diff --git a/src/public/javascripts/services/branches.js b/src/public/javascripts/services/branches.js
index d69dd6692..2de264d3a 100644
--- a/src/public/javascripts/services/branches.js
+++ b/src/public/javascripts/services/branches.js
@@ -86,21 +86,44 @@ async function deleteNodes(nodes) {
         return false;
     }
 
-    const nodeTitles = $("<ul>").append(...nodes.map(node => $("<li>").text(node.title)));
-    const confirmText = $("<div>").text('This will delete the following notes and their sub-notes: ').append(nodeTitles);
+    const $deleteClonesCheckbox = $('<div class="form-check">')
+        .append($('<input type="checkbox" class="form-check-input" id="delete-clones-checkbox">'))
+        .append($('<label for="delete-clones-checkbox">')
+                    .text("delete also all note clones")
+                    .attr("title", "all clones of selected notes will be deleted and as such the whole note will be deleted."));
+    const $nodeTitles = $("<ul>").append(...nodes.map(node => $("<li>").text(node.title)));
+    const $confirmText = $("<div>")
+        .append($("<p>").text('This will delete the following notes and their sub-notes: '))
+        .append($nodeTitles)
+        .append($deleteClonesCheckbox);
 
     const confirmDialog = await import('../dialogs/confirm.js');
 
-    if (!await confirmDialog.confirm(confirmText)) {
+    if (!await confirmDialog.confirm($confirmText)) {
         return false;
     }
 
-    for (const node of nodes) {
-        const {noteDeleted} = await server.remove('branches/' + node.data.branchId);
+    const deleteClones = $deleteClonesCheckbox.find("input").is(":checked");
+
+    for (const node of nodes) {
+        if (deleteClones) {
+            await server.remove('notes/' + node.data.noteId);
 
-        if (noteDeleted) {
             noteDetailService.noteDeleted(node.data.noteId);
         }
+        else {
+            const {noteDeleted} = await server.remove('branches/' + node.data.branchId);
+
+            if (noteDeleted) {
+                noteDetailService.noteDeleted(node.data.noteId);
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    if (deleteClones) {
+        // if clones are also deleted we give up with targeted cleanup of the tree
+        treeService.reload();
+        return true;
     }
 
     // following code assumes that nodes contain only top-most selected nodes - getSelectedNodes has been
diff --git a/src/routes/api/branches.js b/src/routes/api/branches.js
index 1c5162a47..f0261820a 100644
--- a/src/routes/api/branches.js
+++ b/src/routes/api/branches.js
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ async function deleteBranch(req) {
     const branch = await repository.getBranch(req.params.branchId);
 
     return {
-        noteDeleted: await notes.deleteNote(branch)
+        noteDeleted: await notes.deleteBranch(branch)
     };
 }
 
diff --git a/src/routes/api/notes.js b/src/routes/api/notes.js
index c1298d2cf..d5ff4b298 100644
--- a/src/routes/api/notes.js
+++ b/src/routes/api/notes.js
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ async function deleteNote(req) {
     const note = await repository.getNote(noteId);
 
     for (const branch of await note.getBranches()) {
-        await noteService.deleteNote(branch);
+        await noteService.deleteBranch(branch);
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/services/cloning.js b/src/services/cloning.js
index d32abacc6..9f25c9e58 100644
--- a/src/services/cloning.js
+++ b/src/services/cloning.js
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ async function ensureNoteIsAbsentFromParent(noteId, parentNoteId) {
     const branch = await repository.getEntity(`SELECT * FROM branches WHERE noteId = ? AND parentNoteId = ? AND isDeleted = 0`, [noteId, parentNoteId]);
 
     if (branch) {
-        await noteService.deleteNote(branch);
+        await noteService.deleteBranch(branch);
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/services/notes.js b/src/services/notes.js
index 0a7642a0d..f27049554 100644
--- a/src/services/notes.js
+++ b/src/services/notes.js
@@ -384,7 +384,7 @@ async function updateNote(noteId, noteUpdates) {
 }
 
 /** @return {boolean} - true if note has been deleted, false otherwise */
-async function deleteNote(branch) {
+async function deleteBranch(branch) {
     if (!branch || branch.isDeleted) {
         return false;
     }
@@ -407,7 +407,7 @@ async function deleteNote(branch) {
         await note.save();
 
         for (const childBranch of await note.getChildBranches()) {
-            await deleteNote(childBranch);
+            await deleteBranch(childBranch);
         }
 
         for (const attribute of await note.getOwnedAttributes()) {
@@ -461,7 +461,7 @@ module.exports = {
     createNewNote,
     createNote,
     updateNote,
-    deleteNote,
+    deleteBranch,
     protectNoteRecursively,
     scanForLinks
 };
\ No newline at end of file