diff --git a/autotests/deletejobtest.h b/autotests/deletejobtest.h
--- a/autotests/deletejobtest.h
+++ b/autotests/deletejobtest.h
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
     void deleteFileTestCase();
     void deleteDirectoryTestCase_data() const;
     void deleteDirectoryTestCase();
+    void deleteWithElevatedPrivilegeTestCase();
 
 private:
     void createEmptyTestFiles(const QStringList &fileNames, const QString &path) const;
diff --git a/autotests/deletejobtest.cpp b/autotests/deletejobtest.cpp
--- a/autotests/deletejobtest.cpp
+++ b/autotests/deletejobtest.cpp
@@ -97,6 +97,41 @@
     }
 }
 
+void DeleteJobTest::deleteWithElevatedPrivilegeTestCase()
+{
+    // deleting files from read-only folder
+    QTemporaryDir tempDir;
+    QVERIFY(tempDir.isValid());
+
+    createEmptyTestFiles(QStringList() << "file1.txt", tempDir.path());
+    const QString filepath = tempDir.path() + QDir::separator() + "file1.txt";
+
+    QFile::Permissions permissions = QFileDevice::ReadOwner | QFileDevice::ExeOwner;
+    bool ok = QFile::setPermissions(tempDir.path(), permissions);
+    QVERIFY(ok);
+
+    KIO::DeleteJob *job = KIO::del(QUrl::fromLocalFile(filepath), KIO::HideProgressInfo);
+    job->addMetaData("ShowInternalWarning", "true");
+    job->addMetaData("UnitTesting", "true");
+    job->setUiDelegate(nullptr);
+    QSignalSpy spy(job, SIGNAL(result(KJob*)));
+    QVERIFY(spy.isValid());
+    QVERIFY(spy.wait(100000));
+    QCOMPARE(job->error(), KJOB_NO_ERROR);
+
+    QStringList testData = job->queryMetaData("TestData").split(',');
+    QCOMPARE(testData.first(), QStringLiteral("org.kde.kio.file.del"));
+    QCOMPARE(testData.at(1), QString::number(true));
+    QCOMPARE(testData.last(), QStringLiteral("warningshown"));
+
+    permissions |= QFileDevice::WriteOwner;
+    ok = QFile::setPermissions(tempDir.path(), permissions);
+    QVERIFY(ok);
+
+    QVERIFY(QFile::remove(filepath));
+    QVERIFY(!QFile::exists(filepath));
+}
+
 void DeleteJobTest::createEmptyTestFiles(const QStringList &fileNames, const QString &path) const
 {
     QStringListIterator iterator(fileNames);
diff --git a/src/ioslaves/file/file.cpp b/src/ioslaves/file/file.cpp
--- a/src/ioslaves/file/file.cpp
+++ b/src/ioslaves/file/file.cpp
@@ -1330,8 +1330,16 @@
         } else {
             //qDebug() << "QFile::remove" << itemPath;
             if (!QFile::remove(itemPath)) {
-                error(KIO::ERR_CANNOT_DELETE, itemPath);
-                return false;
+                if (errno == EACCES || errno == EPERM) {
+                    if (!execWithElevatedPrivilege(QStringLiteral("del"), QStringLiteral("delete_file"),
+                                                  itemPath, WARN_PRIVILEGE_DEL)) {
+                        error(KIO::ERR_ACCESS_DENIED, itemPath);
+                        return false;
+                    }
+                } else {
+                    error(KIO::ERR_CANNOT_DELETE, itemPath);
+                    return false;
+                }
             }
         }
     }
@@ -1339,10 +1347,19 @@
     Q_FOREACH (const QString &itemPath, dirsToDelete) {
         //qDebug() << "QDir::rmdir" << itemPath;
         if (!dir.rmdir(itemPath)) {
-            error(KIO::ERR_CANNOT_DELETE, itemPath);
-            return false;
+            if (errno == EACCES || errno == EPERM) {
+                if (!execWithElevatedPrivilege(QStringLiteral("del"), QStringLiteral("delete_dir"),
+                                              itemPath, WARN_PRIVILEGE_RMDIR)) {
+                    error(KIO::ERR_ACCESS_DENIED, itemPath);
+                    return false;
+                }                
+            } else {
+                error(KIO::ERR_CANNOT_DELETE, itemPath);
+                return false;
+            }            
         }
     }
+
     return true;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/ioslaves/file/file_unix.cpp b/src/ioslaves/file/file_unix.cpp
--- a/src/ioslaves/file/file_unix.cpp
+++ b/src/ioslaves/file/file_unix.cpp
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@
 #include <qplatformdefs.h>
 
 #include <QDebug>
+#include <KAuth>
 #include <kconfiggroup.h>
 #include <klocalizedstring.h>
 #include <kmountpoint.h>
@@ -527,13 +528,18 @@
 
         if (unlink(_path.data()) == -1) {
             if ((errno == EACCES) || (errno == EPERM)) {
-                error(KIO::ERR_ACCESS_DENIED, path);
+                if (!execWithElevatedPrivilege(QStringLiteral("del"), QStringLiteral("delete_file"),
+                                              _path, WARN_PRIVILEGE_DEL)) {
+                    error(KIO::ERR_ACCESS_DENIED, path);
+                    return;
+                }
             } else if (errno == EISDIR) {
                 error(KIO::ERR_IS_DIRECTORY, path);
+                return;
             } else {
                 error(KIO::ERR_CANNOT_DELETE, path);
+                return;
             }
-            return;
         }
     } else {
 
@@ -549,8 +555,11 @@
         }
         if (QT_RMDIR(_path.data()) == -1) {
             if ((errno == EACCES) || (errno == EPERM)) {
-                error(KIO::ERR_ACCESS_DENIED, path);
-                return;
+                if (!execWithElevatedPrivilege(QStringLiteral("del"), QStringLiteral("delete_dir"),
+                                               path, WARN_PRIVILEGE_RMDIR)) {
+                    error(KIO::ERR_ACCESS_DENIED, path);
+                    return;
+                }
             } else {
                 // qDebug() << "could not rmdir " << perror;
                 error(KIO::ERR_CANNOT_RMDIR, path);
@@ -559,6 +568,7 @@
         }
     }
 
+    endPrivilegeOperation();
     finished();
 }
 
diff --git a/src/ioslaves/file/kauth/file.actions b/src/ioslaves/file/kauth/file.actions
--- a/src/ioslaves/file/kauth/file.actions
+++ b/src/ioslaves/file/kauth/file.actions
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+[org.kde.kio.file.del]
+Name=Delete items as a privileged user.
+Description=Root privileges are required to complete the delete operation. Be careful, this operation cannot be reverted.
+Policy=auth_admin
+Persistence=session
diff --git a/src/ioslaves/file/kauth/helper.h b/src/ioslaves/file/kauth/helper.h
--- a/src/ioslaves/file/kauth/helper.h
+++ b/src/ioslaves/file/kauth/helper.h
@@ -29,6 +29,9 @@
 class Helper : public QObject
 {
   Q_OBJECT
+
+public Q_SLOTS:
+    ActionReply del(const QVariantMap& args);
 };
 
 #endif
diff --git a/src/ioslaves/file/kauth/helper.cpp b/src/ioslaves/file/kauth/helper.cpp
--- a/src/ioslaves/file/kauth/helper.cpp
+++ b/src/ioslaves/file/kauth/helper.cpp
@@ -19,5 +19,35 @@
 ***/
 
 #include "helper.h"
+#include <KLocalizedString>
+#include <kio/global.h>
+
+#include <QFile>
+#include <QDir>
+#include <QDebug>
+#include <cerrno>
+#include <unistd.h>
+
+
+ActionReply Helper::del(const QVariantMap &args)
+{
+    ActionReply reply;
+    const QByteArray path = args["arguments"].toByteArray();
+    const QString subAction = args["subaction"].toString();
+
+    if (subAction == "delete_file") {
+        unlink(path.constData());
+    } else if(subAction == "delete_dir") {
+        QDir dir;
+        dir.rmdir(path.constData());
+    }
+    if (errno) {
+        if (errno == EACCES || errno == EPERM) {
+            reply.setError(KIO::ERR_ACCESS_DENIED);
+        }
+    }
+
+    return reply;
+}
 
 KAUTH_HELPER_MAIN("org.kde.kio.file", Helper)