diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Core/Models/ContentExtensions.cs b/src/Umbraco.Core/Models/ContentExtensions.cs
index 1ca6ff4b7c..cc65a8dc5f 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Core/Models/ContentExtensions.cs
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Core/Models/ContentExtensions.cs
@@ -106,6 +106,22 @@ namespace Umbraco.Core.Models
         }
         #endregion
 
+        internal static bool IsInRecycleBin(this IContent content)
+        {
+            return IsInRecycleBin(content, Constants.System.RecycleBinContent);
+        }
+
+        internal static bool IsInRecycleBin(this IMedia media)
+        {
+            return IsInRecycleBin(media, Constants.System.RecycleBinMedia);
+        }
+
+        internal static bool IsInRecycleBin(this IContentBase content, int recycleBinId)
+        {
+            return content.Path.Split(new[] { ',' }, StringSplitOptions.RemoveEmptyEntries)
+                          .Contains(recycleBinId.ToInvariantString());
+        }
+
         /// <summary>
         /// Checks if the IContentBase has children
         /// </summary>
diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Tests/Models/ContentTests.cs b/src/Umbraco.Tests/Models/ContentTests.cs
index d2df3c9050..d0f4357293 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Tests/Models/ContentTests.cs
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Tests/Models/ContentTests.cs
@@ -13,6 +13,32 @@ namespace Umbraco.Tests.Models
     [TestFixture]
     public class ContentTests
     {
+        [TestCase("-1,-20,12,34,56", false)]
+        [TestCase("-1,-21,12,34,56", true)]
+        [TestCase("-1,12,34,56", false)]
+        public void Is_Media_In_Recycle_Bin(string path, bool isInBin)
+        {
+            var mediaType = MockedContentTypes.CreateImageMediaType();
+            var media = MockedMedia.CreateMediaFile(mediaType, -1);
+            media.Path = path;
+            media.Id = 34;
+
+            Assert.AreEqual(isInBin, media.IsInRecycleBin());
+        }
+
+        [TestCase("-1,-20,12,34,56", true)]
+        [TestCase("-1,-21,12,34,56", false)]
+        [TestCase("-1,12,34,56", false)]
+        public void Is_Content_In_Recycle_Bin(string path, bool isInBin)
+        {
+            var contentType = MockedContentTypes.CreateSimpleContentType();
+            var content = MockedContent.CreateSimpleContent(contentType);
+            content.Path = path;
+            content.Id = 34;
+
+            Assert.AreEqual(isInBin, content.IsInRecycleBin());
+        }
+
         [Test]
         public void Get_Non_Grouped_Properties()
         {
diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Web.UI.Client/src/common/services/tree.service.js b/src/Umbraco.Web.UI.Client/src/common/services/tree.service.js
index 43de6f1f46..5e2286536b 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Web.UI.Client/src/common/services/tree.service.js
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Web.UI.Client/src/common/services/tree.service.js
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ function treeService($q, treeResource, iconHelper, notificationsService, $rootSc
         /** Gets a child node by id */
         getChildNode: function(treeNode, id) {
             var found = _.find(treeNode.children, function (child) {
-                return child.id === id;
+                return String(child.id) === String(id);
             });
             return found === undefined ? null : found;
         },
diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Web.UI.Client/test/unit/common/services/tree-service.spec.js b/src/Umbraco.Web.UI.Client/test/unit/common/services/tree-service.spec.js
index b6602e3911..a38efec646 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Web.UI.Client/test/unit/common/services/tree-service.spec.js
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Web.UI.Client/test/unit/common/services/tree-service.spec.js
@@ -53,10 +53,21 @@ describe('tree service tests', function () {
 
     beforeEach(inject(function ($injector) {
         treeService = $injector.get('treeService');
-    }));
+    })); 
 
     describe('query existing node structure of the tree', function () {
 
+        it('can get a descendant node with string id', function () {
+
+            var tree = getContentTree();
+            var found = treeService.getDescendantNode(tree, "13");
+
+            expect(found).toBeDefined();
+            expect(found).not.toBeNull();
+            expect(found.id).toBe(13);
+            expect(found.name).toBe("random-name-3");
+        });
+
         it('can get a descendant node', function() {
 
             var tree = getContentTree();
diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Web/Editors/ContentController.cs b/src/Umbraco.Web/Editors/ContentController.cs
index e781213998..1c1ec80508 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Web/Editors/ContentController.cs
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Web/Editors/ContentController.cs
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ using Umbraco.Web.WebApi;
 using Umbraco.Web.WebApi.Binders;
 using Umbraco.Web.WebApi.Filters;
 using umbraco;
+using Umbraco.Core.Models;
 
 namespace Umbraco.Web.Editors
 {
@@ -177,7 +178,7 @@ namespace Umbraco.Web.Editors
         }
 
         /// <summary>
-        /// Deletes an item
+        /// Moves an item to the recycle bin, if it is already there then it will permanently delete it
         /// </summary>
         /// <param name="id"></param>
         /// <returns></returns>
@@ -186,9 +187,19 @@ namespace Umbraco.Web.Editors
             var foundContent = Services.ContentService.GetById(id);
             if (foundContent == null)
             {
-                HandleContentNotFound(id);
+                return HandleContentNotFound(id, false);
             }
-            Services.ContentService.Delete(foundContent, UmbracoUser.Id);
+
+            //if the current item is in the recycle bin
+            if (foundContent.IsInRecycleBin() == false)
+            {
+                Services.ContentService.MoveToRecycleBin(foundContent, UmbracoUser.Id);                
+            }
+            else
+            {
+                Services.ContentService.Delete(foundContent, UmbracoUser.Id);
+            }
+
             return Request.CreateResponse(HttpStatusCode.OK);
         }
 
diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Web/Editors/ContentControllerBase.cs b/src/Umbraco.Web/Editors/ContentControllerBase.cs
index 12da55b2ee..bb375ce3b7 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Web/Editors/ContentControllerBase.cs
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Web/Editors/ContentControllerBase.cs
@@ -33,13 +33,17 @@ namespace Umbraco.Web.Editors
         {
         }
 
-        protected void HandleContentNotFound(int id)
+        protected HttpResponseMessage HandleContentNotFound(int id, bool throwException = true)
         {
             ModelState.AddModelError("id", string.Format("content with id: {0} was not found", id));
             var errorResponse = Request.CreateErrorResponse(
                 HttpStatusCode.NotFound,
                 ModelState);
-            throw new HttpResponseException(errorResponse);
+            if (throwException)
+            {
+                throw new HttpResponseException(errorResponse);    
+            }
+            return errorResponse;
         }
 
         protected void UpdateName<TPersisted>(ContentItemSave<TPersisted> contentItem)