diff --git a/libretroshare/src/file_sharing/directory_storage.h b/libretroshare/src/file_sharing/directory_storage.h
index a89d6a7db..b7b64ed96 100644
--- a/libretroshare/src/file_sharing/directory_storage.h
+++ b/libretroshare/src/file_sharing/directory_storage.h
@@ -204,6 +204,8 @@ public:
      * \return
      */
     time_t& lastSweepTime() { return mLastSweepTime ; }
+
+    const std::string& filename() const { return mFileName ; }
 private:
     time_t mLastSavedTime ;
     time_t mLastSweepTime ;
diff --git a/libretroshare/src/file_sharing/file_sharing_defaults.h b/libretroshare/src/file_sharing/file_sharing_defaults.h
index b2b64afc9..63ad5e9f9 100644
--- a/libretroshare/src/file_sharing/file_sharing_defaults.h
+++ b/libretroshare/src/file_sharing/file_sharing_defaults.h
@@ -31,6 +31,9 @@ static const uint32_t DELAY_BETWEEN_REMOTE_DIRECTORY_SYNC_REQ   = 120 ; // 2 min
 static const uint32_t DELAY_BETWEEN_LOCAL_DIRECTORIES_TS_UPDATE =  20 ; // 20 sec. But we only update for real if something has changed.
 static const uint32_t DELAY_BETWEEN_REMOTE_DIRECTORIES_SWEEP    =  60 ; // 60 sec.
 
+static const uint32_t DELAY_BEFORE_DELETE_NON_EMPTY_REMOTE_DIR  = 60*24*86400 ; // delete non empty remoe directories after 60 days of inactivity
+static const uint32_t DELAY_BEFORE_DELETE_EMPTY_REMOTE_DIR      =  5*24*86400 ; // delete empty remote directories after 5 days of inactivity
+
 static const std::string HASH_CACHE_DURATION_SS = "HASH_CACHE_DURATION" ;	 // key string to store hash remembering time
 static const std::string WATCH_FILE_DURATION_SS = "WATCH_FILES_DELAY" ;		 // key to store delay before re-checking for new files
 static const std::string WATCH_FILE_ENABLED_SS  = "WATCH_FILES_ENABLED"; 	 // key to store ON/OFF flags for file whatch
diff --git a/libretroshare/src/file_sharing/p3filelists.cc b/libretroshare/src/file_sharing/p3filelists.cc
index 71a87d6fd..91a7546df 100644
--- a/libretroshare/src/file_sharing/p3filelists.cc
+++ b/libretroshare/src/file_sharing/p3filelists.cc
@@ -440,10 +440,30 @@ void p3FileDatabase::cleanup()
             for(std::list<RsPeerId>::const_iterator it(friend_lst.begin());it!=friend_lst.end();++it)
                 friend_set.insert(*it) ;
         }
+        time_t now = time(NULL);
 
         for(uint32_t i=0;i<mRemoteDirectories.size();++i)
-            if(mRemoteDirectories[i] != NULL && friend_set.find(mRemoteDirectories[i]->peerId()) == friend_set.end())
+            if(mRemoteDirectories[i] != NULL)
             {
+                time_t recurs_mod_time ;
+                mRemoteDirectories[i]->getDirectoryRecursModTime(0,recurs_mod_time) ;
+
+                time_t last_contact = 0 ;
+                RsPeerDetails pd ;
+                if(rsPeers->getPeerDetails(mRemoteDirectories[i]->peerId(),pd))
+                    last_contact = pd.lastConnect ;
+
+                // We remove directories in the following situations:
+                //	- the peer is not a friend
+                //  - the dir list is non empty but the peer is offline since more than 60 days
+                //  - the dir list is empty and the peer is ffline since more than 5 days
+
+                bool should_remove =  friend_set.find(mRemoteDirectories[i]->peerId()) == friend_set.end()
+                        			|| (recurs_mod_time == 0 && last_contact + DELAY_BEFORE_DELETE_EMPTY_REMOTE_DIR     < now )
+                        			|| (recurs_mod_time != 0 && last_contact + DELAY_BEFORE_DELETE_NON_EMPTY_REMOTE_DIR < now );
+
+                if(!should_remove)
+                    continue ;
 
 #ifdef DEBUG_P3FILELISTS
                 P3FILELISTS_DEBUG() << "  removing file list of non friend " << mRemoteDirectories[i]->peerId() << std::endl;
@@ -455,6 +475,10 @@ void p3FileDatabase::cleanup()
 
                 mFriendIndexMap.erase(mRemoteDirectories[i]->peerId());
 
+                // also remove the existing file
+
+                remove(mRemoteDirectories[i]->filename().c_str()) ;
+
                 delete mRemoteDirectories[i];
                 mRemoteDirectories[i] = NULL ;
 
@@ -487,8 +511,6 @@ void p3FileDatabase::cleanup()
         std::set<RsPeerId> online_peers ;
         mServCtrl->getPeersConnected(getServiceInfo().mServiceType, online_peers) ;
 
-        time_t now = time(NULL);
-
         for(std::map<DirSyncRequestId,DirSyncRequestData>::iterator it = mPendingSyncRequests.begin();it!=mPendingSyncRequests.end();)
             if(online_peers.find(it->second.peer_id) == online_peers.end() || it->second.request_TS + DELAY_BEFORE_DROP_REQUEST < now)
             {