diff --git a/src/components/Chat.vue b/src/components/Chat.vue
index ff26d40..1e20735 100644
--- a/src/components/Chat.vue
+++ b/src/components/Chat.vue
@@ -3,10 +3,12 @@
     <ChatHeaderPrivate class="chat-header flex-grow-0 flex-shrink-0"
       v-on:header-click="onHeaderClick"
       v-on:view-room-details="viewRoomDetails"
+      v-on:purge="showPurgeConfirmation = true"
       v-if="!useFileModeNonAdmin && $matrix.isDirectRoom(room)" />
       <ChatHeader class="chat-header flex-grow-0 flex-shrink-0"
       v-on:header-click="onHeaderClick"
       v-on:view-room-details="viewRoomDetails"
+      v-on:purge="showPurgeConfirmation = true"
       v-else-if="!useFileModeNonAdmin" />
     <AudioLayout ref="chatContainer" class="auto-audio-player-root" v-if="useVoiceMode" :room="room"
       :events="events" :autoplay="!showRecorder"
@@ -321,6 +323,9 @@
       :room="room"
       @close="showProfileDialog = false"
     />
+
+    <!-- PURGE ROOM POPUP -->
+    <PurgeRoomDialog :show="showPurgeConfirmation" :room="room" @close="showPurgeConfirmation = false" />
   </div>
 </template>
 
@@ -349,6 +354,7 @@ import AudioLayout from "./AudioLayout.vue";
 import FileDropLayout from "./file_mode/FileDropLayout";
 import roomTypeMixin from "./roomTypeMixin";
 import roomMembersMixin from "./roomMembersMixin";
+import PurgeRoomDialog from "../components/PurgeRoomDialog";
 
 const sizeOf = require("image-size");
 const dataUriToBuffer = require("data-uri-to-buffer");
@@ -400,7 +406,8 @@ export default {
     CreatePollDialog,
     AudioLayout,
     FileDropLayout,
-    UserProfileDialog
+    UserProfileDialog,
+    PurgeRoomDialog,
   },
 
   data() {
@@ -483,7 +490,8 @@ export default {
        * A timer to handle message retention/auto deletion
        */
       retentionTimer: null,
-      showProfileDialog: false
+      showProfileDialog: false,
+      showPurgeConfirmation: false,
     };
   },
 
diff --git a/src/components/ChatHeader.vue b/src/components/ChatHeader.vue
index e075d06..d619e93 100644
--- a/src/components/ChatHeader.vue
+++ b/src/components/ChatHeader.vue
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@
       </v-col>
       <v-col cols="auto" class="text-end ma-0 pa-0 ms-1">
         <v-btn id="btn-purge-room" v-if="userCanPurgeRoom" class="mx-2 box-shadow-none" fab dark small color="red"
-          @click.stop="showPurgeConfirmation = true">
+          @click.stop="$emit('purge')">
           <v-icon light>$vuetify.icons.ic_moderator-delete</v-icon>
         </v-btn>
         <v-btn id="btn-leave-room" class="mx-2 box-shadow-none" fab dark small color="red" @click.stop="leaveRoom" v-else>
@@ -65,9 +65,6 @@
     <MoreMenuPopup :show="showMoreMenu" :menuItems="moreMenuItems" @close="showMoreMenu = false"
       v-on:leave="showLeaveConfirmation = true" />
 
-    <!-- PURGE ROOM POPUP -->
-    <PurgeRoomDialog :show="showPurgeConfirmation" :room="room" @close="showPurgeConfirmation = false" />
-
     <RoomExport :room="room" v-if="downloadingChat" v-on:close="downloadingChat = false" />
 
   </v-container>
@@ -78,7 +75,6 @@ import LeaveRoomDialog from "../components/LeaveRoomDialog";
 import ProfileInfoPopup from "../components/ProfileInfoPopup";
 import MoreMenuPopup from "../components/MoreMenuPopup";
 import profileInfoMixin from "../components/profileInfoMixin";
-import PurgeRoomDialog from "../components/PurgeRoomDialog";
 import RoomExport from "../components/RoomExport";
 
 import roomInfoMixin from "./roomInfoMixin";
@@ -90,7 +86,6 @@ export default {
     LeaveRoomDialog,
     ProfileInfoPopup,
     MoreMenuPopup,
-    PurgeRoomDialog,
     RoomExport
   },
   data() {
@@ -98,7 +93,6 @@ export default {
       memberCount: null,
       showLeaveConfirmation: false,
       showProfileInfo: false,
-      showPurgeConfirmation: false,
       showMoreMenu: false,
       downloadingChat: false,
       showMissedItemsInfo: false,
diff --git a/src/components/ChatHeaderPrivate.vue b/src/components/ChatHeaderPrivate.vue
index 133de7a..dd196cb 100644
--- a/src/components/ChatHeaderPrivate.vue
+++ b/src/components/ChatHeaderPrivate.vue
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@
 
       <v-col cols="auto" class="text-end ma-0 pa-0 ms-1">
         <v-btn id="btn-purge-room" v-if="userCanPurgeRoom" class="mx-2 box-shadow-none" fab dark small color="red"
-          @click.stop="showPurgeConfirmation = true">
+          @click.stop="$emit('purge')">
           <v-icon light>$vuetify.icons.ic_moderator-delete</v-icon>
         </v-btn>
         <template v-else>
@@ -75,9 +75,6 @@
     <MoreMenuPopup :show="showMoreMenu" :menuItems="moreMenuItems" @close="showMoreMenu = false"
       v-on:leave="showLeaveConfirmation = true" />
 
-    <!-- PURGE ROOM POPUP -->
-    <PurgeRoomDialog :show="showPurgeConfirmation" :room="room" @close="showPurgeConfirmation = false" />
-
     <RoomExport :room="room" v-if="downloadingChat" v-on:close="downloadingChat = false" />
 
   </v-container>
@@ -87,7 +84,6 @@
 import LeaveRoomDialog from "../components/LeaveRoomDialog";
 import ProfileInfoPopup from "../components/ProfileInfoPopup";
 import MoreMenuPopup from "../components/MoreMenuPopup";
-import PurgeRoomDialog from "../components/PurgeRoomDialog";
 import RoomExport from "../components/RoomExport";
 
 import ChatHeader from "./ChatHeader.vue";
@@ -99,7 +95,6 @@ export default {
     LeaveRoomDialog,
     ProfileInfoPopup,
     MoreMenuPopup,
-    PurgeRoomDialog,
     RoomExport
   },
 };
diff --git a/src/services/matrix.service.js b/src/services/matrix.service.js
index e163a35..2fed98a 100644
--- a/src/services/matrix.service.js
+++ b/src/services/matrix.service.js
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import olm from "@matrix-org/olm/olm";
 global.Olm = olm;
 import * as sdk from "matrix-js-sdk";
-import { TimelineWindow, EventTimeline } from "matrix-js-sdk";
+import { TimelineWindow, EventTimeline, EventStatus } from "matrix-js-sdk";
 import util, { STATE_EVENT_ROOM_DELETED } from "../plugins/utils";
 import User from "../models/user";
 
@@ -403,7 +403,7 @@ export default {
                   if (room.currentState.maySendStateEvent("m.room.power_levels", event.getSender())) {
                     if (event.getSender() !== this.currentUserId) {
                       this.leaveRoomAndNavigate(room.roomId).then(() => {
-                        this.matrixClient.store.removeRoom(room.roomId);
+                        this.matrixClient.forget(room.roomId, true);
                       });
                     }
                   }
@@ -716,6 +716,8 @@ export default {
         purgeRoom(roomId, statusCallback) {
           this.currentRoomBeingPurged = true;
 
+          //console.log("Purge room");
+
           const sleep = (ms) => {
             return new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, ms));
           };
@@ -744,30 +746,39 @@ export default {
               return;
             }
 
+            // Remove any possible pending events
+            room.getLiveTimeline().getEvents().filter((e) => [EventStatus.ENCRYPTING, sdk.EventStatus.QUEUED].includes(e.status)).forEach((e) => {
+              //console.log("Cancel pending event!");
+              this.matrixClient.cancelPendingEvent(e);
+            });
+
             const timelineWindow = new TimelineWindow(this.matrixClient, room.getUnfilteredTimelineSet(), {});
             const self = this;
 
             //console.log("Purge: set invite only");
             statusCallback(this.$t("room.purge_set_room_state"));
-            this.matrixClient
-              .sendStateEvent(roomId, "m.room.join_rules", { join_rule: "invite" }, "")
+            withRetry(() => this.matrixClient.sendStateEvent(roomId, "m.room.join_rules", { join_rule: "invite" }, ""))
               .then(() => {
                 //console.log("Purge: forbid guest access");
-                return this.matrixClient.sendStateEvent(
+                return withRetry(() => this.matrixClient.sendStateEvent(
                   roomId,
                   "m.room.guest_access",
                   { guest_access: "forbidden" },
                   ""
-                );
+                ));
               })
               .then(() => {
                 //console.log("Purge: set history visibility to 'joined'");
-                return this.matrixClient.sendStateEvent(roomId, "m.room.history_visibility", {
+                return withRetry(() => this.matrixClient.sendStateEvent(roomId, "m.room.history_visibility", {
                   history_visibility: "joined",
-                });
+                }));
               })
               .then(() => {
-                return this.matrixClient.sendStateEvent(roomId, STATE_EVENT_ROOM_DELETED, { status: "deleted" });
+                return withRetry(() => this.matrixClient.sendStateEvent(roomId, STATE_EVENT_ROOM_DELETED, { status: "deleted" }));
+              })
+              .then(() => {
+                // Set message retention 1 minute (may be limited by server)
+                return withRetry(() => this.matrixClient.sendStateEvent(roomId, "m.room.retention", { max_lifetime: 60000 }));
               })
               .then(() => {
                 //console.log("Purge: create timeline");