diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 85700b583..946ec5b0e 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,5 +1,12 @@
 # 2020-12-11
 
+## synapse-janitor support removed
+
+We've removed support for the unmaintained [synapse-janitor](https://github.com/xwiki-labs/synapse_scripts) script. There's been past reports of it corrupting the Synapse database. Since there hasn't been any new development on it and it doesn't seem too useful nowadays, there's no point in including it in the playbook.
+
+If you need to clean up or compact your database, consider using the Synapse Admin APIs directly. See our [Synapse maintenance](docs/maintenance-synapse.md) and [Postgres maintenance](docs/maintenance-postgres.md) documentation pages for more details.
+
+
 ## Docker 20.10 is here
 
 (No need to do anything special in relation to this. Just something to keep in mind)
diff --git a/docs/maintenance-synapse.md b/docs/maintenance-synapse.md
index 799982990..143238c1f 100644
--- a/docs/maintenance-synapse.md
+++ b/docs/maintenance-synapse.md
@@ -4,14 +4,11 @@ This document shows you how to perform various maintenance tasks related to the
 
 Table of contents:
 
-- [Purging unused data with synapse-janitor](#purging-unused-data-with-synapse-janitor), for when you wish to delete unused data from the Synapse database
-
 - [Purging old data with the Purge History API](#purging-old-data-with-the-purge-history-api), for when you wish to delete in-use (but old) data from the Synapse database
 
 - [Synapse maintenance](#synapse-maintenance)
 	- [Purging old data with the Purge History API](#purging-old-data-with-the-purge-history-api)
 	- [Compressing state with rust-synapse-compress-state](#compressing-state-with-rust-synapse-compress-state)
-	- [Purging unused data with synapse-janitor](#purging-unused-data-with-synapse-janitor)
 	- [Browse and manipulate the database](#browse-and-manipulate-the-database)
 
 - [Browse and manipulate the database](#browse-and-manipulate-the-database), for when you really need to take matters into your own hands
@@ -57,27 +54,6 @@ If you need to adjust this, pass: `--extra-vars='matrix_synapse_rust_synapse_com
 After state compression, you may wish to run a [`FULL` Postgres `VACUUM`](./maintenance-postgres.md#vacuuming-postgresql).
 
 
-## Purging unused data with synapse-janitor
-
-**NOTE**: There are [reports](https://github.com/spantaleev/matrix-docker-ansible-deploy/issues/465) that **synapse-janitor is dangerous to use and causes database corruption**. You may wish to refrain from using it.
-
-When you **leave** and **forget** a room, Synapse can clean up its data, but currently doesn't.
-This **unused and unreachable data** remains in your database forever.
-
-There are external tools (like [synapse-janitor](https://github.com/xwiki-labs/synapse_scripts)), which are meant to solve this problem.
-
-To ask the playbook to run synapse-janitor, execute:
-
-```bash
-ansible-playbook -i inventory/hosts setup.yml --tags=run-postgres-synapse-janitor,start
-```
-
-**Note**: this will automatically stop Synapse temporarily and restart it later.
-
-Running synapse-janitor potentially deletes a lot of data from the Postgres database.
-You may wish to run a [`FULL` Postgres `VACUUM`](./maintenance-postgres.md#vacuuming-postgresql) after that.
-
-
 ## Browse and manipulate the database
 
 When the [matrix admin API](https://github.com/matrix-org/synapse/tree/master/docs/admin_api) and the other tools do not provide a more convenient way, having a look at synapse's postgresql database can satisfy a lot of admins' needs.
diff --git a/roles/matrix-base/defaults/main.yml b/roles/matrix-base/defaults/main.yml
index 164509b75..e0522ba8f 100644
--- a/roles/matrix-base/defaults/main.yml
+++ b/roles/matrix-base/defaults/main.yml
@@ -106,7 +106,6 @@ matrix_docker_package_name: docker-ce
 run_postgres_import: true
 run_postgres_upgrade: true
 run_postgres_import_sqlite_db: true
-run_postgres_synapse_janitor: true
 run_postgres_vacuum: true
 run_synapse_register_user: true
 run_synapse_update_user_password: true
diff --git a/roles/matrix-postgres/defaults/main.yml b/roles/matrix-postgres/defaults/main.yml
index 0d2f50e3e..ec5cb3dca 100644
--- a/roles/matrix-postgres/defaults/main.yml
+++ b/roles/matrix-postgres/defaults/main.yml
@@ -30,5 +30,3 @@ matrix_postgres_container_extra_arguments: []
 #
 # Takes an "<ip>:<port>" or "<port>" value (e.g. "127.0.0.1:5432"), or empty string to not expose.
 matrix_postgres_container_postgres_bind_port: ""
-
-matrix_postgres_tool_synapse_janitor: "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/xwiki-labs/synapse_scripts/a9188ff175ae581610f92d58ea6eac9a114d854b/synapse_janitor.sql"
diff --git a/roles/matrix-postgres/tasks/main.yml b/roles/matrix-postgres/tasks/main.yml
index 41b9c8613..717b73e4b 100644
--- a/roles/matrix-postgres/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/roles/matrix-postgres/tasks/main.yml
@@ -29,11 +29,6 @@
   tags:
     - upgrade-postgres
 
-- import_tasks: "{{ role_path }}/tasks/run_synapse_janitor.yml"
-  when: run_postgres_synapse_janitor|bool
-  tags:
-    - run-postgres-synapse-janitor
-
 - import_tasks: "{{ role_path }}/tasks/run_vacuum.yml"
   when: run_postgres_vacuum|bool
   tags:
diff --git a/roles/matrix-postgres/tasks/run_synapse_janitor.yml b/roles/matrix-postgres/tasks/run_synapse_janitor.yml
deleted file mode 100644
index d7f283be2..000000000
--- a/roles/matrix-postgres/tasks/run_synapse_janitor.yml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,117 +0,0 @@
----
-
-# Pre-checks
-
-- name: Fail if Postgres not enabled
-  fail:
-    msg: "Postgres via the matrix-postgres role is not enabled (`matrix_postgres_enabled`). Cannot run synapse-janitor."
-  when: "not matrix_postgres_enabled|bool"
-
-- name: Fail if not aware of the risks
-  fail:
-    msg: >-
-      Using Synapse Janitor is considered dangerous and may break your database.
-      See https://github.com/spantaleev/matrix-docker-ansible-deploy/issues/465.
-      If you'd like to run it anyway, add `--extra-vars='i_know_synapse_janitor_is_dangerous=1'` to your command.
-  when: "i_know_synapse_janitor_is_dangerous|default('') == ''"
-
-# Defaults
-
-- name: Set postgres_start_wait_time, if not provided
-  set_fact:
-    postgres_start_wait_time: 15
-  when: "postgres_start_wait_time|default('') == ''"
-
-- name: Set postgres_synapse_janitor_wait_time, if not provided
-  set_fact:
-    postgres_synapse_janitor_wait_time: "{{ 7 * 86400 }}"
-  when: "postgres_synapse_janitor_wait_time|default('') == ''"
-
-- name: Set postgres_synapse_janitor_tool_path, if not provided
-  set_fact:
-    postgres_synapse_janitor_tool_path: "{{ matrix_postgres_base_path }}/synapse_janitor.sql"
-  when: "postgres_synapse_janitor_tool_path|default('') == ''"
-
-
-# Actual janitor work
-
-- name: Download synapse-janitor tool
-  get_url:
-    url: "{{ matrix_postgres_tool_synapse_janitor }}"
-    dest: "{{ postgres_synapse_janitor_tool_path }}"
-    force: true
-    mode: 0550
-    owner: "{{ matrix_user_username }}"
-    group: "{{ matrix_user_groupname }}"
-
-- name: Ensure matrix-postgres is started
-  service:
-    name: matrix-postgres
-    state: started
-    daemon_reload: yes
-
-- name: Wait a bit, so that Postgres can start
-  wait_for:
-    timeout: "{{ postgres_start_wait_time }}"
-  delegate_to: 127.0.0.1
-  become: false
-
-- import_tasks: tasks/util/detect_existing_postgres_version.yml
-
-- name: Abort, if no existing Postgres version detected
-  fail:
-    msg: "Could not find existing Postgres installation"
-  when: "not matrix_postgres_detected_existing|bool"
-
-- name: Generate Postgres database synapse-janitor command
-  set_fact:
-    matrix_postgres_synapse_janitor_command: >-
-      {{ matrix_host_command_docker }} run --rm --name matrix-postgres-synapse-janitor
-      --user={{ matrix_user_uid }}:{{ matrix_user_gid }}
-      --cap-drop=ALL
-      --network={{ matrix_docker_network }}
-      --env-file={{ matrix_postgres_base_path }}/env-postgres-psql
-      --mount type=bind,src={{ postgres_synapse_janitor_tool_path }},dst=/synapse_janitor.sql,ro=true
-      {{ matrix_postgres_docker_image_latest }}
-      psql -v ON_ERROR_STOP=1 -h matrix-postgres {{ matrix_synapse_database_database }} -f /synapse_janitor.sql
-
-- name: Note about Postgres purging alternative
-  debug:
-    msg: >-
-      Running synapse-janitor with the following Postgres command: `{{ matrix_postgres_synapse_janitor_command }}`.
-      If this crashes, you can stop all processes (`systemctl stop matrix-*`),
-      start Postgres only (`systemctl start matrix-postgres`)
-      and manually run the above command directly on the server.
-
-- name: Populate service facts
-  service_facts:
-
-- set_fact:
-    matrix_postgres_synapse_was_running: "{{ ansible_facts.services['matrix-synapse.service']|default(none) is not none and ansible_facts.services['matrix-synapse.service'].state == 'running' }}"
-
-- name: Ensure matrix-synapse is stopped
-  service:
-    name: matrix-synapse
-    state: stopped
-    daemon_reload: yes
-
-- name: Run synapse-janitor
-  command: "{{ matrix_postgres_synapse_janitor_command }}"
-  async: "{{ postgres_synapse_janitor_wait_time }}"
-  poll: 10
-  register: matrix_postgres_synapse_janitor_result
-
-# Intentionally show the results
-- debug: var="matrix_postgres_synapse_janitor_result"
-
-- name: Ensure matrix-synapse is started, if it previously was
-  service:
-    name: matrix-synapse
-    state: started
-    daemon_reload: yes
-  when: "matrix_postgres_synapse_was_running|bool"
-
-- name: Delete synapse-janitor tool
-  file:
-    path: "{{ postgres_synapse_janitor_tool_path }}"
-    state: absent