diff --git a/examples/TEMPLATE.yml b/examples/TEMPLATE.yml
index 91c7d36b685292427dd2c8756b7a6f02abc37cc7..65bf5bc58d07feab0fc73e5cdfba2944dcb8b983 100755
--- a/examples/TEMPLATE.yml
+++ b/examples/TEMPLATE.yml
@@ -15,6 +15,9 @@
 ### Deletion of temporary directories containing
 ### intermediate processing files, bitstreams etc.; default = false
 # delete_tmp: true
+### Deletion of output_path if it exists
+### WARNING! Use with caution and only for debugging test setup issues!; default = false
+# delete_output: false
 ### Master seed for random processes like bitstream error pattern generation; default = 0
 # master_seed: 5
 ### Additional seed to specify number of preruns (used for background noise delay and FER bitstream processing); default = 0
diff --git a/ivas_processing_scripts/__init__.py b/ivas_processing_scripts/__init__.py
index 360148700d3af844bb571bd70715ff151945e6f3..418ccfcca42e4b43cc6a618c45e5c1340cdeb554 100755
--- a/ivas_processing_scripts/__init__.py
+++ b/ivas_processing_scripts/__init__.py
@@ -34,6 +34,8 @@ import logging
 import sys
 from itertools import product
 from multiprocessing import Pool
+from pathlib import Path
+from shutil import rmtree
 from time import sleep
 
 from ivas_processing_scripts.audiotools.metadata import (
@@ -98,13 +100,33 @@ def main(args):
     # set up processing chains
     chains.init_processing_chains(cfg)
 
+    # set up logging
+    logger = logging_init(args, cfg)
+
+    if cfg.delete_output:
+        deletion_list = [d for d in [*cfg.out_dirs, *cfg.tmp_dirs] if Path(d).exists()]
+        if deletion_list:
+            logger.warning(
+                "\nWARNING! The configuration key to delete output directories was specified!"
+            )
+            logger.warning(
+                f"The following directories will be REMOVED from {cfg.output_path}:\n {', '.join([d.name for d in deletion_list])}\n"
+            )
+            confirm = input(
+                "Are you sure you want to delete these? Type 'YES' in capitals to confirm deletion: "
+            )
+            if confirm == "YES":
+                for dir in deletion_list:
+                    rmtree(dir)
+            else:
+                logger.warning(
+                    "Deletion was canceled. Please remove the output directories manually."
+                )
+
     # context manager to create output directories and clean up temporary directories
     with DirManager(
         cfg.out_dirs + cfg.tmp_dirs, cfg.tmp_dirs if cfg.delete_tmp else []
     ):
-        # set up logging
-        logger = logging_init(args, cfg)
-
         # Re-ordering items based on concatenation order
         if hasattr(cfg, "preprocessing_2"):
             if (
diff --git a/ivas_processing_scripts/constants.py b/ivas_processing_scripts/constants.py
index 2119304bdbe0b09b34467f85fda7410d0bdc1236..4cae7dd5977eba57af100a441b2fe21711d97b93 100755
--- a/ivas_processing_scripts/constants.py
+++ b/ivas_processing_scripts/constants.py
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@ DEFAULT_CONFIG = {
     "multiprocessing": True,
     "use_windows_codec_binaries": False,
     "delete_tmp": False,
+    "delete_output": False,
     "master_seed": 0,
     "prerun_seed": 0,
     "metadata_path": None,