diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Core/Services/Implement/ContentService.cs b/src/Umbraco.Core/Services/Implement/ContentService.cs
index 79f593d8d2..c79e7aa869 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Core/Services/Implement/ContentService.cs
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Core/Services/Implement/ContentService.cs
@@ -1695,12 +1695,11 @@ namespace Umbraco.Core.Services.Implement
             }
 
             const int pageSize = 500;
-            var page = 0;
             var total = long.MaxValue;
-            while (page * pageSize < total)
+            while (total > 0)
             {
                 //get descendants - ordered from deepest to shallowest
-                var descendants = GetPagedDescendants(content.Id, page, pageSize, out total, ordering: Ordering.By("Path", Direction.Descending));
+                var descendants = GetPagedDescendants(content.Id, 0, pageSize, out total, ordering: Ordering.By("Path", Direction.Descending));
                 foreach (var c in descendants)
                     DoDelete(c);
             }
@@ -1926,11 +1925,10 @@ namespace Umbraco.Core.Services.Implement
             paths[content.Id] = (parent == null ? (parentId == Constants.System.RecycleBinContent ? "-1,-20" : Constants.System.RootString) : parent.Path) + "," + content.Id;
 
             const int pageSize = 500;
-            var page = 0;
             var total = long.MaxValue;
-            while (page * pageSize < total)
+            while (total > 0)
             {
-                var descendants = GetPagedDescendantsLocked(originalPath, page, pageSize, out total, null, Ordering.By("Path", Direction.Ascending));
+                var descendants = GetPagedDescendantsLocked(originalPath, 0, pageSize, out total, null, Ordering.By("Path", Direction.Ascending));
                 foreach (var descendant in descendants)
                 {
                     moves.Add(Tuple.Create(descendant, descendant.Path)); // capture original path