diff --git a/src/api2/admin/datastore.rs b/src/api2/admin/datastore.rs
index 79ab97e7..60941501 100644
--- a/src/api2/admin/datastore.rs
+++ b/src/api2/admin/datastore.rs
@@ -820,7 +820,7 @@ pub fn verify(
         permission: &Permission::Privilege(&["datastore", "{store}"], PRIV_DATASTORE_MODIFY | PRIV_DATASTORE_PRUNE, true),
     },
 )]
-/// Prune the datastore
+/// Prune a group on the datastore
 pub fn prune(
     backup_id: String,
     backup_type: String,
@@ -922,6 +922,62 @@ pub fn prune(
     Ok(json!(prune_result))
 }
 
+#[api(
+    input: {
+        properties: {
+            "dry-run": {
+                optional: true,
+                type: bool,
+                default: false,
+                description: "Just show what prune would do, but do not delete anything.",
+            },
+            "prune-options": {
+                type: PruneOptions,
+                flatten: true,
+            },
+            store: {
+                schema: DATASTORE_SCHEMA,
+            },
+        },
+    },
+    returns: {
+        schema: UPID_SCHEMA,
+    },
+    access: {
+        permission: &Permission::Privilege(&["datastore", "{store}"], PRIV_DATASTORE_MODIFY | PRIV_DATASTORE_PRUNE, true),
+    },
+)]
+/// Prune the datastore
+pub fn prune_datastore(
+    dry_run: bool,
+    prune_options: PruneOptions,
+    store: String,
+    _param: Value,
+    rpcenv: &mut dyn RpcEnvironment,
+) -> Result<String, Error> {
+
+    let auth_id: Authid = rpcenv.get_auth_id().unwrap().parse()?;
+
+    let datastore = DataStore::lookup_datastore(&store)?;
+
+    let upid_str = WorkerTask::new_thread(
+        "prune",
+        Some(store.clone()),
+        auth_id.clone(),
+        false,
+        move |worker| crate::server::prune_datastore(
+            worker.clone(),
+            auth_id,
+            prune_options,
+            &store,
+            datastore,
+            dry_run
+        ),
+    )?;
+
+    Ok(upid_str)
+}
+
 #[api(
     input: {
         properties: {
@@ -1844,6 +1900,11 @@ const DATASTORE_INFO_SUBDIRS: SubdirMap = &[
         &Router::new()
             .post(&API_METHOD_PRUNE)
     ),
+    (
+        "prune-datastore",
+        &Router::new()
+            .post(&API_METHOD_PRUNE_DATASTORE)
+    ),
     (
         "pxar-file-download",
         &Router::new()
diff --git a/src/server/prune_job.rs b/src/server/prune_job.rs
index bbf53ade..255e21ce 100644
--- a/src/server/prune_job.rs
+++ b/src/server/prune_job.rs
@@ -19,9 +19,14 @@ pub fn prune_datastore(
     prune_options: PruneOptions,
     store: &str,
     datastore: Arc<DataStore>,
+    dry_run: bool,
 ) -> Result<(), Error> {
     task_log!(worker, "Starting datastore prune on store \"{}\"", store);
 
+    if dry_run {
+        task_log!(worker, "(dry test run)");
+    }
+
     let keep_all = !prune_options.keeps_something();
 
     if keep_all {
@@ -69,7 +74,7 @@ pub fn prune_datastore(
                 group.backup_id(),
                 info.backup_dir.backup_time_string()
             );
-            if !keep {
+            if !keep && !dry_run {
                 if let Err(err) = datastore.remove_backup_dir(&info.backup_dir, false) {
                     task_warn!(
                         worker,
@@ -108,7 +113,7 @@ pub fn do_prune_job(
                 task_log!(worker, "task triggered by schedule '{}'", event_str);
             }
 
-            let result = prune_datastore(worker.clone(), auth_id, prune_options, &store, datastore);
+            let result = prune_datastore(worker.clone(), auth_id, prune_options, &store, datastore, false);
 
             let status = worker.create_state(&result);