diff --git a/Gitea.Declarative.Lib/ConfigSchema.fs b/Gitea.Declarative.Lib/ConfigSchema.fs
index e68d706..7ca0a08 100644
--- a/Gitea.Declarative.Lib/ConfigSchema.fs
+++ b/Gitea.Declarative.Lib/ConfigSchema.fs
@@ -212,6 +212,7 @@ type GitHubRepo =
 type Repo =
     {
         Description : string
+        Deleted : bool option
         GitHub : GitHubRepo option
         Native : NativeRepo option
     }
@@ -232,6 +233,7 @@ type Repo =
                     }
                     |> Some
                 Native = None
+                Deleted = None
             }
             |> async.Return
         else
@@ -259,6 +261,7 @@ type Repo =
 
                     {
                         Description = u.Description
+                        Deleted = None
                         GitHub = None
                         Native =
                             {
@@ -308,6 +311,7 @@ type Repo =
             Repo.Description = s.Description
             GitHub = Option.ofNullable s.GitHub |> Option.map GitHubRepo.OfSerialised
             Native = s.Native |> Option.ofNullable |> Option.map NativeRepo.OfSerialised
+            Deleted = s.Deleted |> Option.ofNullable
         }
 
     member internal this.ToSerialised () : SerialisedRepo =
@@ -321,6 +325,10 @@ type Repo =
                 match this.Native with
                 | None -> Nullable ()
                 | Some native -> Nullable (native.ToSerialised ())
+            Deleted =
+                match this.Deleted with
+                | None -> Nullable ()
+                | Some v -> Nullable v
         }
 
 type UserInfoUpdate =
diff --git a/Gitea.Declarative.Lib/Gitea.fs b/Gitea.Declarative.Lib/Gitea.fs
index 956e043..a176fb0 100644
--- a/Gitea.Declarative.Lib/Gitea.fs
+++ b/Gitea.Declarative.Lib/Gitea.fs
@@ -67,6 +67,7 @@ module Gitea =
 
     // TODO: check whether mirrors are out of sync e.g. in Public/Private status
     let checkRepos
+        (logger : ILogger)
         (config : GiteaConfig)
         (client : Gitea.Client)
         : Async<Result<unit, Map<User, Map<RepoName, AlignmentError<Repo>>>>>
@@ -115,7 +116,17 @@ module Gitea =
                             |> Map.toSeq
                             |> Seq.choose (fun (repo, desired) ->
                                 match Map.tryFind repo actualRepos with
-                                | None -> Some (repo, AlignmentError.DoesNotExist desired)
+                                | None ->
+                                    if desired.Deleted = Some true then
+                                        logger.LogInformation (
+                                            "The repo {User}:{Repo} is configured as Deleted, and is absent from the server. Remove this repo from configuration.",
+                                            user,
+                                            let (RepoName repo) = repo in repo
+                                        )
+
+                                        None
+                                    else
+                                        Some (repo, AlignmentError.DoesNotExist desired)
                                 | Some actual ->
                                     if desired <> actual then
                                         (repo, AlignmentError.ConfigurationDiffers (desired, actual)) |> Some
@@ -146,7 +157,15 @@ module Gitea =
         (repoName : string)
         (desired : Repo)
         (actual : Repo)
+        : Async<unit>
         =
+        if desired.Deleted = Some true then
+            async {
+                logger.LogWarning ("Deleting repo {User}:{Repo}", user, repoName)
+                return! Async.AwaitTask (client.RepoDelete (user, repoName))
+            }
+        else
+
         match desired.GitHub, actual.GitHub with
         | None, Some gitHub ->
             async {
@@ -585,7 +604,7 @@ module Gitea =
                 | AlignmentError.UnexpectedlyPresent ->
                     async {
                         logger.LogError (
-                            "For safety, refusing to delete unexpectedly present repo: {User}, {Repo}",
+                            "In the absence of the `deleted: true` configuration, refusing to delete unexpectedly present repo: {User}, {Repo}",
                             user,
                             r
                         )
diff --git a/Gitea.Declarative.Lib/GiteaConfig.schema.json b/Gitea.Declarative.Lib/GiteaConfig.schema.json
index 098d73c..6fa2bbb 100644
--- a/Gitea.Declarative.Lib/GiteaConfig.schema.json
+++ b/Gitea.Declarative.Lib/GiteaConfig.schema.json
@@ -82,6 +82,13 @@
               "$ref": "#/definitions/SerialisedNativeRepo"
             }
           ]
+        },
+        "deleted": {
+          "type": [
+            "boolean",
+            "null"
+          ],
+          "description": "Set this to true to delete the repo. dotnet-gitea-declarative will refuse to delete any repo that is absent from configuration; the workflow is to first set its `deleted` to `true` (whereupon dotnet-gitea-declarative will delete it from Gitea) and then to delete it from configuration."
         }
       },
       "oneOf": [
diff --git a/Gitea.Declarative.Lib/SerialisedConfigSchema.fs b/Gitea.Declarative.Lib/SerialisedConfigSchema.fs
index 3de2901..fab9f23 100644
--- a/Gitea.Declarative.Lib/SerialisedConfigSchema.fs
+++ b/Gitea.Declarative.Lib/SerialisedConfigSchema.fs
@@ -117,6 +117,9 @@ type internal SerialisedRepo =
         [<Description "If this repo is to be created natively on Gitea, the information about the repo.">]
         [<JsonProperty(Required = Required.Default)>]
         Native : Nullable<SerialisedNativeRepo>
+        [<Description "Set this to true to delete the repo. dotnet-gitea-declarative will refuse to delete any repo that is absent from configuration; the workflow is to first set its `deleted` to `true` (whereupon dotnet-gitea-declarative will delete it from Gitea) and then to delete it from configuration.">]
+        [<JsonProperty(Required = Required.Default)>]
+        Deleted : Nullable<bool>
     }
 
 [<RequireQualifiedAccess>]
diff --git a/Gitea.Declarative/Program.fs b/Gitea.Declarative/Program.fs
index 7514f63..10253f9 100644
--- a/Gitea.Declarative/Program.fs
+++ b/Gitea.Declarative/Program.fs
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ module Program =
                 )
 
             logger.LogInformation "Checking repos..."
-            let! repoErrors = Gitea.checkRepos config client
+            let! repoErrors = Gitea.checkRepos logger config client
 
             match repoErrors, args.DryRun with
             | Ok (), _ -> ()