diff --git a/app/core/src/main/java/com/fsck/k9/controller/MessagingController.java b/app/core/src/main/java/com/fsck/k9/controller/MessagingController.java
index b3d0d3686..02c5312f5 100644
--- a/app/core/src/main/java/com/fsck/k9/controller/MessagingController.java
+++ b/app/core/src/main/java/com/fsck/k9/controller/MessagingController.java
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ import com.fsck.k9.cache.EmailProviderCache;
 import com.fsck.k9.controller.ControllerExtension.ControllerInternals;
 import com.fsck.k9.controller.MessagingControllerCommands.PendingAppend;
 import com.fsck.k9.controller.MessagingControllerCommands.PendingCommand;
+import com.fsck.k9.controller.MessagingControllerCommands.PendingDelete;
 import com.fsck.k9.controller.MessagingControllerCommands.PendingEmptyTrash;
 import com.fsck.k9.controller.MessagingControllerCommands.PendingExpunge;
 import com.fsck.k9.controller.MessagingControllerCommands.PendingMarkAllAsRead;
@@ -1033,6 +1034,22 @@ public class MessagingController {
         backend.setFlag(command.folder, command.uids, command.flag, command.newState);
     }
 
+    private void queueDelete(final Account account, final String folderServerId, final List<String> uids) {
+        putBackground("queueDelete " + account.getDescription() + ":" + folderServerId, null, new Runnable() {
+            @Override
+            public void run() {
+                PendingCommand command = PendingDelete.create(folderServerId, uids);
+                queuePendingCommand(account, command);
+                processPendingCommands(account);
+            }
+        });
+    }
+
+    void processPendingDelete(PendingDelete command, Account account) throws MessagingException {
+        Backend backend = getBackend(account);
+        backend.deleteMessages(command.folder, command.uids);
+    }
+
     private void queueExpunge(final Account account, final String folderServerId) {
         putBackground("queueExpunge " + account.getDescription() + ":" + folderServerId, null, new Runnable() {
             @Override
@@ -2221,7 +2238,7 @@ public class MessagingController {
             } else if (!syncedMessageUids.isEmpty()) {
                 if (account.getDeletePolicy() == DeletePolicy.ON_DELETE) {
                     if (folder.equals(account.getTrashFolder()) || !backend.isDeleteMoveToTrash()) {
-                        queueSetFlag(account, folder, true, Flag.DELETED, syncedMessageUids);
+                        queueDelete(account, folder, syncedMessageUids);
                     } else {
                         queueMoveOrCopy(account, folder, account.getTrashFolder(), false,
                                     syncedMessageUids, uidMap);
diff --git a/app/core/src/main/java/com/fsck/k9/controller/MessagingControllerCommands.java b/app/core/src/main/java/com/fsck/k9/controller/MessagingControllerCommands.java
index 9ac655054..e4475f111 100644
--- a/app/core/src/main/java/com/fsck/k9/controller/MessagingControllerCommands.java
+++ b/app/core/src/main/java/com/fsck/k9/controller/MessagingControllerCommands.java
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ public class MessagingControllerCommands {
     static final String COMMAND_APPEND = "append";
     static final String COMMAND_MARK_ALL_AS_READ = "mark_all_as_read";
     static final String COMMAND_SET_FLAG = "set_flag";
+    static final String COMMAND_DELETE = "delete";
     static final String COMMAND_EXPUNGE = "expunge";
     static final String COMMAND_MOVE_OR_COPY = "move_or_copy";
     static final String COMMAND_EMPTY_TRASH = "empty_trash";
@@ -158,6 +159,31 @@ public class MessagingControllerCommands {
         }
     }
 
+    public static class PendingDelete extends PendingCommand {
+        public final String folder;
+        public final List<String> uids;
+
+
+        public static PendingDelete create(String folder, List<String> uids) {
+            return new PendingDelete(folder, uids);
+        }
+
+        private PendingDelete(String folder, List<String> uids) {
+            this.folder = folder;
+            this.uids = uids;
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public String getCommandName() {
+            return COMMAND_DELETE;
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public void execute(MessagingController controller, Account account) throws MessagingException {
+            controller.processPendingDelete(this, account);
+        }
+    }
+
     public static class PendingExpunge extends PendingCommand {
         public final String folder;
 
diff --git a/app/core/src/main/java/com/fsck/k9/controller/PendingCommandSerializer.java b/app/core/src/main/java/com/fsck/k9/controller/PendingCommandSerializer.java
index 27beff3d7..0427e7e9f 100644
--- a/app/core/src/main/java/com/fsck/k9/controller/PendingCommandSerializer.java
+++ b/app/core/src/main/java/com/fsck/k9/controller/PendingCommandSerializer.java
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import java.util.Map;
 
 import com.fsck.k9.controller.MessagingControllerCommands.PendingAppend;
 import com.fsck.k9.controller.MessagingControllerCommands.PendingCommand;
+import com.fsck.k9.controller.MessagingControllerCommands.PendingDelete;
 import com.fsck.k9.controller.MessagingControllerCommands.PendingEmptyTrash;
 import com.fsck.k9.controller.MessagingControllerCommands.PendingExpunge;
 import com.fsck.k9.controller.MessagingControllerCommands.PendingMarkAllAsRead;
@@ -35,6 +36,7 @@ public class PendingCommandSerializer {
         adapters.put(MessagingControllerCommands.COMMAND_EXPUNGE, moshi.adapter(PendingExpunge.class));
         adapters.put(MessagingControllerCommands.COMMAND_MARK_ALL_AS_READ, moshi.adapter(PendingMarkAllAsRead.class));
         adapters.put(MessagingControllerCommands.COMMAND_SET_FLAG, moshi.adapter(PendingSetFlag.class));
+        adapters.put(MessagingControllerCommands.COMMAND_DELETE, moshi.adapter(PendingDelete.class));
 
         this.adapters = Collections.unmodifiableMap(adapters);
     }