diff --git a/zerobin/paste.py b/zerobin/paste.py
index bb5c456..8211bf8 100644
--- a/zerobin/paste.py
+++ b/zerobin/paste.py
@@ -264,3 +264,64 @@ class Paste(object):
             Delete the paste file.
         """
         os.remove(self.path)
+
+    def is_alive(self):
+        """
+        Return True if the paste is alive.
+        False if it may be deleted
+        """
+        now = datetime.now()
+        # keep alive false by default
+        keep_alive = False
+        # Delete the paste if it expired:
+        if 'burn_after_reading' in str(self.expiration):
+            # burn_after_reading contains the paste creation date
+            # if this read appends 10 seconds after the creation date
+            # we don't delete the paste because it means it's the redirection
+            # to the paste that happens during the paste creation
+            try:
+                keep_alive = self.expiration.split('#')[1]
+                keep_alive = datetime.strptime(keep_alive,
+                                               '%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S.%f')
+                keep_alive = now < keep_alive + timedelta(seconds=10)
+            except IndexError:
+                keep_alive = False
+        else:
+            keep_alive = now < self.expiration
+
+        return keep_alive
+
+
+    @classmethod
+    def purge(self, path=settings.PASTE_FILES_ROOT):
+        """
+            Purge the content folder
+            Return the number of paste deleted.
+        """
+        # we don't want to read 'counter' files
+        ignore_files = ['counter', ]
+        # keep a count on purged pastes
+        deleted_paste = 0
+        if os.path.exists(path):
+            for folder, _ , files in os.walk(path):
+                for fname in files:
+                    if fname in ignore_files:
+                        continue
+                    if Paste._purge_file(os.path.join(folder, fname)):
+                        deleted_paste += 1
+        return deleted_paste
+
+    @classmethod
+    def _purge_file(self, fname):
+        """
+            Purges the given file if expired.
+        """
+        paste = Paste.load_from_file(fname)
+        # Burn after reading will always returns paste.is_alive() == False
+        # We don't want to kill them now
+        is_burn_after_reading = 'burn_after_reading' in str(paste.expiration)
+        if not is_burn_after_reading and not paste.is_alive():
+            paste.delete()
+            return True
+        return False
+
diff --git a/zerobin/routes.py b/zerobin/routes.py
index ab8ffaa..7274a69 100644
--- a/zerobin/routes.py
+++ b/zerobin/routes.py
@@ -104,23 +104,7 @@ def display_paste(paste_id):
     keep_alive = False
     try:
         paste = Paste.load(paste_id)
-        # Delete the paste if it expired:
-        if 'burn_after_reading' in str(paste.expiration):
-            # burn_after_reading contains the paste creation date
-            # if this read appends 10 seconds after the creation date
-            # we don't delete the paste because it means it's the redirection
-            # to the paste that happens during the paste creation
-            try:
-                keep_alive = paste.expiration.split('#')[1]
-                keep_alive = datetime.strptime(keep_alive,
-                                               '%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S.%f')
-                keep_alive = now < keep_alive + timedelta(seconds=10)
-            except IndexError:
-                keep_alive = False
-            if not keep_alive:
-                paste.delete()
-
-        elif paste.expiration < now:
+        if not paste.is_alive():
             paste.delete()
             raise ValueError()
 
@@ -176,18 +160,25 @@ def get_app(debug=None, settings_file='',
 @clize.clize(coerce={'debug': bool, 'compressed_static': bool})
 def runserver(host='', port='', debug=None, user='', group='',
               settings_file='', compressed_static=None,
-              version=False, paste_id_length=None, server="cherrypy"):
+              version=False, paste_id_length=None, server="cherrypy", purge=False):
 
     if version:
         print '0bin V%s' % settings.VERSION
         sys.exit(0)
 
+    if purge:
+        print 'Purging expired pastes excluding burn notices'
+        purged_pastes = Paste.purge()
+        print 'Done (%s pastes removed)' % (purged_pastes)
+        sys.exit(0)
+
     settings.HOST = host or settings.HOST
     settings.PORT = port or settings.PORT
     settings.USER = user or settings.USER
     settings.GROUP = group or settings.GROUP
     settings.PASTE_ID_LENGTH = paste_id_length or settings.PASTE_ID_LENGTH
 
+
     try:
         _, app = get_app(debug, settings_file, compressed_static, settings=settings)
     except SettingsValidationError as err: