diff --git a/dbtemplates/management/commands/sync_templates.py b/dbtemplates/management/commands/sync_templates.py
index 0fa5ddc..7c62134 100644
--- a/dbtemplates/management/commands/sync_templates.py
+++ b/dbtemplates/management/commands/sync_templates.py
@@ -25,13 +25,16 @@ class Command(NoArgsCommand):
                 "files from database templates"),
         make_option("-a", "--app-first", action="store_true", dest="app_first",
             default=False, help="look for templates in applications "
-                                "directories before project templates"))
+                                "directories before project templates"),
+        make_option("-d", "--delete", action="store_true", dest="delete",
+            default=False, help="Delete templates after syncing"))
 
     def handle_noargs(self, **options):
         extension = options.get('ext')
         force = options.get('force')
         overwrite = options.get('overwrite')
         app_first = options.get('app_first')
+        delete = options.get('delete')
 
         if not extension.startswith("."):
             extension = ".%s" % extension
@@ -84,16 +87,23 @@ class Command(NoArgsCommand):
                                            path, t.__repr__()))
                             else:
                                 confirm = overwrite
-                            if confirm == '' or confirm in (
-                                    FILES_TO_DATABASE, DATABASE_TO_FILES):
+                            if confirm in ('', FILES_TO_DATABASE, DATABASE_TO_FILES):
                                 if confirm == FILES_TO_DATABASE:
                                     t.content = codecs.open(path, 'r').read()
                                     t.save()
                                     t.sites.add(site)
+                                    if delete:
+                                        try:
+                                            os.remove(path)
+                                        except OSError:
+                                            raise CommandError(
+                                                u"Couldn't delete %s" % path)
                                 elif confirm == DATABASE_TO_FILES:
                                     try:
                                         f = codecs.open(path, 'w')
                                         f.write(t.content)
                                     finally:
                                         f.close()
+                                    if delete:
+                                        t.delete()
                                 break
diff --git a/dbtemplates/templates/dbtemplates/tests/test.html b/dbtemplates/templates/dbtemplates/tests/test.html
deleted file mode 100644
index a96fb46..0000000
--- a/dbtemplates/templates/dbtemplates/tests/test.html
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-This is just a test template.
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/dbtemplates/tests.py b/dbtemplates/tests.py
index 51cf797..32a03ee 100644
--- a/dbtemplates/tests.py
+++ b/dbtemplates/tests.py
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 from __future__ import with_statement
+import codecs
 import os
+import shutil
+import tempfile
 
 from django.core.management import call_command
 from django.template import loader, Context
@@ -10,7 +13,8 @@ from django.contrib.sites.models import Site
 from dbtemplates.conf import settings
 from dbtemplates.models import Template
 from dbtemplates.utils.template import get_template_source
-from dbtemplates.management.commands.sync_templates import FILES_TO_DATABASE
+from dbtemplates.management.commands.sync_templates import (FILES_TO_DATABASE,
+                                                            DATABASE_TO_FILES)
 
 class DbTemplatesTestCase(TestCase):
     def setUp(self):
@@ -60,13 +64,30 @@ class DbTemplatesTestCase(TestCase):
 
     def test_sync_templates(self):
         old_template_dirs = settings.TEMPLATE_DIRS
+        temp_template_dir = tempfile.mkdtemp('dbtemplates')
+        last_path_part = temp_template_dir.split('/')[-1]
+        temp_template_path = os.path.join(temp_template_dir, 'temp_test.html')
+        temp_template = codecs.open(temp_template_path, 'w')
         try:
-            self.assertFalse(Template.objects.filter(name='dbtemplates/tests/test.html').exists())
-            settings.TEMPLATE_DIRS = (
-                os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), 'templates'),
-            )
+            temp_template.write('temp test')
+            settings.TEMPLATE_DIRS = (temp_template_dir,)
+            self.assertFalse(Template.objects.filter(name='temp_test.html').exists())
             call_command('sync_templates',
                 force=True, verbosity=0, overwrite=FILES_TO_DATABASE)
-            self.assertTrue(Template.objects.filter(name='dbtemplates/tests/test.html').exists())
+            self.assertTrue(Template.objects.filter(name='temp_test.html').exists())
+
+            t = Template.objects.get(name='temp_test.html')
+            t.content = 'temp test modified'
+            t.save()
+            call_command('sync_templates',
+                force=True, verbosity=0, overwrite=DATABASE_TO_FILES)
+            self.assertTrue('modified' in codecs.open(temp_template_path).read())
+
+            call_command('sync_templates',
+                force=True, verbosity=0, delete=True, overwrite=DATABASE_TO_FILES)
+            self.assertTrue(os.path.exists(temp_template_path))
+            self.assertFalse(Template.objects.filter(name='temp_test.html').exists())
         finally:
+            temp_template.close()
             settings.TEMPLATE_DIRS = old_template_dirs
+            shutil.rmtree(temp_template_dir)