diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index c38c05a22..14f165113 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](http://semver.org/).
 
 ### Added
 - Status endpoint will now show what storage is used
+- `GET /api/files/bulkRemove` now returns status of files deleted, not found, no permission, errors.
 
 ### Fixed
 - Docker image for mongo-init now based on python:3.7-slim reduces size
diff --git a/app/api/Files.scala b/app/api/Files.scala
index d6239e756..b306d2d02 100644
--- a/app/api/Files.scala
+++ b/app/api/Files.scala
@@ -1611,24 +1611,49 @@ class Files @Inject()(
   }
 
   def bulkDeleteFiles() = PrivateServerAction (parse.json) {implicit request=>
+    var filesToCheck : ListBuffer[String] = ListBuffer.empty[String]
+    var filesNotExist : ListBuffer[String] = ListBuffer.empty[String]
+    var filesDeleted : ListBuffer[String] = ListBuffer.empty[String]
+    var filesErrorDeleted: ListBuffer[String] = ListBuffer.empty[String]
     request.user match {
       case Some(user) => {
         val fileIds = request.body.\("fileIds").asOpt[List[String]].getOrElse(List.empty[String])
+        filesToCheck.appendAll(fileIds)
         if (fileIds.isEmpty){
           BadRequest("No file ids supplied")
         } else {
           var resourceRefList: ListBuffer[ResourceRef] = ListBuffer.empty[ResourceRef]
           for (fileId <- fileIds) {
             if (UUID.isValid(fileId)) {
-              val current_resource_ref = ResourceRef(ResourceRef.file, UUID(fileId))
-              resourceRefList += current_resource_ref
+              files.get(UUID(fileId)) match {
+                case Some(currentFile) => {
+                  val current_resource_ref = ResourceRef(ResourceRef.file, UUID(fileId))
+                  resourceRefList += current_resource_ref
+                }
+                case None => {
+                  filesToCheck -= fileId
+                  filesNotExist += fileId
+                }
+              }
+            } else {
+              filesToCheck -= fileId
+              filesNotExist += fileId
             }
           }
           val filesIdsCanDelete = Permission.checkPermissions(request.user, Permission.DeleteFile, resourceRefList.toList).approved.map(_.id)
           for (id <- filesIdsCanDelete) {
-            files.removeFile(id,Utils.baseUrl(request), request.apiKey, request.user)
+            val id_removed = files.removeFile(id,Utils.baseUrl(request), request.apiKey, request.user)
+            if (id_removed == true) {
+              filesToCheck -= id.stringify
+              filesDeleted += id.stringify
+            } else {
+              filesToCheck -= id.stringify
+              filesErrorDeleted += id.stringify
+            }
           }
-          Ok(toJson(Map("status" -> "success")))
+          Ok(toJson(Map("deleted"->filesDeleted.toList, "not found"->filesNotExist.toList,
+            "error deleting"->filesErrorDeleted.toList,"no permission"->filesToCheck.toList)))
+          // Ok(toJson(Map("status" -> "success")))
         }
       }
       case None => {
diff --git a/app/services/FileService.scala b/app/services/FileService.scala
index 4c26210b2..9558e7daf 100644
--- a/app/services/FileService.scala
+++ b/app/services/FileService.scala
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ trait FileService {
   /**
    * Remove the file from mongo
    */
-  def removeFile(id: UUID, host: String, apiKey: Option[String], user: Option[User])
+  def removeFile(id: UUID, host: String, apiKey: Option[String], user: Option[User]) : Boolean
 
   /**
    * List all files in the system.
diff --git a/app/services/mongodb/MongoDBFileService.scala b/app/services/mongodb/MongoDBFileService.scala
index e5225ad41..ca38a846a 100644
--- a/app/services/mongodb/MongoDBFileService.scala
+++ b/app/services/mongodb/MongoDBFileService.scala
@@ -803,7 +803,7 @@ class MongoDBFileService @Inject() (
       false, false, WriteConcern.Safe)
   }
 
-  def removeFile(id: UUID, host: String, apiKey: Option[String], user: Option[User]){
+  def removeFile(id: UUID, host: String, apiKey: Option[String], user: Option[User]) : Boolean = {
     get(id) match{
       case Some(file) => {
           if(!file.isIntermediate){
@@ -867,8 +867,12 @@ class MongoDBFileService @Inject() (
 
           // finally remove metadata - if done before file is deleted, document metadataCounts won't match
           metadatas.removeMetadataByAttachTo(ResourceRef(ResourceRef.file, id), host, apiKey, user)
+          true
+      }
+      case None => {
+        Logger.debug("File not found")
+        false
       }
-      case None => Logger.debug("File not found")
     }
   }