diff --git a/community/dbms/src/main/java/org/neo4j/commandline/dbms/LoadCommand.java b/community/dbms/src/main/java/org/neo4j/commandline/dbms/LoadCommand.java
index f06bbd66b5289..f5289c8213086 100644
--- a/community/dbms/src/main/java/org/neo4j/commandline/dbms/LoadCommand.java
+++ b/community/dbms/src/main/java/org/neo4j/commandline/dbms/LoadCommand.java
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 import java.io.IOException;
 import java.nio.file.AccessDeniedException;
 import java.nio.file.FileAlreadyExistsException;
+import java.nio.file.Files;
 import java.nio.file.NoSuchFileException;
 import java.nio.file.Path;
 import java.nio.file.Paths;
@@ -91,7 +92,11 @@ public void execute( String[] args ) throws IncorrectUsage, CommandFailed
     {
         Path archive = parse( args, "from", Paths::get );
         String database = parse( args, "database", identity() );
-        load( archive, database, toDatabaseDirectory( database ) );
+        boolean force = Args.parse( args ).getBoolean( "force" );
+
+        Path databaseDirectory = toDatabaseDirectory( database );
+        deleteIfNecessary( databaseDirectory, force );
+        load( archive, database, databaseDirectory );
     }
 
     private <T> T parse( String[] args, String argument, Function<String, T> converter ) throws IncorrectUsage
@@ -117,6 +122,21 @@ private Path toDatabaseDirectory( String databaseName )
                 .get( database_path ).toPath();
     }
 
+    private void deleteIfNecessary( Path databaseDirectory, boolean force ) throws CommandFailed
+    {
+        try
+        {
+            if ( force )
+            {
+                Files.deleteIfExists( databaseDirectory );
+            }
+        }
+        catch ( IOException e )
+        {
+            wrapIOException( e );
+        }
+    }
+
     private void load( Path archive, String database, Path databaseDirectory ) throws CommandFailed
     {
         try
diff --git a/community/dbms/src/test/java/org/neo4j/commandline/dbms/LoadCommandTest.java b/community/dbms/src/test/java/org/neo4j/commandline/dbms/LoadCommandTest.java
index 969f8f0923415..14f3110345816 100644
--- a/community/dbms/src/test/java/org/neo4j/commandline/dbms/LoadCommandTest.java
+++ b/community/dbms/src/test/java/org/neo4j/commandline/dbms/LoadCommandTest.java
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@
 import static org.junit.Assert.fail;
 import static org.mockito.Matchers.any;
 import static org.mockito.Matchers.eq;
+import static org.mockito.Mockito.doAnswer;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.doThrow;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.mock;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.verify;
@@ -86,6 +87,42 @@ public void shouldCalculateTheDatabaseDirectoryFromConfig()
         verify( loader ).load( any(), eq( Paths.get( "/some/data/dir/databases/foo.db" ) ) );
     }
 
+    @Test
+    public void shouldDeleteTheOldDatabaseIfForceArgumentIsProvided()
+            throws CommandFailed, IncorrectUsage, IOException, IncorrectFormat
+    {
+        Path databaseDirectory = homeDir.resolve( "data/databases/foo.db" );
+        Files.createDirectories( databaseDirectory.getParent() );
+        Files.createFile( databaseDirectory );
+
+        doAnswer( ignored ->
+        {
+            assertThat( Files.exists( databaseDirectory ), equalTo( false ));
+            return null;
+        } ).when( loader ).load( any(), any() );
+
+        new LoadCommand( homeDir, configDir, loader )
+                .execute( new String[]{"--database=foo.db", "--from=" + archive, "--force"}  );
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void shouldNotDeleteTheOldDatabaseIfForceArgumentIsNotProvided()
+            throws CommandFailed, IncorrectUsage, IOException, IncorrectFormat
+    {
+        Path databaseDirectory = homeDir.resolve( "data/databases/foo.db" );
+        Files.createDirectories( databaseDirectory.getParent() );
+        Files.createFile( databaseDirectory );
+
+        doAnswer( ignored ->
+        {
+            assertThat( Files.exists( databaseDirectory ), equalTo( true ));
+            return null;
+        } ).when( loader ).load( any(), any() );
+
+        new LoadCommand( homeDir, configDir, loader )
+                .execute( new String[]{"--database=foo.db", "--from=" + archive}  );
+    }
+
     @Test
     public void shouldObjectIfTheDatabaseArgumentIsMissing() throws CommandFailed
     {