diff --git a/server/accounts.go b/server/accounts.go
index 9a89c62449f..07f76608671 100644
--- a/server/accounts.go
+++ b/server/accounts.go
@@ -4028,17 +4028,13 @@ func (dr *DirAccResolver) apply(opts ...DirResOption) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-func NewDirAccResolver(path string, limit int64, syncInterval time.Duration, delete bool, opts ...DirResOption) (*DirAccResolver, error) {
+func NewDirAccResolver(path string, limit int64, syncInterval time.Duration, deleteType deleteType, opts ...DirResOption) (*DirAccResolver, error) {
 	if limit == 0 {
 		limit = math.MaxInt64
 	}
 	if syncInterval <= 0 {
 		syncInterval = time.Minute
 	}
-	deleteType := NoDelete
-	if delete {
-		deleteType = RenameDeleted
-	}
 	store, err := NewExpiringDirJWTStore(path, false, true, deleteType, 0, limit, false, 0, nil)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
diff --git a/server/opts.go b/server/opts.go
index 8bf29a79599..df37ec9289e 100644
--- a/server/opts.go
+++ b/server/opts.go
@@ -1127,6 +1127,8 @@ func (o *Options) processConfigFileLine(k string, v interface{}, errors *[]error
 			}
 		case map[string]interface{}:
 			del := false
+			hdel := false
+			hdel_set := false
 			dir := ""
 			dirType := ""
 			limit := int64(0)
@@ -1146,6 +1148,11 @@ func (o *Options) processConfigFileLine(k string, v interface{}, errors *[]error
 				_, v := unwrapValue(v, &lt)
 				del = v.(bool)
 			}
+			if v, ok := v["hard_delete"]; ok {
+				_, v := unwrapValue(v, &lt)
+				hdel_set = true
+				hdel = v.(bool)
+			}
 			if v, ok := v["limit"]; ok {
 				_, v := unwrapValue(v, &lt)
 				limit = v.(int64)
@@ -1186,12 +1193,23 @@ func (o *Options) processConfigFileLine(k string, v interface{}, errors *[]error
 				if del {
 					*errors = append(*errors, &configErr{tk, "CACHE does not accept allow_delete"})
 				}
+				if hdel_set {
+					*errors = append(*errors, &configErr{tk, "CACHE does not accept hard_delete"})
+				}
 				res, err = NewCacheDirAccResolver(dir, limit, ttl, opts...)
 			case "FULL":
 				if ttl != 0 {
 					*errors = append(*errors, &configErr{tk, "FULL does not accept ttl"})
 				}
-				res, err = NewDirAccResolver(dir, limit, sync, del, opts...)
+				deleteType := NoDelete
+				if del {
+					if hdel {
+						deleteType = HardDelete
+					} else {
+						deleteType = RenameDeleted
+					}
+				}
+				res, err = NewDirAccResolver(dir, limit, sync, deleteType, opts...)
 			}
 			if err != nil {
 				*errors = append(*errors, &configErr{tk, err.Error()})