diff --git a/api/funkwhale_api/music/management/commands/check_inplace_files.py b/api/funkwhale_api/music/management/commands/check_inplace_files.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..f274ee589086f5446ef83c7791c33688c072d014
--- /dev/null
+++ b/api/funkwhale_api/music/management/commands/check_inplace_files.py
@@ -0,0 +1,76 @@
+import os
+from argparse import RawTextHelpFormatter
+
+from django.core.management.base import BaseCommand
+
+from django.db import transaction
+
+from funkwhale_api.music import models
+
+
+def progress(buffer, count, total, status=""):
+ bar_len = 60
+ filled_len = int(round(bar_len * count / float(total)))
+
+ bar = "=" * filled_len + "-" * (bar_len - filled_len)
+
+ buffer.write("[%s] %s/%s ...%s\r" % (bar, count, total, status))
+ buffer.flush()
+
+
+class Command(BaseCommand):
+ help = """
+ Loop through all in-place imported files in the database, and verify
+ that the corresponding files are present on the filesystem. If some files are not
+ found and --no-dry-run is specified, the corresponding database objects will be deleted.
+ """
+
+ def create_parser(self, *args, **kwargs):
+ parser = super().create_parser(*args, **kwargs)
+ parser.formatter_class = RawTextHelpFormatter
+ return parser
+
+ def add_arguments(self, parser):
+ parser.add_argument(
+ "--no-dry-run",
+ action="store_false",
+ dest="dry_run",
+ default=True,
+ help="Disable dry run mode and apply pruning for real on the database",
+ )
+
+ @transaction.atomic
+ def handle(self, *args, **options):
+ candidates = models.Upload.objects.filter(source__startswith="file://")
+ candidates = candidates.filter(audio_file__in=["", None])
+ total = candidates.count()
+ self.stdout.write("Checking {} in-place imported files…".format(total))
+
+ missing = []
+ for i, row in enumerate(candidates.values("id", "source")):
+ path = row["source"].replace("file://", "")
+ progress(self.stdout, i + 1, total)
+ if not os.path.exists(path):
+ missing.append((path, row["id"]))
+
+ if missing:
+ for path, _ in missing:
+ self.stdout.write(" {}".format(path))
+ self.stdout.write(
+ "The previous {} paths are referenced in database, but not found on disk!".format(
+ len(missing)
+ )
+ )
+
+ else:
+ self.stdout.write("All in-place imports have a matching on-disk file")
+ return
+
+ to_delete = candidates.filter(pk__in=[id for _, id in missing])
+ if options["dry_run"]:
+ self.stdout.write(
+ "Nothing was deleted, rerun this command with --no-dry-run to apply the changes"
+ )
+ else:
+ self.stdout.write("Deleting {} uploads…".format(to_delete.count()))
+ to_delete.delete()
diff --git a/api/tests/music/test_commands.py b/api/tests/music/test_commands.py
index 22e84beff2a3acecfd5236a367fd16c98c4e74f9..a08f1b10b8f9f90d0f3d8474ce7380bcf45594b7 100644
--- a/api/tests/music/test_commands.py
+++ b/api/tests/music/test_commands.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
import os
import pytest
+from funkwhale_api.music.management.commands import check_inplace_files
from funkwhale_api.music.management.commands import fix_uploads
from funkwhale_api.music.management.commands import prune_library
@@ -150,3 +151,35 @@ def test_prune_library(factories, mocker):
for o in [not_prunable_track, not_prunable_album, not_prunable_artist]:
o.refresh_from_db()
+
+
+def test_check_inplace_files_dry_run(factories, tmpfile):
+ prunable = factories["music.Upload"](source="file:///notfound", audio_file=None)
+ not_prunable = factories["music.Upload"](
+ source="file://{}".format(tmpfile.name), audio_file=None
+ )
+ c = check_inplace_files.Command()
+ c.handle(dry_run=True)
+
+ for u in [prunable, not_prunable]:
+ # nothing pruned, because dry run
+ u.refresh_from_db()
+
+
+def test_check_inplace_files_no_dry_run(factories, tmpfile):
+ prunable = factories["music.Upload"](source="file:///notfound", audio_file=None)
+ not_prunable = [
+ factories["music.Upload"](
+ source="file://{}".format(tmpfile.name), audio_file=None
+ ),
+ factories["music.Upload"](source="upload://"),
+ factories["music.Upload"](source="https://"),
+ ]
+ c = check_inplace_files.Command()
+ c.handle(dry_run=False)
+
+ with pytest.raises(prunable.DoesNotExist):
+ prunable.refresh_from_db()
+
+ for u in not_prunable:
+ u.refresh_from_db()
diff --git a/changes/changelog.d/781.enhancement b/changes/changelog.d/781.enhancement
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..e3dd2597acfe16eda30c2b643d7f36267c55c0ec
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changes/changelog.d/781.enhancement
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Added a `check_inplace_files` management command to remove purge the database from references to in-place imported files that don't exist on disk anymore (#781)
diff --git a/changes/notes.rst b/changes/notes.rst
index 858ed5eebc7200cef75e3aa7056ebe17fe2cd9c5..aa7935116c0f21251300582bce2cf0c1aaba7179 100644
--- a/changes/notes.rst
+++ b/changes/notes.rst
@@ -51,5 +51,16 @@ Users are often surprised by Funkwhale's tendency to keep track, album and artis
metadata even if no associated files exist.
To help with that, we now offer a ``prune_library`` management command you can run
-to purge your database from obsolete entry. `Please refer to our documentation
+to purge your database from obsolete entries. `Please refer to our documentation
for usage instructions <https://docs.funkwhale.audio/admin/commands.html#pruning-library>`_.
+
+Check in-place files command
+^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
+
+When using in-place import with a living audio library, you'll quite often rename or
+remove files from the file system. Unfortunately, Funkwhale keeps a reference to those
+files in the database, which results in unplayable tracks.
+
+To help with that, we now offer a ``check_inplace_files`` management command you can run
+to purge your database from obsolete files. `Please refer to our documentation
+for usage instructions <https://docs.funkwhale.audio/admin/commands.html#remove-obsolete-files-from-database>`_.
diff --git a/docs/admin/commands.rst b/docs/admin/commands.rst
index 1525804da357aa4b74cf8d15a093ed34774c33ef..c30a67a99913baa39457a56f88d3377d3293f3a7 100644
--- a/docs/admin/commands.rst
+++ b/docs/admin/commands.rst
@@ -55,3 +55,28 @@ the changes on the database.
history by default. If you want to include those in the pruning process as well,
add the corresponding ``--ignore-favorites``, ``--ignore-playlists`` and ``--ignore-listenings``
flags.
+
+Remove obsolete files from database
+-----------------------------------
+
+When importing using the :ref:`in-place method <in-place-import>`, if you move or remove
+in-place imported files on disk, Funkwhale will still have a reference to those files and won't
+be able to serve them properly.
+
+To help with that, whenever you remove or move files that were previously imported
+with the ``--in-place`` flag, you can run the following command::
+
+ python manage.py check_inplace_files
+
+This command will loop through all the database objects that reference
+an in-place imported file, check that the file is accessible on disk,
+or delete the database object if it's not.
+
+Once you have reviewed the output and are comfortable with the changes, you should rerun
+the command with the ``--no-dry-run`` flag to disable dry run mode and actually delete the
+database objects.
+
+.. warning::
+
+ Running this command with ``--no-dry-run`` is irreversible. Unless you have a backup,
+ there will be no way to retrieve the deleted data.