diff --git a/priv/riak_kv.schema b/priv/riak_kv.schema
index c8c6f2c1c..cdee70da0 100644
--- a/priv/riak_kv.schema
+++ b/priv/riak_kv.schema
@@ -1492,4 +1492,11 @@
     {datatype, {flag, enabled, disabled}},
     {default, disabled},
     hidden
+]}.
+
+%% @doc When doing handoffs, forward delete requests so that if the delete_mode
+%% is not keep, tombstones will still be reaped.
+{mapping, "handoff_deletes", "riak_kv.handoff_deletes", [
+    {datatype, {flag, enabled, disabled}},
+    {default, disabled}
 ]}.
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/rebar.config b/rebar.config
index b5ad6d55a..b53501669 100644
--- a/rebar.config
+++ b/rebar.config
@@ -52,6 +52,6 @@
     {riak_dt, {git, "https://github.com/basho/riak_dt.git", {tag, "riak_kv-3.0.0"}}},
     {riak_api, {git, "https://github.com/basho/riak_api.git", {tag, "riak_kv-3.0.13"}}},
     {hyper, {git, "https://github.com/basho/hyper", {tag, "1.1.0"}}},
-    {kv_index_tictactree, {git, "https://github.com/martinsumner/kv_index_tictactree.git", {tag, "1.0.5"}}},
+    {kv_index_tictactree, {git, "https://github.com/martinsumner/kv_index_tictactree.git", {branch, "develop-3.0"}}},
     {riakhttpc, {git, "https://github.com/basho/riak-erlang-http-client", {tag, "3.0.13"}}}
        ]}.
diff --git a/src/riak_kv_vnode.erl b/src/riak_kv_vnode.erl
index 1fc0a1846..37f3f885d 100644
--- a/src/riak_kv_vnode.erl
+++ b/src/riak_kv_vnode.erl
@@ -2326,6 +2326,15 @@ handle_handoff_request(kv_w1c_put_request, Request, Sender, State) ->
             NewState
     end,
     {forward, NewState0};
+handle_handoff_request(kv_delete_request, Request, Sender, State) ->
+    HandoffDeletes = app_helper:get_env(riak_kv, handoff_deletes),
+    case {HandoffDeletes, handle_command(Request, Sender, State)} of
+        {true, {reply, {del, Idx, Reason}, NewState}} ->
+            riak_core_vnode:reply(Sender, {del, Idx, Reason}),
+            {forward, NewState};
+        {_, Result} ->
+            Result
+    end;
 handle_handoff_request(_Other, Req, Sender, State) ->
     %% @todo: this should be based on the type of the request when the
     %%        hiding of records is complete.