diff --git a/pkg/sqlite/commit.go b/pkg/sqlite/commit.go
index cec4e5c96..ec6f18ce4 100644
--- a/pkg/sqlite/commit.go
+++ b/pkg/sqlite/commit.go
@@ -6,9 +6,23 @@ import (
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/crowdsecurity/crowdsec/pkg/types"
+	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 	log "github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
 )
 
+func (c *Context) DeleteExpired() error {
+	//Delete the expired records
+	if c.flush {
+		retx := c.Db.Where(`strftime("%s", until) < strftime("%s", "now")`).Delete(types.BanApplication{})
+		if retx.RowsAffected > 0 {
+			log.Infof("Flushed %d expired entries from Ban Application", retx.RowsAffected)
+		}
+	} else {
+		log.Infof("flush is disabled")
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
 func (c *Context) Flush() error {
 	c.lock.Lock()
 	defer c.lock.Unlock()
@@ -21,17 +35,64 @@ func (c *Context) Flush() error {
 	}
 	c.tx = c.Db.Begin()
 	c.lastCommit = time.Now()
-	//Delete the expired records
-	if c.flush {
-		retx := c.Db.Where(`strftime("%s", until) < strftime("%s", "now")`).Delete(types.BanApplication{})
-		if retx.RowsAffected > 0 {
-			log.Infof("Flushed %d expired entries from Ban Application", retx.RowsAffected)
+	c.DeleteExpired()
+
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (c *Context) CleanUpRecordsByCount() error {
+	var count int
+
+	if c.maxEventRetention <= 0 {
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	ret := c.Db.Unscoped().Table("ban_applications").Order("updated_at desc").Count(&count)
+
+	if ret.Error != nil {
+		return errors.Wrap(ret.Error, "failed to get bans count")
+	}
+	if count < c.maxEventRetention {
+		log.Infof("%d < %d, don't cleanup", count, c.maxEventRetention)
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	sos := []types.BanApplication{}
+	/*get soft deleted records oldest to youngest*/
+	records := c.Db.Unscoped().Table("ban_applications").Where("deleted_at is not NULL").Where(`strftime("%s", deleted_at) < strftime("%s", "now")`).Find(&sos)
+	if records.Error != nil {
+		return errors.Wrap(records.Error, "failed to list expired bans for flush")
+	}
+
+	//let's do it in a single transaction
+	delTx := c.Db.Unscoped().Begin()
+	delRecords := 0
+	for _, ld := range sos {
+		copy := ld
+		delTx.Unscoped().Table("signal_occurences").Where("ID = ?", copy.SignalOccurenceID).Delete(&types.SignalOccurence{})
+		delTx.Unscoped().Table("event_sequences").Where("signal_occurence_id = ?", copy.SignalOccurenceID).Delete(&types.EventSequence{})
+		delTx.Unscoped().Table("ban_applications").Delete(&copy)
+		//we need to delete associations : event_sequences, signal_occurences
+		delRecords++
+		//let's delete as well the associated event_sequence
+		if count-delRecords <= c.maxEventRetention {
+			break
 		}
 	}
+	if len(sos) > 0 {
+		log.Printf("Deleting %d soft-deleted results out of %d total events (%d soft-deleted)", delRecords, count, len(sos))
+		ret = delTx.Unscoped().Commit()
+		if ret.Error != nil {
+			return errors.Wrap(ret.Error, "failed to delete records")
+		}
+	} else {
+		log.Debugf("didn't find any record to clean")
+	}
 	return nil
 }
 
 func (c *Context) AutoCommit() {
+	log.Infof("starting autocommit")
 	ticker := time.NewTicker(200 * time.Millisecond)
 	for {
 		select {
@@ -54,10 +115,16 @@ func (c *Context) AutoCommit() {
 		case <-ticker.C:
 			if atomic.LoadInt32(&c.count) != 0 &&
 				(atomic.LoadInt32(&c.count)%100 == 0 || time.Since(c.lastCommit) >= 500*time.Millisecond) {
+				//log.Warningf("flush time")
 				if err := c.Flush(); err != nil {
 					log.Errorf("failed to flush : %s", err)
 				}
+				//log.Printf("starting auto-cleanup")
+				if err := c.CleanUpRecordsByCount(); err != nil {
+					log.Errorf("error in auto-cleanup : %s", err)
+				}
 			}
+
 		}
 	}
 }
diff --git a/pkg/sqlite/sqlite.go b/pkg/sqlite/sqlite.go
index b3c5d8a63..4761f6242 100644
--- a/pkg/sqlite/sqlite.go
+++ b/pkg/sqlite/sqlite.go
@@ -23,12 +23,16 @@ type Context struct {
 	count      int32
 	lock       sync.Mutex //booboo
 	PusherTomb tomb.Tomb
+	//to manage auto cleanup : max number of records *or* oldest
+	maxEventRetention    int
+	maxDurationRetention time.Duration
 }
 
 func NewSQLite(cfg map[string]string) (*Context, error) {
 	var err error
 	c := &Context{}
 
+	log.Warningf("NEW SQLITE : %+v", cfg)
 	if _, ok := cfg["db_path"]; !ok {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("please specify a 'db_path' to SQLite db in the configuration")
 	}
@@ -47,6 +51,8 @@ func NewSQLite(cfg map[string]string) (*Context, error) {
 		c.Db.LogMode(true)
 	}
 
+	c.Db.LogMode(true)
+
 	c.flush, _ = strconv.ParseBool(cfg["flush"])
 	// Migrate the schema
 	c.Db.AutoMigrate(&types.EventSequence{}, &types.SignalOccurence{}, &types.BanApplication{})
@@ -64,6 +70,8 @@ func NewSQLite(cfg map[string]string) (*Context, error) {
 	if c.tx == nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to begin sqlite transac : %s", err)
 	}
+	//random attempt
+	c.maxEventRetention = 100
 	c.PusherTomb.Go(func() error {
 		c.AutoCommit()
 		return nil