diff --git a/docs/configuration/environment-variables.md b/docs/configuration/environment-variables.md
index 520eddb26..3b1966248 100644
--- a/docs/configuration/environment-variables.md
+++ b/docs/configuration/environment-variables.md
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ The following list config variables have special meaning and can be set in a var
 | `DOKKU_NGINX_SSL_PORT`         | automatically assigned          | `dokku config:set`                                                                                                                               | |
 | `DOKKU_PROXY_PORT_MAP`         | automatically assigned          | `dokku proxy:ports-add` <br /> `dokku proxy:ports-remove`, `dokku proxy:ports-clear`                                                             | |
 | `DOKKU_SKIP_ALL_CHECKS`        | none                            | `dokku config:set`                                                                                                                               | |
-| `DOKKU_SKIP_CLEANUP`           |                                 | `/etc/environment` <br /> `~dokku/.dokkurc` <br /> `~dokku/.dokkurc/*`                                                                           | |
+| `DOKKU_SKIP_CLEANUP`           |                                 | `/etc/environment` <br /> `~dokku/.dokkurc` <br /> `~dokku/.dokkurc/*`                                                                           | When a deploy is triggered, if this is set to a non-empty value, then old docker containers and images will not be removed. |
 | `DOKKU_SKIP_DEFAULT_CHECKS`    |                                 | `dokku config:set`                                                                                                                               | |
 | `DOKKU_SKIP_DEPLOY`            |                                 | `dokku config:set`                                                                                                                               | |
 | `DOKKU_WAIT_TO_RETIRE`         | `60`                            | `dokku config:set`                                                                                                                               | After a successful deploy, the grace period given to old containers before they are stopped/terminated. This is useful for ensuring completion of long-running http connections. |
diff --git a/plugins/00_dokku-standard/subcommands/cleanup b/plugins/00_dokku-standard/subcommands/cleanup
index 69aa0503f..6403f6bdb 100755
--- a/plugins/00_dokku-standard/subcommands/cleanup
+++ b/plugins/00_dokku-standard/subcommands/cleanup
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ dokku_cleanup_cmd(){
   declare desc="cleans up old deployment cruft"
   local cmd="cleanup"
 
-  docker_cleanup
+  docker_cleanup "$APP" "true"
 }
 
 
diff --git a/plugins/common/functions b/plugins/common/functions
index c4faee173..0f483f32a 100755
--- a/plugins/common/functions
+++ b/plugins/common/functions
@@ -746,12 +746,8 @@ dokku_receive() {
   source "$PLUGIN_AVAILABLE_PATH/config/functions"
 
   local APP="$1"; local IMAGE=$(get_app_image_name "$APP"); local IMAGE_SOURCE_TYPE="$2"; local TMP_WORK_DIR="$3"
-  if [[ -z "$DOKKU_SKIP_CLEANUP" ]]; then
-    dokku_log_info1 "Cleaning up..."
-    docker_cleanup
-  else
-    dokku_log_info1 "DOKKU_SKIP_CLEANUP set. Skipping dokku cleanup"
-  fi
+  local DOKKU_SKIP_CLEANUP="$(config_get "$APP" DOKKU_SKIP_CLEANUP || true)"
+  docker_cleanup "$APP"
   dokku_log_info1 "Building $APP from $IMAGE_SOURCE_TYPE..."
   config_set --no-restart "$APP" DOKKU_APP_TYPE="$IMAGE_SOURCE_TYPE" &> /dev/null
   dokku_build "$APP" "$IMAGE_SOURCE_TYPE" "$TMP_WORK_DIR"
@@ -760,6 +756,19 @@ dokku_receive() {
 
 docker_cleanup() {
   declare desc="cleans up all exited/dead containers and removes all dangling images"
+  declare APP="$1" FORCE_CLEANUP="$2"
+  local DOKKU_APP_SKIP_CLEANUP
+
+  if [[ "$FORCE_CLEANUP" != "true" ]]; then
+    [[ -z "$APP" ]] && DOKKU_APP_SKIP_CLEANUP="$(config_get "$APP" DOKKU_SKIP_CLEANUP || true)"
+    if [[ -n "$DOKKU_SKIP_CLEANUP" ]] || [[ -n "$DOKKU_APP_SKIP_CLEANUP" ]]; then
+      dokku_log_info1 "DOKKU_SKIP_CLEANUP set. Skipping dokku cleanup"
+      return
+    fi
+  fi
+
+  dokku_log_info1 "Cleaning up..."
+
   # delete all non-running containers
   # shellcheck disable=SC2046
   docker rm $(docker ps -a -f "status=exited" -f "label=$DOKKU_CONTAINER_LABEL" -q) &> /dev/null || true