diff --git a/ansible/defaults/main.yml b/ansible/defaults/main.yml
index 93f48e730..c5a34e87b 100644
--- a/ansible/defaults/main.yml
+++ b/ansible/defaults/main.yml
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ paperlessng_db_sslmode: prefer
 paperlessng_directory: /opt/paperless-ng
 paperlessng_consumption_dir: "{{ paperlessng_directory }}/consumption"
 paperlessng_data_dir: "{{ paperlessng_directory }}/data"
+paperlessng_trash_dir:
 paperlessng_media_root: "{{ paperlessng_directory }}/media"
 paperlessng_staticdir: "{{ paperlessng_directory }}/static"
 paperlessng_filename_format:
diff --git a/ansible/tasks/main.yml b/ansible/tasks/main.yml
index c404e2889..a38c3b134 100644
--- a/ansible/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/ansible/tasks/main.yml
@@ -252,9 +252,11 @@
     owner: "{{ paperlessng_system_user }}"
     group: "{{ paperlessng_system_group }}"
     mode: "750"
+  when: item
   with_items:
     - "{{ paperlessng_consumption_dir }}"
     - "{{ paperlessng_data_dir }}"
+    - "{{ paperlessng_trash_dir }}"
     - "{{ paperlessng_media_root }}"
     - "{{ paperlessng_staticdir }}"
 
@@ -277,6 +279,8 @@
       line: "PAPERLESS_CONSUMPTION_DIR={{ paperlessng_consumption_dir }}"
     - regexp: PAPERLESS_DATA_DIR
       line: "PAPERLESS_DATA_DIR={{ paperlessng_data_dir }}"
+    - regexp: PAPERLESS_TRASH_DIR
+      line: "PAPERLESS_TRASH_DIR={{ paperlessng_trash_dir }}"
     - regexp: PAPERLESS_MEDIA_ROOT
       line: "PAPERLESS_MEDIA_ROOT={{ paperlessng_media_root }}"
     - regexp: PAPERLESS_STATICDIR
diff --git a/docs/configuration.rst b/docs/configuration.rst
index 312b3b0ab..4813ad932 100644
--- a/docs/configuration.rst
+++ b/docs/configuration.rst
@@ -80,6 +80,15 @@ PAPERLESS_DATA_DIR=<path>
 
     Defaults to "../data/", relative to the "src" directory.
 
+PAPERLESS_TRASH_DIR=<path>
+    Instead of removing deleted documents, they are moved to this directory.
+
+    This must be writeable by the user running paperless. When running inside
+    docker, ensure that this path is within a permanent volume (such as
+    "../media/trash") so it won't get lost on upgrades.
+
+    Defaults to empty (i.e. really delete documents).
+
 PAPERLESS_MEDIA_ROOT=<path>
     This is where your documents and thumbnails are stored.
 
diff --git a/paperless.conf.example b/paperless.conf.example
index 397314e6e..bc8e76e55 100644
--- a/paperless.conf.example
+++ b/paperless.conf.example
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 
 #PAPERLESS_CONSUMPTION_DIR=../consume
 #PAPERLESS_DATA_DIR=../data
+#PAPERLESS_TRASH_DIR=
 #PAPERLESS_MEDIA_ROOT=../media
 #PAPERLESS_STATICDIR=../static
 #PAPERLESS_FILENAME_FORMAT=
diff --git a/src/documents/signals/handlers.py b/src/documents/signals/handlers.py
index fb7df5120..39e94d025 100644
--- a/src/documents/signals/handlers.py
+++ b/src/documents/signals/handlers.py
@@ -225,6 +225,37 @@ def set_tags(sender,
 @receiver(models.signals.post_delete, sender=Document)
 def cleanup_document_deletion(sender, instance, using, **kwargs):
     with FileLock(settings.MEDIA_LOCK):
+        if settings.TRASH_DIR:
+            # Find a non-conflicting filename in case a document with the same
+            # name was moved to trash earlier
+            counter = 0
+            old_filename = os.path.split(instance.source_path)[1]
+            (old_filebase, old_fileext) = os.path.splitext(old_filename)
+
+            while True:
+                new_file_path = os.path.join(
+                    settings.TRASH_DIR,
+                    old_filebase +
+                    (f"_{counter:02}" if counter else "") +
+                    old_fileext
+                )
+
+                if os.path.exists(new_file_path):
+                    counter += 1
+                else:
+                    break
+
+            logger.debug(
+                f"Moving {instance.source_path} to trash at {new_file_path}")
+            try:
+                os.rename(instance.source_path, new_file_path)
+            except OSError as e:
+                logger.error(
+                    f"Failed to move {instance.source_path} to trash at "
+                    f"{new_file_path}: {e}. Skipping cleanup!"
+                )
+                return
+
         for filename in (instance.source_path,
                          instance.archive_path,
                          instance.thumbnail_path):
diff --git a/src/documents/tests/test_file_handling.py b/src/documents/tests/test_file_handling.py
index 59af7e317..8be4b568b 100644
--- a/src/documents/tests/test_file_handling.py
+++ b/src/documents/tests/test_file_handling.py
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import datetime
 import hashlib
 import os
 import random
+import tempfile
 import uuid
 from pathlib import Path
 from unittest import mock
@@ -154,6 +155,40 @@ class TestFileHandling(DirectoriesMixin, TestCase):
         self.assertEqual(os.path.isfile(settings.ORIGINALS_DIR + "/none/none.pdf"), False)
         self.assertEqual(os.path.isdir(settings.ORIGINALS_DIR + "/none"), False)
 
+    @override_settings(PAPERLESS_FILENAME_FORMAT="{correspondent}/{correspondent}", TRASH_DIR=tempfile.mkdtemp())
+    def test_document_delete_trash(self):
+        document = Document()
+        document.mime_type = "application/pdf"
+        document.storage_type = Document.STORAGE_TYPE_UNENCRYPTED
+        document.save()
+
+        # Ensure that filename is properly generated
+        document.filename = generate_filename(document)
+        self.assertEqual(document.filename,
+                         "none/none.pdf")
+
+        create_source_path_directory(document.source_path)
+        Path(document.source_path).touch()
+
+        # Ensure file was moved to trash after delete
+        self.assertEqual(os.path.isfile(settings.TRASH_DIR + "/none/none.pdf"), False)
+        document.delete()
+        self.assertEqual(os.path.isfile(settings.ORIGINALS_DIR + "/none/none.pdf"), False)
+        self.assertEqual(os.path.isdir(settings.ORIGINALS_DIR + "/none"), False)
+        self.assertEqual(os.path.isfile(settings.TRASH_DIR + "/none.pdf"), True)
+        self.assertEqual(os.path.isfile(settings.TRASH_DIR + "/none_01.pdf"), False)
+
+        # Create an identical document and ensure it is trashed under a new name
+        document = Document()
+        document.mime_type = "application/pdf"
+        document.storage_type = Document.STORAGE_TYPE_UNENCRYPTED
+        document.save()
+        document.filename = generate_filename(document)
+        create_source_path_directory(document.source_path)
+        Path(document.source_path).touch()
+        document.delete()
+        self.assertEqual(os.path.isfile(settings.TRASH_DIR + "/none_01.pdf"), True)
+
     @override_settings(PAPERLESS_FILENAME_FORMAT="{correspondent}/{correspondent}")
     def test_document_delete_nofile(self):
         document = Document()
diff --git a/src/paperless/checks.py b/src/paperless/checks.py
index 1b19f1a72..24830a9e0 100644
--- a/src/paperless/checks.py
+++ b/src/paperless/checks.py
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ def paths_check(app_configs, **kwargs):
     """
 
     return path_check("PAPERLESS_DATA_DIR", settings.DATA_DIR) + \
+        path_check("PAPERLESS_TRASH_DIR", settings.TRASH_DIR) + \
         path_check("PAPERLESS_MEDIA_ROOT", settings.MEDIA_ROOT) + \
         path_check("PAPERLESS_CONSUMPTION_DIR", settings.CONSUMPTION_DIR)
 
diff --git a/src/paperless/settings.py b/src/paperless/settings.py
index c10836fb3..124f13ccb 100644
--- a/src/paperless/settings.py
+++ b/src/paperless/settings.py
@@ -57,6 +57,8 @@ THUMBNAIL_DIR = os.path.join(MEDIA_ROOT, "documents", "thumbnails")
 
 DATA_DIR = os.getenv('PAPERLESS_DATA_DIR', os.path.join(BASE_DIR, "..", "data"))
 
+TRASH_DIR = os.getenv('PAPERLESS_TRASH_DIR')
+
 # Lock file for synchronizing changes to the MEDIA directory across multiple
 # threads.
 MEDIA_LOCK = os.path.join(MEDIA_ROOT, "media.lock")