diff --git a/chatmaild/src/chatmaild/ini/chatmail.ini.f b/chatmaild/src/chatmaild/ini/chatmail.ini.f
index 16f2477..0a28bb1 100644
--- a/chatmaild/src/chatmaild/ini/chatmail.ini.f
+++ b/chatmaild/src/chatmaild/ini/chatmail.ini.f
@@ -17,8 +17,8 @@ max_user_send_per_minute = 60
 # maximum mailbox size of a chatmail account
 max_mailbox_size = 100M
 
-# time after which mails are unconditionally deleted
-delete_mails_after = 40d
+# days after which mails are unconditionally deleted
+delete_mails_after = 40
 
 # minimum length a username must have
 username_min_length = 9
diff --git a/cmdeploy/src/cmdeploy/dovecot/expunge.cron.j2 b/cmdeploy/src/cmdeploy/dovecot/expunge.cron.j2
index 0abc950..cb8ea7c 100644
--- a/cmdeploy/src/cmdeploy/dovecot/expunge.cron.j2
+++ b/cmdeploy/src/cmdeploy/dovecot/expunge.cron.j2
@@ -1,4 +1,10 @@
-2 0 * * * dovecot doveadm expunge -A SAVEDBEFORE {{ config.delete_mails_after }} MAILBOX INBOX
-2 0 * * * dovecot doveadm expunge -A SAVEDBEFORE {{ config.delete_mails_after }} MAILBOX Deltachat
-2 0 * * * dovecot doveadm expunge -A SAVEDBEFORE {{ config.delete_mails_after }} MAILBOX Trash
-2 30 * * * dovecot doveadm purge -A
+# delete all mails after {{ config.delete_mails_after }} days, in the Inbox
+2 0 * * * dovecot find /home/vmail/mail/{{ config.mail_domain }}/*/cur -depth -mtime +{{ config.delete_mails_after }} -type f -delete
+# or in any IMAP subfolder
+2 0 * * * dovecot find /home/vmail/mail/{{ config.mail_domain }}/*/.*/cur -depth -mtime +{{ config.delete_mails_after }} -type f -delete
+# even if they are unseen
+2 0 * * * dovecot find /home/vmail/mail/{{ config.mail_domain }}/*/new -depth -mtime +{{ config.delete_mails_after }} -type f -delete
+2 0 * * * dovecot find /home/vmail/mail/{{ config.mail_domain }}/*/.*/new -depth -mtime +{{ config.delete_mails_after }} -type f -delete
+# or only temporary (but then they shouldn't be around after {{ config.delete_mails_after }} days anyway).
+2 0 * * * dovecot find /home/vmail/mail/{{ config.mail_domain }}/*/tmp -depth -mtime +{{ config.delete_mails_after }} -type f -delete
+2 0 * * * dovecot find /home/vmail/mail/{{ config.mail_domain }}/*/.*/tmp -depth -mtime +{{ config.delete_mails_after }} -type f -delete
diff --git a/cmdeploy/src/cmdeploy/www.py b/cmdeploy/src/cmdeploy/www.py
index b7b2c2a..2a92133 100644
--- a/cmdeploy/src/cmdeploy/www.py
+++ b/cmdeploy/src/cmdeploy/www.py
@@ -36,29 +36,6 @@ def build_webpages(src_dir, build_dir, config):
         print(traceback.format_exc())
 
 
-def timespan_to_english(timespan):
-    val = int(timespan[:-1])
-    c = timespan[-1].lower()
-    match c:
-        case "y":
-            return f"{val} years"
-        case "m":
-            return f"{val} months"
-        case "w":
-            return f"{val} weeks"
-        case "d":
-            return f"{val} days"
-        case "h":
-            return f"{val} hours"
-        case "c":
-            return f"{val} seconds"
-        case _:
-            raise ValueError(
-                c
-                + " is not a valid time unit. Try [y]ears, [w]eeks, [d]ays, or [h]ours"
-            )
-
-
 def int_to_english(number):
     if number >= 0 and number <= 12:
         a = [
@@ -104,9 +81,6 @@ def _build_webpages(src_dir, build_dir, config):
             render_vars["password_min_length"] = int_to_english(
                 config.password_min_length
             )
-            render_vars["delete_mails_after"] = timespan_to_english(
-                config.delete_mails_after
-            )
             target = build_dir.joinpath(path.stem + ".html")
 
             # recursive jinja2 rendering
diff --git a/www/src/info.md b/www/src/info.md
index cab0747..e5bb76e 100644
--- a/www/src/info.md
+++ b/www/src/info.md
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ The first login sets your password.
 
 - You may send up to {{ config.max_user_send_per_minute }} messages per minute.
 
-- Messages are unconditionally removed {{ delete_mails_after }} after arriving on the server
+- Messages are unconditionally removed {{ config.delete_mails_after }} days after arriving on the server
 
 - You can store up to [{{ config.max_mailbox_size }} messages on the server](https://delta.chat/en/help#what-happens-if-i-turn-on-delete-old-messages-from-server).