diff --git a/nnimap.el b/nnimap.el
--- a/nnimap.el
+++ b/nnimap.el
@@ -103,10 +103,21 @@
 Possible choices are nil (use default methods), `anonymous',
 `login', `plain' and `cram-md5'.")
 
-(defvoo nnimap-expunge t
-  "If non-nil, expunge articles after deleting them.
-This is always done if the server supports UID EXPUNGE, but it's
-not done by default on servers that doesn't support that command.")
+(defvoo nnimap-expunge 'on-exit
+  "When to expunge deleted messages.
+If 'never, deleted articles are marked with the IMAP \\Delete
+flag but not automatically expunged. If 'immediately, deleted
+articles are immediately expunged (this requires the server to
+support the UID EXPUNGE command). If 'on-exit, deleted articles
+are flagged, and all flagged articles are expunged when the
+group is closed.
+
+For backwards compatibility, this variable may also be set to t
+or nil. If the server supports UID EXPUNGE, both t and nil are
+equivalent to 'immediately. If the server does not support UID
+EXPUNGE nil is equivalent to 'never, while t will immediately
+expunge ALL articles that are currently flagged as deleted
+(i.e., potentially not only the article that was just deleted).")
 
 (defvoo nnimap-streaming t
   "If non-nil, try to use streaming commands with IMAP servers.
@@ -865,7 +876,11 @@
     (nreverse articles)))
 
 (deffoo nnimap-close-group (group &optional server)
-  t)
+  (when (eq nnimap-expunge 'on-exit)
+    (nnoo-change-server 'nnimap server nil)
+    (with-current-buffer (nnimap-buffer)
+      (nnimap-wait-for-response
+       (nnimap-send-command "EXPUNGE")))))
 
 (deffoo nnimap-request-move-article (article group server accept-form
 					     &optional last internal-move-group)
@@ -910,8 +925,7 @@
     articles)
    ((and force
 	 (eq nnmail-expiry-target 'delete))
-    (unless (nnimap-delete-article (gnus-compress-sequence articles))
-      (nnheader-message 7 "Article marked for deletion, but not expunged."))
+    (nnimap-delete-article (gnus-compress-sequence articles))
     nil)
    (t
     (let ((deletable-articles
@@ -1027,21 +1041,36 @@
             (when (and limit number-of-article)
               (nnimap-find-article-by-message-id group server message-id))))))))
 
-(defun nnimap-delete-article (articles)
+(defun nnimap-delete-article (articles &optional sync)
+  "Delete ARTICLES.
+
+If sync is non-nil, wait for server response."
   (with-current-buffer (nnimap-buffer)
     (nnimap-command "UID STORE %s +FLAGS.SILENT (\\Deleted)"
 		    (nnimap-article-ranges articles))
+    (let ((sequence
     (cond
-     ((nnimap-capability "UIDPLUS")
+            ((eq nnimap-expunge 'immediately)
+             (if (nnimap-capability "UIDPLUS")
       (nnimap-command "UID EXPUNGE %s"
 		      (nnimap-article-ranges articles))
-      t)
+               (nnheader-message 3 (concat "nnimap-expunge set to 'immediately, but "
+                                           "server doesn't support UIDPLUS"))))
+
+            ((memq nnimap-expunge '(on-exit never)) nil)
+
+            ((nnimap-capability "UIDPLUS")
+             (nnimap-command "UID EXPUNGE %s"
+                             (nnimap-article-ranges articles)))
+
      (nnimap-expunge
-      (nnimap-command "EXPUNGE")
-      t)
-     (t (gnus-message 7 (concat "nnimap: nnimap-expunge is not set and the "
-                                "server doesn't support UIDPLUS, so we won't "
-                                "delete this article now"))))))
+             (nnimap-command "EXPUNGE"))
+
+            (t
+             (nnheader-message 7 "Article marked for deletion, but not expunged.")))))
+
+      (if (and sync sequence)
+          (nnimap-wait-for-response sequence)))))
 
 (deffoo nnimap-request-scan (&optional group server)
   (when group
@@ -2043,27 +2072,9 @@
 	      (nnimap-wait-for-response (caar sequences))
 	      ;; And then mark the successful copy actions as deleted,
 	      ;; and possibly expunge them.
-	      (nnimap-mark-and-expunge-incoming
-	       (nnimap-parse-copied-articles sequences)))
-            (nnimap-mark-and-expunge-incoming junk-articles)))))))
-
-(defun nnimap-mark-and-expunge-incoming (range)
-  (when range
-    (setq range (nnimap-article-ranges range))
-    (erase-buffer)
-    (let ((sequence
-	   (nnimap-send-command
-	    "UID STORE %s +FLAGS.SILENT (\\Deleted)" range)))
-      (cond
-       ;; If the server supports it, we now delete the message we have
-       ;; just copied over.
-       ((nnimap-capability "UIDPLUS")
-	(setq sequence (nnimap-send-command "UID EXPUNGE %s" range)))
-       ;; If it doesn't support UID EXPUNGE, then we only expunge if the
-       ;; user has configured it.
-       (nnimap-expunge
-	(setq sequence (nnimap-send-command "EXPUNGE"))))
-      (nnimap-wait-for-response sequence))))
+              (nnimap-delete-article
+               (nnimap-parse-copied-articles sequences) t))
+            (nnimap-delete-article junk-articles t)))))))
 
 (defun nnimap-parse-copied-articles (sequences)
   (let (sequence copied range)