diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index ce7de4691..270eb9918 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -356,7 +356,8 @@ The options are described in more detail below.
 
 * -d, --delete-delay
 
-	Delete the call from memory after the specified delay from memory.
+	Delete the call from memory after the specified delay from memory. Can be set to zero for
+	immediate call deletion.
 
 * -r, --redis, -R, --redis-db, -b, --b2b-url
 
@@ -865,6 +866,13 @@ of zero or more strings. The following flags are defined:
 	result in an error reply (i.e. `"result": "error"`). The default is to reply with a warning only
 	(i.e. `"result": "ok", "warning": ...`).
 
+Other optional keys are:
+
+* `delete delay`
+
+	Contains an integer and overrides the global command-line option `delete-delay`. Call/branch will be
+	deleted immediately if a zero is given. Value must be positive (in seconds) otherwise.
+
 The reply message may contain additional keys with statistics about the deleted call. Those additional keys
 are the same as used in the `query` reply.
 
diff --git a/daemon/call.c b/daemon/call.c
index a708dc9d1..fe5879126 100644
--- a/daemon/call.c
+++ b/daemon/call.c
@@ -3495,7 +3495,7 @@ struct call_monologue *call_get_mono_dialogue(struct call *call, const str *from
 
 
 int call_delete_branch(struct callmaster *m, const str *callid, const str *branch,
-	const str *fromtag, const str *totag, bencode_item_t *output)
+	const str *fromtag, const str *totag, bencode_item_t *output, int delete_delay)
 {
 	struct call *c;
 	struct call_monologue *ml;
@@ -3503,6 +3503,9 @@ int call_delete_branch(struct callmaster *m, const str *callid, const str *branc
 	const str *match_tag;
 	GSList *i;
 
+	if (delete_delay < 0)
+		delete_delay = m->conf.delete_delay;
+
 	c = call_get(callid, m);
 	if (!c) {
 		ilog(LOG_INFO, "Call-ID to delete not found");
@@ -3545,10 +3548,10 @@ int call_delete_branch(struct callmaster *m, const str *callid, const str *branc
 	}
 */
 
-	if (m->conf.delete_delay > 0) {
+	if (delete_delay > 0) {
 		ilog(LOG_INFO, "Scheduling deletion of call branch '"STR_FORMAT"' in %d seconds",
-				STR_FMT(&ml->tag), m->conf.delete_delay);
-		ml->deleted = poller_now + m->conf.delete_delay;
+				STR_FMT(&ml->tag), delete_delay);
+		ml->deleted = poller_now + delete_delay;
 		if (!c->ml_deleted || c->ml_deleted > ml->deleted)
 			c->ml_deleted = ml->deleted;
 	}
@@ -3561,9 +3564,9 @@ int call_delete_branch(struct callmaster *m, const str *callid, const str *branc
 	goto success_unlock;
 
 del_all:
-	if (m->conf.delete_delay > 0) {
-		ilog(LOG_INFO, "Scheduling deletion of entire call in %d seconds", m->conf.delete_delay);
-		c->deleted = poller_now + m->conf.delete_delay;
+	if (delete_delay > 0) {
+		ilog(LOG_INFO, "Scheduling deletion of entire call in %d seconds", delete_delay);
+		c->deleted = poller_now + delete_delay;
 		rwlock_unlock_w(&c->master_lock);
 	}
 	else {
diff --git a/daemon/call.h b/daemon/call.h
index 51be41ef6..e6ea9df55 100644
--- a/daemon/call.h
+++ b/daemon/call.h
@@ -499,7 +499,7 @@ struct call_monologue *call_get_mono_dialogue(struct call *call, const str *from
 struct call *call_get(const str *callid, struct callmaster *m);
 int monologue_offer_answer(struct call_monologue *monologue, GQueue *streams, const struct sdp_ng_flags *flags);
 int call_delete_branch(struct callmaster *m, const str *callid, const str *branch,
-	const str *fromtag, const str *totag, bencode_item_t *output);
+	const str *fromtag, const str *totag, bencode_item_t *output, int delete_delay);
 void call_destroy(struct call *);
 enum call_stream_state call_stream_state_machine(struct packet_stream *);
 void call_media_unkernelize(struct call_media *media);
diff --git a/daemon/call_interfaces.c b/daemon/call_interfaces.c
index d6543b590..f1ba63ff8 100644
--- a/daemon/call_interfaces.c
+++ b/daemon/call_interfaces.c
@@ -369,7 +369,7 @@ str *call_delete_udp(char **out, struct callmaster *m) {
 	str_init(&fromtag, out[RE_UDP_DQ_FROMTAG]);
 	str_init(&totag, out[RE_UDP_DQ_TOTAG]);
 
-	if (call_delete_branch(m, &callid, &branch, &fromtag, &totag, NULL))
+	if (call_delete_branch(m, &callid, &branch, &fromtag, &totag, NULL, -1))
 		return str_sprintf("%s E8\n", out[RE_UDP_COOKIE]);
 
 	return str_sprintf("%s 0\n", out[RE_UDP_COOKIE]);
@@ -417,7 +417,7 @@ void call_delete_tcp(char **out, struct callmaster *m) {
 	str callid;
 
 	str_init(&callid, out[RE_TCP_D_CALLID]);
-	call_delete_branch(m, &callid, NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL);
+	call_delete_branch(m, &callid, NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, -1);
 }
 
 static void call_status_iterator(struct call *c, struct control_stream *s) {
@@ -748,7 +748,7 @@ const char *call_answer_ng(bencode_item_t *input, struct callmaster *m, bencode_
 const char *call_delete_ng(bencode_item_t *input, struct callmaster *m, bencode_item_t *output) {
 	str fromtag, totag, viabranch, callid;
 	bencode_item_t *flags, *it;
-	int fatal = 0;
+	int fatal = 0, delete_delay;
 
 	if (!bencode_dictionary_get_str(input, "call-id", &callid))
 		return "No call-id in message";
@@ -764,8 +764,11 @@ const char *call_delete_ng(bencode_item_t *input, struct callmaster *m, bencode_
 				fatal = 1;
 		}
 	}
+	delete_delay = bencode_dictionary_get_integer(input, "delete-delay", -1);
+	if (delete_delay == -1)
+		delete_delay = bencode_dictionary_get_integer(input, "delete delay", -1);
 
-	if (call_delete_branch(m, &callid, &viabranch, &fromtag, &totag, output)) {
+	if (call_delete_branch(m, &callid, &viabranch, &fromtag, &totag, output, delete_delay)) {
 		if (fatal)
 			return "Call-ID not found or tags didn't match";
 		bencode_dictionary_add_string(output, "warning", "Call-ID not found or tags didn't match");
diff --git a/utils/ng-client b/utils/ng-client
index 5d90fdb5d..b1aff63cd 100755
--- a/utils/ng-client
+++ b/utils/ng-client
@@ -41,13 +41,14 @@ GetOptions(
 	'strict-source'			=> \$options{'strict source'},
 	'media-handover'		=> \$options{'media handover'},
 	'TOS=i'				=> \$options{'TOS'},
+	'delete-delay=i'		=> \$options{'delete-delay'},
 ) or die;
 
 my $cmd = shift(@ARGV) or die;
 
 my %packet = (command => $cmd);
 
-for my $x (split(',', 'from-tag,to-tag,call-id,transport protocol,media address,ICE,address family,TOS,DTLS,via-branch')) {
+for my $x (split(',', 'from-tag,to-tag,call-id,transport protocol,media address,ICE,address family,TOS,DTLS,via-branch,delete-delay')) {
 	defined($options{$x}) and $packet{$x} = $options{$x};
 }
 for my $x (split(',', 'trust address,symmetric,asymmetric,force,strict source,media handover,sip source address')) {