diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Web/Editors/ContentController.cs b/src/Umbraco.Web/Editors/ContentController.cs
index 1e48f027d4..a96d0b767f 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Web/Editors/ContentController.cs
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Web/Editors/ContentController.cs
@@ -1349,7 +1349,7 @@ namespace Umbraco.Web.Editors
         /// The CanAccessContentAuthorize attribute will deny access to this method if the current user
         /// does not have Delete access to this node.
         /// </remarks>
-        [EnsureUserPermissionForContent("id", 'D')]
+        [EnsureUserPermissionForContent("id", ActionDelete.ActionLetter)]
         [HttpDelete]
         [HttpPost]
         public HttpResponseMessage DeleteById(int id)
@@ -1395,7 +1395,7 @@ namespace Umbraco.Web.Editors
         /// </remarks>
         [HttpDelete]
         [HttpPost]
-        [EnsureUserPermissionForContent(Constants.System.RecycleBinContent)]
+        [EnsureUserPermissionForContent(Constants.System.RecycleBinContent, ActionDelete.ActionLetter)]
         public HttpResponseMessage EmptyRecycleBin()
         {
             Services.ContentService.EmptyRecycleBin();
diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Web/Trees/ContentTreeControllerBase.cs b/src/Umbraco.Web/Trees/ContentTreeControllerBase.cs
index ccf3798270..c7420d8d9c 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Web/Trees/ContentTreeControllerBase.cs
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Web/Trees/ContentTreeControllerBase.cs
@@ -357,13 +357,26 @@ namespace Umbraco.Web.Trees
         {
             if (RecycleBinId.ToInvariantString() == id)
             {
-                var menu = new MenuItemCollection();
-                menu.Items.Add(new MenuItem("emptyRecycleBin", Services.TextService)
+                // get the default assigned permissions for this user
+                var deleteAllowed = false;
+                var deleteAction = Current.Actions.FirstOrDefault(y => y.Letter == ActionDelete.ActionLetter);
+                if (deleteAction != null)
                 {
-                    Icon = "trash",
-                    OpensDialog = true
-                });
-                menu.Items.Add(new RefreshNode(Services.TextService, true));
+                    var perms = Security.CurrentUser.GetPermissions(Constants.System.RecycleBinContentString, Services.UserService);
+                    deleteAllowed = perms.FirstOrDefault(x => x.Contains(deleteAction.Letter)) != null;
+                }
+
+                var menu = new MenuItemCollection();
+                // only add empty recycle bin if the current user is allowed to delete by default 
+                if (deleteAllowed)
+                {
+	                menu.Items.Add(new MenuItem("emptyRecycleBin", Services.TextService)
+	                {
+	                    Icon = "trash",
+	                    OpensDialog = true
+	                });
+	                menu.Items.Add(new RefreshNode(Services.TextService, true));
+				}
                 return menu;
             }
 
diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Web/WebApi/Filters/EnsureUserPermissionForContentAttribute.cs b/src/Umbraco.Web/WebApi/Filters/EnsureUserPermissionForContentAttribute.cs
index 2deefc8a15..6604d1c9e7 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Web/WebApi/Filters/EnsureUserPermissionForContentAttribute.cs
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Web/WebApi/Filters/EnsureUserPermissionForContentAttribute.cs
@@ -38,6 +38,12 @@ namespace Umbraco.Web.WebApi.Filters
             _nodeId = nodeId;
         }
 
+        public EnsureUserPermissionForContentAttribute(int nodeId, char permissionToCheck)
+            : this(nodeId)
+        {
+            _permissionToCheck = permissionToCheck;
+        }
+
         public EnsureUserPermissionForContentAttribute(string paramName)
         {
             if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(paramName)) throw new ArgumentNullOrEmptyException(nameof(paramName));