diff --git a/src/index.js b/src/index.js
index 278582e..41086b0 100644
--- a/src/index.js
+++ b/src/index.js
@@ -43,9 +43,8 @@ exports.build = function (opts, done) {
     {
       title: 'Cleaning up',
       enabled: (ctx) => opts.cleanup,
-      skip: () => opts.dryRun,
       task: (ctx) => {
-        return steps.cleanup(ctx.files, opts.output)
+        return steps.cleanup(ctx.files, opts.output, opts.dryRun)
       }
     },
     {
diff --git a/src/steps/step-cleanup.js b/src/steps/step-cleanup.js
index eab1c4c..18e7ff9 100644
--- a/src/steps/step-cleanup.js
+++ b/src/steps/step-cleanup.js
@@ -1,10 +1,11 @@
 const _ = require('lodash')
 const fs = require('fs')
+const debug = require('debug')('thumbsup:debug')
 const Observable = require('zen-observable')
 const path = require('path')
 const readdir = require('fs-readdir-recursive')
 
-exports.run = function (fileCollection, outputRoot) {
+exports.run = function (fileCollection, outputRoot, dryRun) {
   return new Observable(observer => {
     const mediaRoot = path.join(outputRoot, 'media')
     const diskFiles = readdir(mediaRoot).map(f => path.join(mediaRoot, f))
@@ -18,8 +19,13 @@ exports.run = function (fileCollection, outputRoot) {
     const useless = _.difference(diskFiles, requiredFiles)
     if (useless.length) {
       useless.forEach(f => {
-        observer.next(path.relative(outputRoot, f))
-        fs.unlinkSync(f)
+        const relativePath = path.relative(outputRoot, f)
+        if (dryRun) {
+          debug(`Dry run, would delete: ${relativePath}`)
+        } else {
+          observer.next(relativePath)
+          fs.unlinkSync(f)
+        }
       })
     }
     observer.complete()
diff --git a/test/steps/step-cleanup.spec.js b/test/steps/step-cleanup.spec.js
index ca45fed..fc1eacd 100644
--- a/test/steps/step-cleanup.spec.js
+++ b/test/steps/step-cleanup.spec.js
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 const fs = require('fs')
 const sinon = require('sinon')
+const debug = require('debug')
 const should = require('should/as-function')
 const cleanup = require('../../src/steps/step-cleanup')
 const fixtures = require('../fixtures')
@@ -33,10 +34,10 @@ describe('Steps: cleanup', () => {
       'output/media/large/paris/IMG_0001.jpg': '',
       'output/media/large/london/IMG_0002.jpg': ''
     })
-    const obs = cleanup.run(input, 'output')
+    const obs = cleanup.run(input, 'output', false)
     obs.reduce(toArray, []).subscribe(deletedFiles => {
       should(deletedFiles).deepEqual([])
-      should(fs.unlinkSync.args).deepEqual([])
+      should(fs.unlinkSync.called).equal(false)
       testEnd()
     })
   })
@@ -51,14 +52,34 @@ describe('Steps: cleanup', () => {
       'output/media/large/london/IMG_0002.jpg': '',
       'output/media/large/newyork/IMG_0003.jpg': ''
     })
-    const obs = cleanup.run(input, 'output')
+    const obs = cleanup.run(input, 'output', false)
     const extraFile = 'media/large/newyork/IMG_0003.jpg'
     obs.reduce(toArray, []).subscribe(deletedFiles => {
       should(deletedFiles).deepEqual([ospath(extraFile)])
+      should(fs.unlinkSync.called).equal(true)
       should(fs.unlinkSync.args).deepEqual([[ospath(`output/${extraFile}`)]])
       testEnd()
     })
   })
+
+  it('prints the name but does not delete in dry-run mode', testEnd => {
+    const input = [
+      fixtures.file({ path: 'paris/IMG_0001.jpg' }),
+      fixtures.file({ path: 'london/IMG_0002.jpg' })
+    ]
+    mock({
+      'output/media/large/paris/IMG_0001.jpg': '',
+      'output/media/large/london/IMG_0002.jpg': '',
+      'output/media/large/newyork/IMG_0003.jpg': ''
+    })
+    const obs = cleanup.run(input, 'output', true)
+    obs.reduce(toArray, []).subscribe(deletedFiles => {
+      should(deletedFiles).deepEqual([])
+      should(fs.unlinkSync.called).equal(false)
+      debug.assertContains('would delete: media/large/newyork/IMG_0003.jpg')
+      testEnd()
+    })
+  })
 })
 
 function toArray (list, item) {