diff --git a/git-retag.sh b/git-retag.sh
index b6dbf61..a509a95 100755
--- a/git-retag.sh
+++ b/git-retag.sh
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ GITEAUser=${remote_USER}
 GITEAACCESSTOKEN=${remote_GITEAACCESSTOKEN}
 GITEAHOST=${remote_GITEAHOST}
 NOISY=
+CLEAN=
 EXTRAPARAMS=
 for param in $3 $4 $5 $6 ; do
   if [ $param ] ; then
@@ -62,11 +63,13 @@ for param in $3 $4 $5 $6 ; do
     	GITEAHOST=${local_GITEAHOST}
 		;;
 	  debug )
-		DEBUG=true ;;
-      noisy )
-        NOISY=true ;;
-      * )
-        echo "Unkown parameter: $param"
+		  DEBUG=true ;;
+    noisy )
+      NOISY=true ;;
+    clean )
+      CLEAN=true ;;
+    * )
+      echo "Unkown parameter: $param"
 		exit 1
 		;;
     esac
@@ -130,19 +133,16 @@ else
 fi
 
 cd $GITFiles/$REPO_NAME
-# read the existing tags
-OLDTAGS=$(git tag --list)
-# delete old tag/s
-for tag in $OLDTAGS ; do
-#	git tag --delete $tag
-# git push origin --delete $tag
-# for some reason the remote delete is rejected, so were using the gitea API call instead
-  if [[ $DEBUG ]] ; then echo "curl $checkSSL $SILENT4CURL -X 'DELETE' '$GITEAHOST/api/v1/orgs/$ORGGITEA/$REPO_NAME/tags/$tag' -H 'accept: application/json' -H 'Authorization: token $GITEAACCESSTOKEN'" ; fi
-	RESPONSE=$(curl "$checkSSL" "$SILENT4CURL" -X 'DELETE' \
-		"$GITEAHOST/api/v1/orgs/$ORGGITEA/$REPO_NAME/tags/$tag" \
-		-H 'accept: application/json'   \
-		-H "Authorization: token $GITEAACCESSTOKEN" ) 
-done
+if [ $CLEAN ] ; then
+  # read the existing tags
+  OLDTAGS=$(git tag --list)
+  # delete old tag/s
+  for tag in $OLDTAGS ; do
+    git tag --delete $tag
+    git push origin --delete $tag
+    git push --tags
+  done
+fi
 # Now create the version and release tag from the specfile
 VERSION_RELEASE_LONG=`rpm --queryformat '%{version} %{release}\n' --specfile $REPO_NAME.spec`
 VERSION_RELEASE=${VERSION_RELEASE_LONG%%$'\n'*}