A pluggable transceiver module having a housing with a first side and a face perpendicular to the first side, and a tab extending beyond the surface of the first side, and the tab sized to mate with a slot in a receptacle of a host device for receiving the pluggable transceiver module housing, an elongated member slidably mounted to the first side of the housing and having an internal end and an external end, a wedge on the internal end of the elongated member, wherein sliding the elongated member inward causes the wedge to slide between the tab and the slot on the receptacle and remove the tab from within the slot, thereby releasing the pluggable transceiver module from the receptacle, and a lever rotatably mounted via an axle proximate the face of the pluggable transceiver module, said axle being connected to the external end of the elongated member such that rotating the lever away from the face of the pluggable transceiver cause the rotating axle to push the elongated member inward and drive the wedge between the tab and the slot in order to release the pluggable transceiver module from the receptacle.