo/newsfragments/123.feature", "w") as f:
+                f.write("Adds levitation")
+            with open("foo/newsfragments/124.feature", "w") as f:
+                f.write("Extends levitation")
+            with open("foo/newsfragments/125.feature", "w") as f:
+                f.write("Baz levitation")
+            with open("foo/newsfragments/126.feature", "w") as f:
+                f.write("Fix (literal) crash")
+
+            call(["git", "init"])
+            call(["git", "config", "user.name", "user"])
+            call(["git", "config", "user.email", "user@example.com"])
+            # 123 is committed, 124 is modified, 125 is just added, 126 is unknown
+            call([
+                "git", "add",
+                "foo/newsfragments/123.feature",
+                "foo/newsfragments/124.feature"
+            ])
+            call(["git", "commit", "-m", "Initial Commit"])
+            with open("foo/newsfragments/124.feature", "a") as f:
+                f.write(" for an hour")
+            call(["git", "add", "foo/newsfragments/125.feature"])
+
+            result = runner.invoke(_main, ["--date", "01-01-2001", "--yes"])
+
+            self.assertEqual(0, result.exit_code)
+            for fragment in ("123", "124", "125", "126"):
+                self.assertFalse(
+                    os.path.isfile(
+                        "foo/newsfragments/{}.feature".format(fragment)
+                    )
+                )
+
+            path = "NEWS.rst"
+            self.assertTrue(os.path.isfile(path))
+            news_contents = open(path).read()
+            self.assertEqual(
+                news_contents,
+                dedent(
+                    """\
+                    Foo 1.2.3 (01-01-2001)
+                    ======================
+
+                    Features
+                    --------
+
+                    - Adds levitation (#123)
+                    - Extends levitation for an hour (#124)
+                    - Baz levitation (#125)
+                    - Fix (literal) crash (#126)
+                    """
+                ),
+            )
+            self.assertEqual(
+                result.output,
+                dedent(
+                    """\
+                    Loading template...
+                    Finding news fragments...
+                    Rendering news fragments...
+                    Writing to newsfile...
+                    Staging newsfile...
+                    Removing news fragments...
+                    Removing the following files:
+                    {cwd}/foo/newsfragments/123.feature
+                    {cwd}/foo/newsfragments/124.feature
+                    {cwd}/foo/newsfragments/125.feature
+                    {cwd}/foo/newsfragments/126.feature
+                    Done!
+                    """.format(cwd=os.getcwd())
+                ),
+            )