diff --git a/webui/controller/message/bulkremove.php b/webui/controller/message/bulkremove.php
index 50fd1716..4678bf9c 100644
--- a/webui/controller/message/bulkremove.php
+++ b/webui/controller/message/bulkremove.php
@@ -15,8 +15,6 @@ class ControllerMessageBulkremove extends Controller {
 
       $this->load->model('search/search');
       $this->load->model('search/message');
-      //$this->load->model('message/remove');
-
       $this->load->model('user/user');
 
 
@@ -29,23 +27,21 @@ class ControllerMessageBulkremove extends Controller {
 
       $this->data['username'] = Registry::get('username');
 
-      $this->model_search_message->connect_to_pilergetd();
+      if(Registry::get('auditor_user') == 0) {
+         die("go away");
+      }
 
       foreach($idlist as $id) {
 
          AUDIT(ACTION_REMOVE_MESSAGE, '', '', $id, '');
 
-         $piler_id = $this->model_search_message->get_piler_id_by_id($id);
+         $db->query("UPDATE " . TABLE_META . " SET retained=? WHERE id=?", array(NOW, $id));
 
-syslog(LOG_INFO, "removing $piler_id");
+         syslog(LOG_INFO, $this->data['username'] . " removed message: $id");
 
-         $x = 1;
-
-         if($x == 1) { $this->data['removed']++; }
+         $this->data['removed']++;
       }
 
-      $this->model_search_message->disconnect_from_pilergetd();
-
       $this->render();
    }
 
diff --git a/webui/model/search/search.php b/webui/model/search/search.php
index f4d15621..34606c7e 100644
--- a/webui/model/search/search.php
+++ b/webui/model/search/search.php
@@ -556,6 +556,8 @@ class ModelSearchSearch extends Model {
          $this->model_search_message->connect_to_pilergetd();
 
          foreach($query->rows as $m) {
+            if($m['retained'] < NOW) continue;
+
             $m['shortfrom'] = make_short_string($m['from'], MAX_CGI_FROM_SUBJ_LEN);
             $m['from'] = escape_gt_lt_quote_symbols($m['from']);