diff --git a/services/document-updater/app.coffee b/services/document-updater/app.coffee
index e3aee88bf7..96c7514f64 100644
--- a/services/document-updater/app.coffee
+++ b/services/document-updater/app.coffee
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ app.post   '/project/:project_id/get_and_flush_if_old',                 HttpCont
 app.post   '/project/:project_id/clearState',                           HttpController.clearProjectState
 app.post   '/project/:project_id/doc/:doc_id',                          HttpController.setDoc
 app.post   '/project/:project_id/doc/:doc_id/flush',                    HttpController.flushDocIfLoaded
-app.delete '/project/:project_id/doc/:doc_id',                          HttpController.flushAndDeleteDoc
+app.delete '/project/:project_id/doc/:doc_id',                          HttpController.deleteDoc
 app.delete '/project/:project_id',                                      HttpController.deleteProject
 app.delete '/project',                                                  HttpController.deleteMultipleProjects
 app.post   '/project/:project_id',                                      HttpController.updateProject
diff --git a/services/document-updater/app/coffee/DocumentManager.coffee b/services/document-updater/app/coffee/DocumentManager.coffee
index 59db98e97f..1920e05777 100644
--- a/services/document-updater/app/coffee/DocumentManager.coffee
+++ b/services/document-updater/app/coffee/DocumentManager.coffee
@@ -222,6 +222,10 @@ module.exports = DocumentManager =
 		UpdateManager = require "./UpdateManager"
 		UpdateManager.lockUpdatesAndDo DocumentManager.flushAndDeleteDoc, project_id, doc_id, callback
 
+	deleteDocWithLock: (project_id, doc_id, callback) ->
+		UpdateManager = require "./UpdateManager"
+		UpdateManager.lockUpdatesAndDo RedisManager.removeDocFromMemory, project_id, doc_id, callback
+
 	acceptChangesWithLock: (project_id, doc_id, change_ids, callback = (error) ->) ->
 		UpdateManager = require "./UpdateManager"
 		UpdateManager.lockUpdatesAndDo DocumentManager.acceptChanges, project_id, doc_id, change_ids, callback
diff --git a/services/document-updater/app/coffee/HttpController.coffee b/services/document-updater/app/coffee/HttpController.coffee
index e2e2e712bc..e1b1a57d7b 100644
--- a/services/document-updater/app/coffee/HttpController.coffee
+++ b/services/document-updater/app/coffee/HttpController.coffee
@@ -103,20 +103,28 @@ module.exports = HttpController =
 			logger.log project_id: project_id, doc_id: doc_id, "flushed doc via http"
 			res.send 204 # No Content
 
-	flushAndDeleteDoc: (req, res, next = (error) ->) ->
+	deleteDoc: (req, res, next = (error) ->) ->
 		doc_id = req.params.doc_id
 		project_id = req.params.project_id
-		logger.log project_id: project_id, doc_id: doc_id, "deleting doc via http"
+		flush = req.body.flush ? true
+		logger.log project_id: project_id, doc_id: doc_id, flush: flush, "deleting doc via http"
 		timer = new Metrics.Timer("http.deleteDoc")
-		DocumentManager.flushAndDeleteDocWithLock project_id, doc_id, (error) ->
-			timer.done()
-			# There is no harm in flushing project history if the previous call
-			# failed and sometimes it is required
-			HistoryManager.flushProjectChangesAsync project_id
+		if flush
+			DocumentManager.flushAndDeleteDocWithLock project_id, doc_id, (error) ->
+				timer.done()
+				# There is no harm in flushing project history if the previous call
+				# failed and sometimes it is required
+				HistoryManager.flushProjectChangesAsync project_id
 
-			return next(error) if error?
-			logger.log project_id: project_id, doc_id: doc_id, "deleted doc via http"
-			res.send 204 # No Content
+				return next(error) if error?
+				logger.log project_id: project_id, doc_id: doc_id, "deleted doc via http"
+				res.send 204 # No Content
+		else
+			DocumentManager.deleteDocWithLock project_id, doc_id, (error) ->
+				timer.done()
+				return next(error) if error?
+				logger.log project_id: project_id, doc_id: doc_id, "deleted doc via http"
+				res.send 204 # No Content
 
 	flushProject: (req, res, next = (error) ->) ->
 		project_id = req.params.project_id
diff --git a/services/document-updater/test/unit/coffee/HttpController/HttpControllerTests.coffee b/services/document-updater/test/unit/coffee/HttpController/HttpControllerTests.coffee
index b8ace494f5..d816babead 100644
--- a/services/document-updater/test/unit/coffee/HttpController/HttpControllerTests.coffee
+++ b/services/document-updater/test/unit/coffee/HttpController/HttpControllerTests.coffee
@@ -264,18 +264,19 @@ describe "HttpController", ->
 				@next
 					.calledWith(new Error("oops"))
 					.should.equal true
-	
-	describe "flushAndDeleteDoc", ->
+
+	describe "deleteDoc", ->
 		beforeEach ->
 			@req =
 				params:
 					project_id: @project_id
 					doc_id: @doc_id
+				body: {}
 
 		describe "successfully", ->
 			beforeEach ->
 				@DocumentManager.flushAndDeleteDocWithLock = sinon.stub().callsArgWith(2)
-				@HttpController.flushAndDeleteDoc(@req, @res, @next)
+				@HttpController.deleteDoc(@req, @res, @next)
 
 			it "should flush and delete the doc", ->
 				@DocumentManager.flushAndDeleteDocWithLock
@@ -294,16 +295,28 @@ describe "HttpController", ->
 
 			it "should log the request", ->
 				@logger.log
-					.calledWith(doc_id: @doc_id, project_id: @project_id, "deleting doc via http")
+					.calledWith(doc_id: @doc_id, project_id: @project_id, flush: true, "deleting doc via http")
 					.should.equal true
 
 			it "should time the request", ->
 				@Metrics.Timer::done.called.should.equal true
 
+		describe "without flush", ->
+			beforeEach ->
+				@req.body.flush = false
+				@DocumentManager.deleteDocWithLock = sinon.stub().yields()
+				@HttpController.deleteDoc(@req, @res, @next)
+
+			it "should delete the doc", ->
+				@DocumentManager.deleteDocWithLock.calledWith(@project_id, @doc_id).should.equal true
+
+			it "should return a successful No Content response", ->
+				@res.send.calledWith(204).should.equal true
+
 		describe "when an errors occurs", ->
 			beforeEach ->
 				@DocumentManager.flushAndDeleteDocWithLock = sinon.stub().callsArgWith(2, new Error("oops"))
-				@HttpController.flushAndDeleteDoc(@req, @res, @next)
+				@HttpController.deleteDoc(@req, @res, @next)
 
 			it "should flush project history", ->
 				@HistoryManager.flushProjectChangesAsync