diff --git a/src/add-ons/mail_daemon/inbound_protocols/imap/IMAPInboundProtocol.cpp b/src/add-ons/mail_daemon/inbound_protocols/imap/IMAPInboundProtocol.cpp
index 84718f4f8f..df945bc81f 100644
--- a/src/add-ons/mail_daemon/inbound_protocols/imap/IMAPInboundProtocol.cpp
+++ b/src/add-ons/mail_daemon/inbound_protocols/imap/IMAPInboundProtocol.cpp
@@ -512,11 +512,10 @@ IMAPInboundProtocol::DeleteMessage(const entry_ref& ref)
 		Connect(fServer, fUsername, fPassword, fUseSSL);
 
 	fIMAPMailboxThread->StopWatchingMailbox();
+
 	int32 uid = fStorage.RefToUID(ref);
-	int32 flags = fStorage.GetFlags(uid);
-	flags |= kDeleted;
-	status_t status = fIMAPMailbox.SetFlags(
-		fIMAPMailbox.UIDToMessageNumber(uid), flags);
+	status_t status = fIMAPMailbox.DeleteMessage(uid, false);
+
 	fIMAPMailboxThread->SyncAndStartWatchingMailbox();
 	return status;
 }
@@ -576,11 +575,10 @@ IMAPInboundProtocol::DeleteMessage(node_ref& node)
 		fIMAPMailboxThread->SyncAndStartWatchingMailbox();
 		return B_BAD_VALUE;
 	}
+
 	int32 uid = entry->uid;
-	int32 flags = fStorage.GetFlags(uid);
-	flags |= kDeleted;
-	status_t status = fIMAPMailbox.SetFlags(
-		fIMAPMailbox.UIDToMessageNumber(uid), flags);
+	status_t status = fIMAPMailbox.DeleteMessage(uid, false);
+
 	fIMAPMailboxThread->SyncAndStartWatchingMailbox();
 	return status;
 }
diff --git a/src/add-ons/mail_daemon/inbound_protocols/imap/imap_lib/IMAPHandler.cpp b/src/add-ons/mail_daemon/inbound_protocols/imap/imap_lib/IMAPHandler.cpp
index 0fcbb454ce..c46ebba221 100644
--- a/src/add-ons/mail_daemon/inbound_protocols/imap/imap_lib/IMAPHandler.cpp
+++ b/src/add-ons/mail_daemon/inbound_protocols/imap/imap_lib/IMAPHandler.cpp
@@ -628,6 +628,27 @@ ExistsHandler::Handle(const BString& response)
 }
 
 
+ExpungeCommmand::ExpungeCommmand(IMAPMailbox& mailbox)
+	:
+	IMAPMailboxCommand(mailbox)
+{
+
+}
+
+BString
+ExpungeCommmand::Command()
+{
+	return "EXPUNGE";
+}
+
+
+bool
+ExpungeCommmand::Handle(const BString& response)
+{
+	return false;
+}
+
+
 ExpungeHandler::ExpungeHandler(IMAPMailbox& mailbox)
 	:
 	IMAPMailboxCommand(mailbox)
@@ -645,7 +666,15 @@ ExpungeHandler::Handle(const BString& response)
 	if (!IMAPParser::ExtractUntagedFromLeft(response, "EXPUNGE", expunge))
 		return false;
 
-	fIMAPMailbox.DeleteMessage(expunge);
+	// remove from storage
+	IMAPStorage& storage = fIMAPMailbox.GetStorage();
+	storage.DeleteMessage(fIMAPMailbox.MessageNumberToUID(expunge));
+
+	// remove from min message list
+	MinMessageList& messageList = const_cast<MinMessageList&>(
+		fIMAPMailbox.GetMessageList());
+	messageList.erase(messageList.begin() + expunge - 1);
+
 	TRACE("EXPUNGE %i\n", (int)expunge);
 
 	// the watching loop restarts again, we need to watch again to because
diff --git a/src/add-ons/mail_daemon/inbound_protocols/imap/imap_lib/IMAPHandler.h b/src/add-ons/mail_daemon/inbound_protocols/imap/imap_lib/IMAPHandler.h
index 2009e265c4..580c733862 100644
--- a/src/add-ons/mail_daemon/inbound_protocols/imap/imap_lib/IMAPHandler.h
+++ b/src/add-ons/mail_daemon/inbound_protocols/imap/imap_lib/IMAPHandler.h
@@ -197,6 +197,18 @@ public:
 };
 
 
+/*! Just send a expunge command to delete kDeleted flagged messages. The
+response is handled by the unsolicited ExpungeHandler which is installed all
+the time. */
+class ExpungeCommmand : public IMAPMailboxCommand {
+public:
+								ExpungeCommmand(IMAPMailbox& mailbox);
+
+			BString				Command();
+			bool				Handle(const BString& response);
+};
+
+
 class ExpungeHandler : public IMAPMailboxCommand {
 public:
 								ExpungeHandler(IMAPMailbox& mailbox);
diff --git a/src/add-ons/mail_daemon/inbound_protocols/imap/imap_lib/IMAPMailbox.cpp b/src/add-ons/mail_daemon/inbound_protocols/imap/imap_lib/IMAPMailbox.cpp
index 7cf236808d..4fa6a94db3 100644
--- a/src/add-ons/mail_daemon/inbound_protocols/imap/imap_lib/IMAPMailbox.cpp
+++ b/src/add-ons/mail_daemon/inbound_protocols/imap/imap_lib/IMAPMailbox.cpp
@@ -289,14 +289,18 @@ IMAPMailbox::MessageNumberToUID(int32 messageNumber)
 
 
 status_t
-IMAPMailbox::DeleteMessage(int32 messageNumber)
+IMAPMailbox::DeleteMessage(int32 uid, bool permanently)
 {
-	int32 index = messageNumber - 1;
-	if (index < 0 || index >= (int32)fMessageList.size())
-		return B_BAD_VALUE;
-	status_t status = fStorage.DeleteMessage(MessageNumberToUID(messageNumber));
-	fMessageList.erase(fMessageList.begin() + index);
-	return status;
+	int32 flags = fStorage.GetFlags(uid);
+	flags |= kDeleted;
+	status_t status = SetFlags(UIDToMessageNumber(uid), flags);
+
+	if (!permanently || status != B_OK)
+		return status;
+
+	// delete permanently by invoking expunge
+	ExpungeCommmand expungeCommand(*this);
+	return ProcessCommand(&expungeCommand);
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/add-ons/mail_daemon/inbound_protocols/imap/imap_lib/IMAPMailbox.h b/src/add-ons/mail_daemon/inbound_protocols/imap/imap_lib/IMAPMailbox.h
index e249dc9fb7..ecf0a4caf9 100644
--- a/src/add-ons/mail_daemon/inbound_protocols/imap/imap_lib/IMAPMailbox.h
+++ b/src/add-ons/mail_daemon/inbound_protocols/imap/imap_lib/IMAPMailbox.h
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ public:
 			int32				UIDToMessageNumber(int32 uid);
 			int32				MessageNumberToUID(int32 messageNumber);
 
-			status_t			DeleteMessage(int32 messageNumber);
+			status_t			DeleteMessage(int32 uid, bool permanently);
 private:
 			void				_InstallUnsolicitedHandler(bool install);