diff --git a/config b/config
index 4f3443874..bf28479a2 100644
--- a/config
+++ b/config
@@ -79,6 +79,9 @@
 # File for rights management from_file
 #file = /etc/radicale/rights
 
+# Permit delete of a collection (global)
+#permit_delete_collection = True
+
 
 [storage]
 
diff --git a/radicale/app/__init__.py b/radicale/app/__init__.py
index 6896bc701..37ab6a5e7 100644
--- a/radicale/app/__init__.py
+++ b/radicale/app/__init__.py
@@ -68,6 +68,7 @@ class Application(ApplicationPartDelete, ApplicationPartHead,
     _max_content_length: int
     _auth_realm: str
     _extra_headers: Mapping[str, str]
+    _permit_delete_collection: bool
 
     def __init__(self, configuration: config.Configuration) -> None:
         """Initialize Application.
@@ -84,6 +85,8 @@ def __init__(self, configuration: config.Configuration) -> None:
         self._max_content_length = configuration.get(
             "server", "max_content_length")
         self._auth_realm = configuration.get("auth", "realm")
+        self._permit_delete_collection = configuration.get("rights", "permit_delete_collection")
+        logger.info("permit delete of collection: %s", self._permit_delete_collection)
         self._extra_headers = dict()
         for key in self.configuration.options("headers"):
             self._extra_headers[key] = configuration.get("headers", key)
diff --git a/radicale/app/delete.py b/radicale/app/delete.py
index 3d6870650..53d9bfd36 100644
--- a/radicale/app/delete.py
+++ b/radicale/app/delete.py
@@ -70,15 +70,18 @@ def do_DELETE(self, environ: types.WSGIEnviron, base_prefix: str,
                 return httputils.PRECONDITION_FAILED
             hook_notification_item_list = []
             if isinstance(item, storage.BaseCollection):
-                for i in item.get_all():
-                    hook_notification_item_list.append(
-                        HookNotificationItem(
-                            HookNotificationItemTypes.DELETE,
-                            access.path,
-                            i.uid
+                if self._permit_delete_collection:
+                    for i in item.get_all():
+                        hook_notification_item_list.append(
+                            HookNotificationItem(
+                                HookNotificationItemTypes.DELETE,
+                                access.path,
+                                i.uid
+                            )
                         )
-                    )
-                xml_answer = xml_delete(base_prefix, path, item)
+                    xml_answer = xml_delete(base_prefix, path, item)
+                else:
+                    return httputils.NOT_ALLOWED
             else:
                 assert item.collection is not None
                 assert item.href is not None
diff --git a/radicale/config.py b/radicale/config.py
index b5f45086d..beb62fc18 100644
--- a/radicale/config.py
+++ b/radicale/config.py
@@ -184,6 +184,10 @@ def _convert_to_bool(value: Any) -> bool:
             "help": "rights backend",
             "type": str_or_callable,
             "internal": rights.INTERNAL_TYPES}),
+        ("permit_delete_collection", {
+            "value": "True",
+            "help": "permit delete of a collection",
+            "type": bool}),
         ("file", {
             "value": "/etc/radicale/rights",
             "help": "file for rights management from_file",