diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index d0cce13..b5bde9e 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -22,5 +22,16 @@ lsyncd::rsync:
       archive: true
 ```
 
+# Deletions
+
+"[By default](https://axkibe.github.io/lsyncd/manual/config/layer4/#deletions) Lsyncd will delete files on the target that are not present at the source".
+If you need to divert from this behaviour, set one of the other possible flags (false|startup|running).
+
+```yaml
+    source: /tmp/source
+    target: /tmp/target
+    delete: false
+```
+
 # Alternatives
 You might prefer [this lsyncd module](https://github.com/spjmurray/puppet-lsyncd) for Ubuntu, or [this one](https://github.com/thias/puppet-lsyncd) for RHEL.
diff --git a/manifests/rsync.pp b/manifests/rsync.pp
index 9b97ee3..5bfe75f 100644
--- a/manifests/rsync.pp
+++ b/manifests/rsync.pp
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
   $source   = undef,
   $target   = undef,
   $ensure   = present,
+  $delete   = true,
   $options  = {},
 ) {
   lsyncd::sync::rsync{$name:
diff --git a/manifests/sync/rsync.pp b/manifests/sync/rsync.pp
index 35f6ee2..0734e6b 100644
--- a/manifests/sync/rsync.pp
+++ b/manifests/sync/rsync.pp
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
   $source   = undef,
   $target   = undef,
   $ensure   = present,
+  $delete   = true,
   $options  = {},
 ) {
   $path = "${lsyncd::config_dir}/sync.d/${name}.conf.lua"
diff --git a/manifests/sync/rsyncssh.pp b/manifests/sync/rsyncssh.pp
index b4c1baf..78c9f20 100644
--- a/manifests/sync/rsyncssh.pp
+++ b/manifests/sync/rsyncssh.pp
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
   $targetdir,
   $host,
   $ensure         = present,
+  $delete         = true,
   $rsync_options  = {},
   $ssh_options    = {},
 ) {
diff --git a/metadata.json b/metadata.json
index 5f02813..da118f5 100644
--- a/metadata.json
+++ b/metadata.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "negz-lsyncd",
-  "version": "1.2.2",
+  "version": "1.2.3",
   "author": "Nic Cope",
   "license": "Apache-2.0",
   "summary": "Yet another lsyncd module",
diff --git a/templates/rsync.conf.lua.erb b/templates/rsync.conf.lua.erb
index b301372..cbcc9c3 100644
--- a/templates/rsync.conf.lua.erb
+++ b/templates/rsync.conf.lua.erb
@@ -2,6 +2,13 @@ sync {
   default.rsync,
   source = "<%= @source %>",
   target = "<%= @target %>",
+  <%- if @delete != true -%>
+    <%- if @delete == false -%>
+  delete = <%= @delete %>,
+    <%- else -%>
+  delete = "<%= @delete %>",
+    <%- end -%>
+  <%- end -%>
   rsync = {
     <% @options.each do |key, val| -%>
       <%= key %> = <%= val %>,
diff --git a/templates/rsyncssh.conf.lua.erb b/templates/rsyncssh.conf.lua.erb
index 69c2dee..1afbd45 100644
--- a/templates/rsyncssh.conf.lua.erb
+++ b/templates/rsyncssh.conf.lua.erb
@@ -2,6 +2,13 @@ sync {
   default.rsyncssh,
   source = "<%= @source %>",
   targetdir = "<%= @targetdir %>",
+  <%- if @delete != true -%>
+    <%- if @delete == false -%>
+  delete = <%= @delete %>,
+    <%- else -%>
+  delete = "<%= @delete %>",
+    <%- end -%>
+  <%- end -%>
   host = "<%= @host %>",
   rsync = {
     <% @rsync_options.each do |key, val| -%>