diff --git a/cli/commanddelete.cpp b/cli/commanddelete.cpp
index 8431e4c..581bf79 100644
--- a/cli/commanddelete.cpp
+++ b/cli/commanddelete.cpp
@@ -7,47 +7,63 @@
 #include "commanddelete.h"
 #include "logger.h"
 
-int CommandDelete::removeNonExistent(bool verbose, bool dryRun, QString pattern)
+int CommandDelete::remove(QString pattern, bool onlyDeleted, bool verbose, bool dryRun)
 {
-    int offset = 0;
-    int limit = 1000;
-    QVector<FileData> files;
-    int processedRows = this->dbService->getFiles(files, pattern, 0, limit);
-    while(processedRows > 0 )
-    {
-        for(FileData &file : files)
-        {
-                QFileInfo fileInfo(file.absPath);
-                if(!fileInfo.exists())
-                {
-                    if(!dryRun)
-                    {
-                        if(this->dbService->deleteFile(file.absPath))
-                        {
-                            if(verbose)
-                            {
-                                Logger::info() << "Deleted" << file.absPath << endl;
-                            }
-                        }
-                        else
-                        {
-                            Logger::error()<< "Failed to delete:" << file.absPath << ", exiting." << endl
-                                             ;
-                            return 1;
-                        }
-                    }
-                    else
-                    {
-                        Logger::info() << "Would delete " << file.absPath << endl;
-                    }
-                }
-        }
+	int deleted = 0;
+	int offset = 0;
+	int limit = 1000;
+	QVector<FileData> files;
+	int processedRows = this->dbService->getFiles(files, pattern, 0, limit);
+	while(processedRows > 0 )
+	{
+		for(FileData &file : files)
+		{
+			if(onlyDeleted && QFileInfo::exists(file.absPath))
+			{
+				if(verbose)
+				{
+					Logger::info() << "Skipping " << file.absPath << " as the file exists on the file system" << endl;
+				}
+			}
+			else
+			{
+				if(!dryRun)
+				{
+					if(this->dbService->deleteFile(file.absPath))
+					{
+						if(verbose)
+						{
+							Logger::info() << "Deleted" << file.absPath << endl;
+						}
+						++deleted;
+					}
+					else
+					{
+						Logger::error()<< "Failed to delete:" << file.absPath << ", exiting." << endl;
+						return 1;
+					}
+				}
+				else
+				{
+					Logger::info() << "Would delete " << file.absPath << endl;
+				}
+			}
+		}
+		if(dryRun)
+		{
+			offset += limit;
+		}
+		else
+		{
+			offset = offset + limit - deleted;
+		}
+		files.clear();
+		processedRows = this->dbService->getFiles(files, pattern, offset, limit);
+		deleted = 0;
+	}
+	return 0;
+}
 
-        offset += limit;
-        processedRows = this->dbService->getFiles(files, pattern, offset, limit);
-    }
-    return 0;
- }
 
 int CommandDelete::removePaths(const QStringList &paths, bool verbose, bool dryRun)
 {
@@ -86,42 +102,44 @@ int CommandDelete::removePaths(const QStringList &paths, bool verbose, bool dryR
 
 int CommandDelete::handle(QStringList arguments)
 {
-    QCommandLineParser parser;
-    parser.addOptions({
-                          { { "v", "verbose" }, "Print path of the files while deleting them" },
-                          { { "n", "dry-run"}, "Only print which files would be deleted from the database, don't delete them"},
-                          { "pattern", "Only delete files from index matching the pattern, e. g. */.git/*. Only applies to --deleted or standalone.", "pattern" },
-                          { "deleted", "Delete all files from the index that don't exist anymore" }
-                      });
+	QCommandLineParser parser;
+	parser.addOptions({
+						  { { "v", "verbose" }, "Print path of the files while deleting them" },
+						  { { "n", "dry-run"}, "Only print which files would be deleted from the database, don't delete them"},
+						  { "pattern", "Only delete files from index matching the pattern, e. g. */.git/*. Can be used to restrict --deleted or standalone.", "pattern" },
+						  { "deleted", "Delete all files from the index that don't exist anymore. Can be restricted by --pattern." }
+					  });
 
-    parser.addHelpOption();
-    parser.addPositionalArgument("delete", "Delete paths from the index", "delete [paths...]");
+	parser.addHelpOption();
+	parser.addPositionalArgument("delete", "Delete paths from the index", "delete [paths...]");
 
-    parser.process(arguments);
-    bool verbose = parser.isSet("verbose");
-    bool dryRun = parser.isSet("dry-run");
-    QString pattern = parser.value("pattern");
-    if(parser.isSet("deleted"))
-    {
+	parser.process(arguments);
+	bool verbose = parser.isSet("verbose");
+	bool dryRun = parser.isSet("dry-run");
+	bool deleted = parser.isSet("deleted");
+	QString pattern = parser.value("pattern");
 
-        int result = removeNonExistent(verbose, dryRun, pattern);
-        if(result != 0)
-        {
-            return result;
-        }
-    }
 
-    QStringList files = parser.positionalArguments();
-    if(files.length() > 0)
-    {
-        int result = removePaths(files, verbose, dryRun);
-        if(result != 0)
-        {
-            return result;
-        }
-    }
+	if(deleted || ! pattern.isEmpty())
+	{
+		int result = this->remove(pattern, deleted, verbose, dryRun);
+		if(result != 0)
+		{
+			Logger::error() << "Removal operation did not succeed" << endl;
+			return result;
+		}
+	}
 
-    return 0;
+
+	QStringList files = parser.positionalArguments();
+	if(files.length() > 0)
+	{
+		int result = removePaths(files, verbose, dryRun);
+		if(result != 0)
+		{
+			return result;
+		}
+	}
+
+	return 0;
 }
-
-
diff --git a/cli/commanddelete.h b/cli/commanddelete.h
index e9497bb..7f745de 100644
--- a/cli/commanddelete.h
+++ b/cli/commanddelete.h
@@ -5,12 +5,12 @@
 class CommandDelete : public Command
 {
 public:
-    using Command::Command;
+	using Command::Command;
 
-    int handle(QStringList arguments) override;
+	int handle(QStringList arguments) override;
 private:
-    int removeNonExistent(bool verbose, bool dryRun, QString pattern);
-    int removePaths(const QStringList &paths, bool verbose, bool dryRun);
+	int remove(QString pattern, bool onlyDeleted, bool verbose, bool dryRun);
+	int removePaths(const QStringList &paths, bool verbose, bool dryRun);
 };
 
 #endif // COMMANDDELETE_H