diff --git a/packages/server/jest.config.js b/packages/server/jest.config.js
index 7c6435d22d..e1dc03b76b 100644
--- a/packages/server/jest.config.js
+++ b/packages/server/jest.config.js
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ module.exports = {
 
 	testEnvironment: 'node',
 
-	slowTestThreshold: 40,
+	slowTestThreshold: 60,
 
 	setupFilesAfterEnv: [`${__dirname}/jest.setup.js`],
 };
diff --git a/packages/server/src/commands/StorageCommand.ts b/packages/server/src/commands/StorageCommand.ts
index a46b22dd8a..02547e45db 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/commands/StorageCommand.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/commands/StorageCommand.ts
@@ -14,9 +14,10 @@ enum ArgvCommand {
 
 interface Argv {
 	command: ArgvCommand;
-	connection: string;
+	connection?: string;
 	batchSize?: number;
 	maxContentSize?: number;
+	maxProcessedItems?: number;
 }
 
 export default class StorageCommand extends BaseCommand {
@@ -52,6 +53,10 @@ export default class StorageCommand extends BaseCommand {
 				type: 'number',
 				description: 'Max content size',
 			},
+			'max-processed-items': {
+				type: 'number',
+				description: 'Max number of items to process before stopping',
+			},
 			'connection': {
 				description: 'storage connection string',
 				type: 'string',
@@ -85,11 +90,14 @@ export default class StorageCommand extends BaseCommand {
 			},
 
 			[ArgvCommand.DeleteDatabaseContentColumn]: async () => {
+				const maxProcessedItems = argv.maxProcessedItems;
+
 				logger.info(`Batch size: ${batchSize}`);
 
 				await runContext.models.item().deleteDatabaseContentColumn({
 					batchSize,
 					logger,
+					maxProcessedItems,
 				});
 			},
 		};
diff --git a/packages/server/src/models/ItemModel.test.ts b/packages/server/src/models/ItemModel.test.ts
index a9c2819d79..e935757342 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/models/ItemModel.test.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/models/ItemModel.test.ts
@@ -462,6 +462,41 @@ describe('ItemModel', function() {
 		expect(await models().item().dbContent(note1.id)).toEqual(Buffer.from(''));
 	});
 
+	test('should delete the database item content - maxProcessedItems handling', async function() {
+		if (isSqlite(db())) {
+			expect(1).toBe(1);
+			return;
+		}
+
+		const { user: user1 } = await createUserAndSession(1);
+
+		await createItemTree3(user1.id, '', '', [
+			{
+				id: '000000000000000000000000000000F1',
+				children: [
+					{ id: '00000000000000000000000000000001' },
+					{ id: '00000000000000000000000000000002' },
+					{ id: '00000000000000000000000000000003' },
+					{ id: '00000000000000000000000000000004' },
+				],
+			},
+		]);
+
+		await models().item().deleteDatabaseContentColumn({ batchSize: 2, maxProcessedItems: 4 });
+
+		const itemIds = (await models().item().all()).map(it => it.id);
+		const contents = await Promise.all([
+			models().item().dbContent(itemIds[0]),
+			models().item().dbContent(itemIds[1]),
+			models().item().dbContent(itemIds[2]),
+			models().item().dbContent(itemIds[3]),
+			models().item().dbContent(itemIds[4]),
+		]);
+
+		const emptyOnes = contents.filter(c => c.toString() === '');
+		expect(emptyOnes.length).toBe(4);
+	});
+
 	// test('should stop importing item if it has been deleted', async function() {
 	// 	const { user: user1 } = await createUserAndSession(1);
 
diff --git a/packages/server/src/models/ItemModel.ts b/packages/server/src/models/ItemModel.ts
index a355feccd2..405e4ec378 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/models/ItemModel.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/models/ItemModel.ts
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ export interface ImportContentToStorageOptions {
 export interface DeleteDatabaseContentOptions {
 	batchSize?: number;
 	logger?: Logger | LoggerWrapper;
+	maxProcessedItems?: number;
 }
 
 export interface SaveFromRawContentItem {
@@ -409,20 +410,21 @@ export default class ItemModel extends BaseModel<Item> {
 		options = {
 			batchSize: 1000,
 			logger: new Logger(),
+			maxProcessedItems: 0,
 			...options,
 		};
 
-		const itemCount = (await this.db(this.tableName)
-			.count('id', { as: 'total' })
-			.where('content', '!=', Buffer.from(''))
-			.first())['total'];
+		// const itemCount = (await this.db(this.tableName)
+		// 	.count('id', { as: 'total' })
+		// 	.where('content', '!=', Buffer.from(''))
+		// 	.first())['total'];
 
 		let totalDone = 0;
 
 		// UPDATE items SET content = '\x' WHERE id IN (SELECT id FROM items WHERE content != '\x' LIMIT 5000);
 
 		while (true) {
-			options.logger.info(`Processing items ${totalDone} / ${itemCount}`);
+			options.logger.info(`Processing items ${totalDone}`);
 
 			const updatedRows = await this
 				.db(this.tableName)
@@ -440,6 +442,11 @@ export default class ItemModel extends BaseModel<Item> {
 				return;
 			}
 
+			if (options.maxProcessedItems && totalDone + options.batchSize > options.maxProcessedItems) {
+				options.logger.info(`Processed ${totalDone} items out of requested ${options.maxProcessedItems}`);
+				return;
+			}
+
 			await msleep(1000);
 		}
 	}