diff --git a/lib/api/projects.rb b/lib/api/projects.rb
index 7f7d2f8e9a..7fcf97d1ad 100644
--- a/lib/api/projects.rb
+++ b/lib/api/projects.rb
@@ -178,7 +178,7 @@ module API
       #   DELETE /projects/:id
       delete ":id" do
         authorize! :remove_project, user_project
-        user_project.destroy
+        ::Projects::DestroyService.new(user_project, current_user, {}).execute
       end
 
       # Mark this project as forked from another
diff --git a/spec/features/projects_spec.rb b/spec/features/projects_spec.rb
index 98ba5a47ee..87bfe102d3 100644
--- a/spec/features/projects_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/features/projects_spec.rb
@@ -17,5 +17,14 @@ describe "Projects", feature: true  do
         click_button 'Confirm'
       }.to change {Project.count}.by(-1)
     end
+
+    it 'should delete the project from the database and disk' do
+      expect(GitlabShellWorker).to(
+        receive(:perform_async).with(:remove_repository,
+                                     /#{@project.path_with_namespace}/)
+      ).twice
+
+      expect { click_link "Remove project" }.to change {Project.count}.by(-1)
+    end
   end
 end
diff --git a/spec/requests/api/projects_spec.rb b/spec/requests/api/projects_spec.rb
index aa1437c71a..ba7ec7b2be 100644
--- a/spec/requests/api/projects_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/requests/api/projects_spec.rb
@@ -632,6 +632,11 @@ describe API::API, api: true  do
   describe "DELETE /projects/:id" do
     context "when authenticated as user" do
       it "should remove project" do
+        expect(GitlabShellWorker).to(
+          receive(:perform_async).with(:remove_repository,
+                                       /#{project.path_with_namespace}/)
+        ).twice
+
         delete api("/projects/#{project.id}", user)
         response.status.should == 200
       end