diff --git a/src/api2/tape/drive.rs b/src/api2/tape/drive.rs
index 8a2b6cad..25b03bf9 100644
--- a/src/api2/tape/drive.rs
+++ b/src/api2/tape/drive.rs
@@ -480,6 +480,53 @@ pub async fn read_label(drive: String) -> Result<MediaIdFlat, Error> {
     }).await?
 }
 
+#[api(
+    input: {
+        properties: {
+            drive: {
+                schema: DRIVE_NAME_SCHEMA,
+            },
+        },
+    },
+    returns: {
+        schema: UPID_SCHEMA,
+    },
+)]
+/// Clean drive
+pub fn clean_drive(
+    drive: String,
+    rpcenv: &mut dyn RpcEnvironment,
+) -> Result<Value, Error> {
+
+    let (config, _digest) = config::drive::config()?;
+
+    check_drive_exists(&config, &drive)?; // early check before starting worker
+
+    let auth_id: Authid = rpcenv.get_auth_id().unwrap().parse()?;
+
+    let to_stdout = if rpcenv.env_type() == RpcEnvironmentType::CLI { true } else { false };
+
+    let upid_str = WorkerTask::new_thread(
+        "clean-drive",
+        Some(drive.clone()),
+        auth_id,
+        to_stdout,
+        move |worker| {
+
+            let (mut changer, _changer_name) = required_media_changer(&config, &drive)?;
+
+            worker.log("Starting drive clean");
+
+            changer.clean_drive()?;
+
+            worker.log("Drive cleaned sucessfully");
+
+            Ok(())
+        })?;
+
+    Ok(upid_str.into())
+}
+
 #[api(
     input: {
         properties: {
@@ -643,6 +690,7 @@ pub fn update_inventory(
                         inventory.store(media_id, false)?;
                     }
                 }
+                changer.unload_media(None)?;
             }
             Ok(())
         }
@@ -940,6 +988,11 @@ pub const SUBDIRS: SubdirMap = &sorted!([
         &Router::new()
             .put(&API_METHOD_CATALOG_MEDIA)
     ),
+    (
+        "clean",
+        &Router::new()
+            .put(&API_METHOD_CLEAN_DRIVE)
+    ),
     (
         "eject-media",
         &Router::new()
diff --git a/src/bin/proxmox-tape.rs b/src/bin/proxmox-tape.rs
index d09bd8b2..1c06f334 100644
--- a/src/bin/proxmox-tape.rs
+++ b/src/bin/proxmox-tape.rs
@@ -677,6 +677,38 @@ fn status(
     Ok(())
 }
 
+#[api(
+    input: {
+        properties: {
+            drive: {
+                schema: DRIVE_NAME_SCHEMA,
+                optional: true,
+            },
+        },
+    },
+)]
+/// Clean drive
+async fn clean_drive(
+    mut param: Value,
+    rpcenv: &mut dyn RpcEnvironment,
+) -> Result<(), Error> {
+
+    let (config, _digest) = config::drive::config()?;
+
+    param["drive"] = lookup_drive_name(&param, &config)?.into();
+
+    let info = &api2::tape::drive::API_METHOD_CLEAN_DRIVE;
+
+    let result = match info.handler {
+        ApiHandler::Sync(handler) => (handler)(param, info, rpcenv)?,
+        _ => unreachable!(),
+    };
+
+    wait_for_local_worker(result.as_str().unwrap()).await?;
+
+    Ok(())
+}
+
 #[api(
    input: {
         properties: {
@@ -856,6 +888,11 @@ fn main() {
             CliCommand::new(&API_METHOD_CARTRIDGE_MEMORY)
                 .completion_cb("drive", complete_drive_name)
         )
+        .insert(
+            "clean",
+            CliCommand::new(&API_METHOD_CLEAN_DRIVE)
+                .completion_cb("drive", complete_drive_name)
+        )
         .insert(
             "label",
             CliCommand::new(&API_METHOD_LABEL_MEDIA)
diff --git a/src/tape/changer/linux_tape.rs b/src/tape/changer/linux_tape.rs
index a8b6d349..068955d2 100644
--- a/src/tape/changer/linux_tape.rs
+++ b/src/tape/changer/linux_tape.rs
@@ -145,4 +145,47 @@ impl MediaChange for LinuxTapeDrive {
     fn eject_on_unload(&self) -> bool {
         true
     }
+
+    fn clean_drive(&mut self) -> Result<(), Error> {
+        let (config, _digest) = crate::config::drive::config()?;
+
+        let changer: ScsiTapeChanger = match self.changer {
+            Some(ref changer) => config.lookup("changer", changer)?,
+            None => bail!("unable to load cleaning cartridge - no associated changer device"),
+        };
+
+        let drivenum = self.changer_drive_id.unwrap_or(0);
+
+        let status = mtx_status(&changer)?;
+
+        let mut cleaning_cartridge_slot = None;
+
+        for (i, (import_export, element_status)) in status.slots.iter().enumerate() {
+            if *import_export { continue; }
+            if let ElementStatus::VolumeTag(ref tag) = element_status {
+                if tag.starts_with("CLN") {
+                    cleaning_cartridge_slot = Some(i + 1);
+                    break;
+                }
+            }
+        }
+
+        let cleaning_cartridge_slot = match cleaning_cartridge_slot {
+            None => bail!("clean failed - unable to find cleaning cartridge"),
+            Some(cleaning_cartridge_slot) => cleaning_cartridge_slot as u64,
+        };
+
+        if let Some(drive_status) = status.drives.get(drivenum as usize) {
+            match drive_status.status {
+                ElementStatus::Empty => { /* OK */ },
+                _ => unload_to_free_slot(&self.name, &changer.path, &status, drivenum)?,
+            }
+        }
+
+        mtx_load(&changer.path, cleaning_cartridge_slot, drivenum)?;
+
+        mtx_unload(&changer.path, cleaning_cartridge_slot, drivenum)?;
+
+        Ok(())
+    }
 }
diff --git a/src/tape/changer/mod.rs b/src/tape/changer/mod.rs
index 6f1bed74..a3b97b1b 100644
--- a/src/tape/changer/mod.rs
+++ b/src/tape/changer/mod.rs
@@ -63,4 +63,10 @@ pub trait MediaChange {
 
         Ok(list)
     }
+
+    /// Load/Unload cleaning cartridge
+    ///
+    /// This fail if there is no cleaning cartridge online. Any media
+    /// inside the drive is automatically unloaded.
+    fn clean_drive(&mut self) -> Result<(), Error>;
 }
diff --git a/src/tape/drive/virtual_tape.rs b/src/tape/drive/virtual_tape.rs
index 617dbce4..606c2202 100644
--- a/src/tape/drive/virtual_tape.rs
+++ b/src/tape/drive/virtual_tape.rs
@@ -439,6 +439,10 @@ impl MediaChange for VirtualTapeHandle {
     fn eject_on_unload(&self) -> bool {
         true
     }
+
+    fn clean_drive(&mut self) -> Result<(), Error> {
+        Ok(())
+    }
 }
 
 impl MediaChange for VirtualTapeDrive {
@@ -472,4 +476,9 @@ impl MediaChange for VirtualTapeDrive {
         let handle = self.open()?;
         handle.online_media_changer_ids()
     }
+
+    fn clean_drive(&mut self) -> Result<(), Error> {
+        Ok(())
+    }
+
 }