diff --git a/modules/joex/src/main/scala/docspell/joex/emptytrash/EmptyTrashTask.scala b/modules/joex/src/main/scala/docspell/joex/emptytrash/EmptyTrashTask.scala
index 3d50a0ca..177e961b 100644
--- a/modules/joex/src/main/scala/docspell/joex/emptytrash/EmptyTrashTask.scala
+++ b/modules/joex/src/main/scala/docspell/joex/emptytrash/EmptyTrashTask.scala
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ object EmptyTrashTask {
   def apply[F[_]: Async](
       itemOps: OItem[F],
       itemSearchOps: OItemSearch[F]
-  ): Task[F, Args, Unit] =
+  ): Task[F, Args, Result] =
     Task { ctx =>
       for {
         now <- Timestamp.current[F]
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ object EmptyTrashTask {
         )
         nDeleted <- deleteAll(ctx.args, maxDate, itemOps, itemSearchOps, ctx)
         _ <- ctx.logger.info(s"Finished deleting $nDeleted items")
-      } yield ()
+      } yield Result(nDeleted)
     }
 
   private def deleteAll[F[_]: Async](
diff --git a/modules/joex/src/main/scala/docspell/joex/emptytrash/Result.scala b/modules/joex/src/main/scala/docspell/joex/emptytrash/Result.scala
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..618d7604
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/joex/src/main/scala/docspell/joex/emptytrash/Result.scala
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2020 Eike K. & Contributors
+ *
+ * SPDX-License-Identifier: AGPL-3.0-or-later
+ */
+
+package docspell.joex.emptytrash
+
+import docspell.scheduler.JobTaskResultEncoder
+
+import io.circe.Encoder
+import io.circe.generic.semiauto.deriveEncoder
+
+final case class Result(removed: Int)
+
+object Result {
+  implicit val jsonEncoder: Encoder[Result] =
+    deriveEncoder
+
+  implicit val jobTaskResultEncoder: JobTaskResultEncoder[Result] =
+    JobTaskResultEncoder.fromJson[Result].withMessage { result =>
+      s"Deleted ${result.removed} items."
+    }
+}