diff --git a/backend/scripts/repl b/backend/scripts/repl
index ddc2fba5f..057018a11 100755
--- a/backend/scripts/repl
+++ b/backend/scripts/repl
@@ -29,6 +29,8 @@ export PENPOT_FLAGS="\
        enable-file-validation \
        enable-file-schema-validation";
 
+# Default deletion delay for devenv
+export PENPOT_DELETION_DELAY="24h"
 
 # Setup default upload media file size to 100MiB
 export PENPOT_MEDIA_MAX_FILE_SIZE=104857600
diff --git a/backend/scripts/start-dev b/backend/scripts/start-dev
index fe81a240a..55f5e835a 100755
--- a/backend/scripts/start-dev
+++ b/backend/scripts/start-dev
@@ -32,6 +32,9 @@ export OPTIONS="
        -J-XX:+UnlockDiagnosticVMOptions \
        -J-XX:+DebugNonSafepoints"
 
+# Default deletion delay for devenv
+export PENPOT_DELETION_DELAY="24h"
+
 # Setup default upload media file size to 100MiB
 export PENPOT_MEDIA_MAX_FILE_SIZE=104857600
 
diff --git a/backend/src/app/config.clj b/backend/src/app/config.clj
index a9e883b8f..402cbb35c 100644
--- a/backend/src/app/config.clj
+++ b/backend/src/app/config.clj
@@ -101,6 +101,8 @@
 (s/def ::audit-log-archive-uri ::us/string)
 (s/def ::audit-log-http-handler-concurrency ::us/integer)
 
+(s/def ::deletion-delay ::dt/duration)
+
 (s/def ::admins ::us/set-of-valid-emails)
 (s/def ::file-change-snapshot-every ::us/integer)
 (s/def ::file-change-snapshot-timeout ::dt/duration)
@@ -214,6 +216,7 @@
   (s/keys :opt-un [::secret-key
                    ::flags
                    ::admins
+                   ::deletion-delay
                    ::allow-demo-users
                    ::audit-log-archive-uri
                    ::audit-log-http-handler-concurrency
@@ -380,7 +383,8 @@
 (defonce ^:dynamic flags (parse-flags config))
 
 (def deletion-delay
-  (dt/duration {:days 7}))
+  (or (c/get config :deletion-delay)
+      (dt/duration {:days 7})))
 
 (defn get
   "A configuration getter. Helps code be more testable."