diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Core/Services/ContentService.cs b/src/Umbraco.Core/Services/ContentService.cs
index ba777ef59e..6e4fd54de5 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Core/Services/ContentService.cs
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Core/Services/ContentService.cs
@@ -1741,7 +1741,15 @@ namespace Umbraco.Core.Services
         /// <summary>
         /// Empties the Recycle Bin by deleting all <see cref="IContent"/> that resides in the bin
         /// </summary>
-        public void EmptyRecycleBin()
+        [EditorBrowsable(EditorBrowsableState.Never)]
+        [Obsolete("Use EmptyRecycleBin with explicit indication of user ID instead")]
+        public void EmptyRecycleBin() => EmptyRecycleBin(0);
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Empties the Recycle Bin by deleting all <see cref="IContent"/> that resides in the bin
+        /// </summary>
+        /// <param name="userId">Optional Id of the User emptying the Recycle Bin</param>        
+        public void EmptyRecycleBin(int userId = 0)
         {
             using (new WriteLock(Locker))
             {
@@ -1771,7 +1779,7 @@ namespace Umbraco.Core.Services
                     recycleBinEventArgs.RecycleBinEmptiedSuccessfully = success;
                     uow.Events.Dispatch(EmptiedRecycleBin, this, recycleBinEventArgs);
 
-                    Audit(uow, AuditType.Delete, "Empty Content Recycle Bin performed by user", 0, Constants.System.RecycleBinContent);
+                    Audit(uow, AuditType.Delete, "Empty Content Recycle Bin performed by user", userId, Constants.System.RecycleBinContent);
                     uow.Commit();
                 }
             }
diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Core/Services/IContentService.cs b/src/Umbraco.Core/Services/IContentService.cs
index 6d0ca051a1..0587e70548 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Core/Services/IContentService.cs
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Core/Services/IContentService.cs
@@ -438,8 +438,16 @@ namespace Umbraco.Core.Services
         /// <summary>
         /// Empties the Recycle Bin by deleting all <see cref="IContent"/> that resides in the bin
         /// </summary>
+        [EditorBrowsable(EditorBrowsableState.Never)]
+        [Obsolete("Use EmptyRecycleBin with explicit indication of user ID instead")]
         void EmptyRecycleBin();
 
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Empties the Recycle Bin by deleting all <see cref="IContent"/> that resides in the bin
+        /// </summary>
+        /// <param name="userId">Optional Id of the User emptying the Recycle Bin</param>        
+        void EmptyRecycleBin(int userId = 0);
+
         /// <summary>
         /// Rollback an <see cref="IContent"/> object to a previous version.
         /// This will create a new version, which is a copy of all the old data.
diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Web/Editors/ContentController.cs b/src/Umbraco.Web/Editors/ContentController.cs
index 5f3022b2a9..beff2c2615 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Web/Editors/ContentController.cs
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Web/Editors/ContentController.cs
@@ -850,7 +850,7 @@ namespace Umbraco.Web.Editors
         [EnsureUserPermissionForContent(Constants.System.RecycleBinContent, 'D')]
         public HttpResponseMessage EmptyRecycleBin()
         {
-            Services.ContentService.EmptyRecycleBin();
+            Services.ContentService.EmptyRecycleBin(Security.CurrentUser.Id);
 
             return Request.CreateNotificationSuccessResponse(Services.TextService.Localize("defaultdialogs/recycleBinIsEmpty"));
         }