diff --git a/README.rdoc b/README.rdoc
index e59a924f..bba8f74d 100644
--- a/README.rdoc
+++ b/README.rdoc
@@ -74,6 +74,7 @@ The has_ancestry methods supports the following options:
                          :destroy   All children are destroyed as well (default)
                          :rootify   The children of the destroyed node become root nodes
                          :restrict  An AncestryException is raised if any children exist
+                         :parentify The orphan subtree is added to the parent of the deleted node.If the deleted node is Root, then rootify the orphan subtree.
   :cache_depth           Cache the depth of each node in the 'ancestry_depth' column (default: false)
                          If you turn depth_caching on for an existing model:
                          - Migrate: add_column [table], :ancestry_depth, :integer, :default => 0
diff --git a/lib/ancestry/class_methods.rb b/lib/ancestry/class_methods.rb
index b326c284..c29bd740 100644
--- a/lib/ancestry/class_methods.rb
+++ b/lib/ancestry/class_methods.rb
@@ -19,11 +19,11 @@ def scope_depth depth_options, depth
 
     # Orphan strategy writer
     def orphan_strategy= orphan_strategy
-      # Check value of orphan strategy, only rootify, restrict or destroy is allowed
-      if [:rootify, :restrict, :destroy].include? orphan_strategy
+      # Check value of orphan strategy, only rootify, adopt, restrict or destroy is allowed
+      if [:rootify, :adopt, :restrict, :destroy].include? orphan_strategy
         class_variable_set :@@orphan_strategy, orphan_strategy
       else
-        raise Ancestry::AncestryException.new("Invalid orphan strategy, valid ones are :rootify, :restrict and :destroy.")
+        raise Ancestry::AncestryException.new("Invalid orphan strategy, valid ones are :rootify,:adopt, :restrict and :destroy.")
       end
     end
     
diff --git a/lib/ancestry/instance_methods.rb b/lib/ancestry/instance_methods.rb
index 5538b5cf..4dfda118 100644
--- a/lib/ancestry/instance_methods.rb
+++ b/lib/ancestry/instance_methods.rb
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ def update_descendants_with_new_ancestry
         end
       end
     end
-
+     
     # Apply orphan strategy
     def apply_orphan_strategy
       # Skip this if callbacks are disabled
@@ -48,6 +48,14 @@ def apply_orphan_strategy
                 descendant.destroy
               end
             end
+          # ... make child elements of this node, child of its parent if orphan strategy is adopt
+          elsif self.base_class.orphan_strategy == :adopt
+            descendants.all.each do |descendant|
+              descendant.without_ancestry_callbacks do
+                new_ancestry = descendant.ancestor_ids.delete_if { |x| x == self.id }.join("/")
+                descendant.update_attribute descendant.class.ancestry_column, new_ancestry || nil
+              end
+            end
           # ... throw an exception if it has children and orphan strategy is restrict
           elsif self.base_class.orphan_strategy == :restrict
             raise Ancestry::AncestryException.new('Cannot delete record because it has descendants.') unless is_childless?
@@ -158,7 +166,7 @@ def siblings
     end
 
     def sibling_ids
-       siblings.all(:select => self.base_class.primary_key).collect(&self.base_class.primary_key.to_sym)
+      siblings.all(:select => self.base_class.primary_key).collect(&self.base_class.primary_key.to_sym)
     end
 
     def has_siblings?
@@ -219,7 +227,6 @@ def cast_primary_key(key)
     def primary_key_type
       @primary_key_type ||= column_for_attribute(self.class.primary_key).type
     end
-    
     def unscoped_descendants
       self.base_class.unscoped do
         self.base_class.all(:conditions => descendant_conditions) 
diff --git a/test/has_ancestry_test.rb b/test/has_ancestry_test.rb
index 0fb805af..30f9b706 100644
--- a/test/has_ancestry_test.rb
+++ b/test/has_ancestry_test.rb
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 require "environment"
 
 class HasAncestryTreeTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
+  
   def test_default_ancestry_column
     AncestryTestDatabase.with_model do |model|
       assert_equal :ancestry, model.ancestry_column
@@ -302,6 +303,23 @@ def test_orphan_restrict_strategy
       end
     end
   end
+  
+  def test_orphan_adopt_strategy
+    AncestryTestDatabase.with_model do |model|
+      model.orphan_strategy = :adopt  # set the orphan strategy as paerntify
+      n1 = model.create!                  #create a root node
+      n2 = model.create!(:parent => n1)   #create child with parent=root
+      n3 = model.create!(:parent => n2)   #create child with parent=n2, depth = 2
+      n4 = model.create!(:parent => n2)   #create child with parent=n2, depth = 2
+      n5 = model.create!(:parent => n4)   #create child with parent=n4, depth = 3
+      n2.destroy                          # delete a node with desecendants
+      assert_equal(model.find(n3.id).parent,n1, "orphan's not parentified" )
+      assert_equal(model.find(n5.id).ancestor_ids,[n1.id,n4.id], "ancestry integrity not maintained")
+      n1.destroy                          # delete a root node with desecendants
+      assert_equal(model.find(n3.id).parent_id,nil," Children of the deleted root not rootfied")
+      assert_equal(model.find(n5.id).ancestor_ids,[n4.id],"ancestry integrity not maintained")
+    end
+  end
 
   def test_integrity_checking
     AncestryTestDatabase.with_model :width => 3, :depth => 3 do |model, roots|