diff --git a/dvc/repo/remove.py b/dvc/repo/remove.py
index 2977ee82c..80792e497 100644
--- a/dvc/repo/remove.py
+++ b/dvc/repo/remove.py
@@ -3,8 +3,8 @@ def remove(self, target, outs_only=False):
 
     stage = Stage.load(self, target)
     if outs_only:
-        stage.remove_outs()
+        stage.remove_outs(force=True)
     else:
-        stage.remove()
+        stage.remove(force=True)
 
     return stage
diff --git a/dvc/stage.py b/dvc/stage.py
index ca338bd68..0a6f9ccc8 100644
--- a/dvc/stage.py
+++ b/dvc/stage.py
@@ -259,10 +259,10 @@ class Stage(object):
 
         return ret
 
-    def remove_outs(self, ignore_remove=False):
+    def remove_outs(self, ignore_remove=False, force=False):
         """Used mainly for `dvc remove --outs` and :func:`Stage.reproduce`."""
         for out in self.outs:
-            if out.persist:
+            if out.persist and not force:
                 out.unprotect()
             else:
                 logger.debug(
@@ -276,8 +276,8 @@ class Stage(object):
         for out in self.outs:
             out.unprotect()
 
-    def remove(self):
-        self.remove_outs(ignore_remove=True)
+    def remove(self, force=False):
+        self.remove_outs(ignore_remove=True, force=force)
         os.unlink(self.path)
 
     def reproduce(
diff --git a/tests/test_run.py b/tests/test_run.py
index 86ae2f0dd..5b0694abc 100644
--- a/tests/test_run.py
+++ b/tests/test_run.py
@@ -777,6 +777,14 @@ class TestRunPersist(TestDvc):
         file_content = "content"
         stage_file = file + Stage.STAGE_FILE_SUFFIX
 
+        self.run_command(file, file_content)
+        self.stage_should_contain_persist_flag(stage_file)
+
+        self.should_append_upon_repro(file, stage_file)
+
+        self.should_remove_persistent_outs(file, stage_file)
+
+    def run_command(self, file, file_content):
         ret = main(
             [
                 "run",
@@ -787,11 +795,13 @@ class TestRunPersist(TestDvc):
         )
         self.assertEqual(0, ret)
 
+    def stage_should_contain_persist_flag(self, stage_file):
         stage_file_content = load_stage_file(stage_file)
         self.assertEqual(
             True, stage_file_content["outs"][0][OutputBase.PARAM_PERSIST]
         )
 
+    def should_append_upon_repro(self, file, stage_file):
         ret = main(["repro", stage_file])
         self.assertEqual(0, ret)
 
@@ -799,6 +809,12 @@ class TestRunPersist(TestDvc):
             lines = fobj.readlines()
         self.assertEqual(2, len(lines))
 
+    def should_remove_persistent_outs(self, file, stage_file):
+        ret = main(["remove", stage_file])
+        self.assertEqual(0, ret)
+
+        self.assertFalse(os.path.exists(file))
+
 
 class TestRunPersistOuts(TestRunPersist):
     @property