diff --git a/api/v2/api.go b/api/v2/api.go
index fd95fa6c7..eea211a4d 100644
--- a/api/v2/api.go
+++ b/api/v2/api.go
@@ -543,6 +543,7 @@ func (api *API) setupRoutes(debug bool) error {
 			{
 				pin.POST("/:hash", api.pinHashLocally)
 				pin.POST("/:hash/extend", api.extendPin)
+				pin.DELETE("/remove/:hash", api.removePin)
 			}
 			// file upload routes
 			file := public.Group("/file")
diff --git a/api/v2/routes_rtfs.go b/api/v2/routes_rtfs.go
index 5823ebe5f..561c4da8f 100644
--- a/api/v2/routes_rtfs.go
+++ b/api/v2/routes_rtfs.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package v2
 import (
 	"bytes"
 	"errors"
+	"fmt"
 	"html"
 	"io"
 	"io/ioutil"
@@ -394,3 +395,31 @@ func (api *API) extendPin(c *gin.Context) {
 	// return
 	Respond(c, http.StatusOK, gin.H{"response": "pin time successfully extended"})
 }
+
+func (api *API) removePin(c *gin.Context) {
+	username, err := GetAuthenticatedUserFromContext(c)
+	if err != nil {
+		api.LogError(c, err, eh.NoAPITokenError)(http.StatusBadRequest)
+		return
+	}
+	// dont let free users be able to unpin as this can be used as an
+	// attack vector to spam ipfs nodes with pins
+	if usg, err := api.usage.FindByUserName(username); err != nil {
+		api.LogError(c, err, eh.UserSearchError)(http.StatusBadRequest)
+		return
+	} else if usg.Tier == models.Free {
+		Fail(c, errors.New("free tier accounts are unable to remove pins, please upgrade your tier"), http.StatusBadRequest)
+		return
+	}
+	// validate hash
+	hash := c.Param("hash")
+	if _, err := gocid.Decode(hash); err != nil {
+		Fail(c, err)
+		return
+	}
+	if err := api.upm.RemovePin(username, hash, "public"); err != nil {
+		api.LogError(c, err, fmt.Sprint(eh.PinRemovalError+"hash: "+hash))(http.StatusBadRequest)
+		return
+	}
+	Respond(c, http.StatusOK, gin.H{"response": "pin successfuly removed with partial cost refunded"})
+}
diff --git a/eh/errors.go b/eh/errors.go
index 65dcd9ab2..a53256a95 100644
--- a/eh/errors.go
+++ b/eh/errors.go
@@ -134,4 +134,6 @@ const (
 	MaxHoldTimeError = "a hold time of this long would result in a longer maximum pin time than what your account allow, please reduce your hold time and try again"
 	// HostNameNotFoundError is an error message when api server has not hostname
 	HostNameNotFoundError = "an api host has not hostname, please set hostname"
+	// PinRemovalError is an error message when we failed to remove a pin
+	PinRemovalError = "failed to remove pin and refund partial cost"
 )