diff --git a/api/publish.go b/api/publish.go
index a38b80c2..538234a3 100644
--- a/api/publish.go
+++ b/api/publish.go
@@ -312,6 +312,8 @@ func apiPublishUpdateSwitch(c *gin.Context) {
 
 // DELETE /publish/:prefix/:distribution
 func apiPublishDrop(c *gin.Context) {
+	force := c.Request.URL.Query().Get("force") == "1"
+
 	param := parseEscapedPath(c.Params.ByName("prefix"))
 	storage, prefix := deb.ParsePrefix(param)
 	distribution := c.Params.ByName("distribution")
@@ -326,7 +328,7 @@ func apiPublishDrop(c *gin.Context) {
 	defer collection.Unlock()
 
 	err := collection.Remove(context, storage, prefix, distribution,
-		context.CollectionFactory(), context.Progress())
+		context.CollectionFactory(), context.Progress(), force)
 	if err != nil {
 		c.Fail(500, fmt.Errorf("unable to drop: %s", err))
 		return
diff --git a/cmd/publish_drop.go b/cmd/publish_drop.go
index 0bedc7d5..9c465828 100644
--- a/cmd/publish_drop.go
+++ b/cmd/publish_drop.go
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ func aptlyPublishDrop(cmd *commander.Command, args []string) error {
 	storage, prefix := deb.ParsePrefix(param)
 
 	err = context.CollectionFactory().PublishedRepoCollection().Remove(context, storage, prefix, distribution,
-		context.CollectionFactory(), context.Progress())
+		context.CollectionFactory(), context.Progress(), context.Flags().Lookup("force-drop").Value.Get().(bool))
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("unable to remove: %s", err)
 	}
@@ -48,5 +48,7 @@ Example:
 `,
 	}
 
+	cmd.Flag.Bool("force-drop", false, "remove published repository even if some files could not be cleaned up")
+
 	return cmd
 }
diff --git a/deb/publish.go b/deb/publish.go
index cec60d44..82ea06ab 100644
--- a/deb/publish.go
+++ b/deb/publish.go
@@ -1000,7 +1000,8 @@ func (collection *PublishedRepoCollection) CleanupPrefixComponentFiles(prefix st
 
 // Remove removes published repository, cleaning up directories, files
 func (collection *PublishedRepoCollection) Remove(publishedStorageProvider aptly.PublishedStorageProvider,
-	storage, prefix, distribution string, collectionFactory *CollectionFactory, progress aptly.Progress) error {
+	storage, prefix, distribution string, collectionFactory *CollectionFactory, progress aptly.Progress,
+	force bool) error {
 	repo, err := collection.ByStoragePrefixDistribution(storage, prefix, distribution)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
@@ -1041,7 +1042,9 @@ func (collection *PublishedRepoCollection) Remove(publishedStorageProvider aptly
 		err = collection.CleanupPrefixComponentFiles(repo.Prefix, cleanComponents,
 			publishedStorageProvider.GetPublishedStorage(storage), collectionFactory, progress)
 		if err != nil {
-			return err
+			if !force {
+				return fmt.Errorf("cleanup failed, use -force-drop to override: %s", err)
+			}
 		}
 	}