diff --git a/src/packages/database/postgres/bulk-delete.test.ts b/src/packages/database/postgres/bulk-delete.test.ts
index eb523d7df4..423c10b009 100644
--- a/src/packages/database/postgres/bulk-delete.test.ts
+++ b/src/packages/database/postgres/bulk-delete.test.ts
@@ -20,6 +20,14 @@ describe("bulk delete", () => {
     const p = getPool();
     const project_id = uuid();
     const N = 2000;
+
+    // extra entry, which has to remain
+    const other = uuid();
+    await p.query(
+      "INSERT INTO project_log (id, project_id, time) VALUES($1::UUID, $2::UUID, $3::TIMESTAMP)",
+      [other, uuid(), new Date()],
+    );
+
     for (let i = 0; i < N; i++) {
       await p.query(
         "INSERT INTO project_log (id, project_id, time) VALUES($1::UUID, $2::UUID, $3::TIMESTAMP)",
@@ -33,17 +41,31 @@ describe("bulk delete", () => {
     );
     expect(num1.rows[0].num).toEqual(N);
 
-    await bulk_delete({
+    const res = await bulk_delete({
       table: "project_log",
       field: "project_id",
       value: project_id,
-      limit: 100,
+      limit: 128,
     });
 
+    // if this ever fails, the "ret.rowCount" value is inaccurate.
+    // This must be replaced by "RETURNING 1" in the the query and a "SELECT COUNT(*) ..." and so.
+    // (and not only here, but everywhere in the code base)
+    expect(res.rowsDeleted).toEqual(N);
+    expect(res.durationS).toBeGreaterThan(0.01);
+    expect(res.totalPgTimeS).toBeGreaterThan(0.001);
+    expect(res.totalWaitS).toBeGreaterThan(0.001);
+    expect((res.totalPgTimeS * 10) / res.totalWaitS).toBeGreaterThan(0.5);
+
     const num2 = await p.query(
       "SELECT COUNT(*)::INT as num FROM project_log WHERE project_id = $1",
       [project_id],
     );
     expect(num2.rows[0].num).toEqual(0);
-  });
+
+    const otherRes = await p.query("SELECT * FROM project_log WHERE id = $1", [
+      other,
+    ]);
+    expect(otherRes.rows[0].id).toEqual(other);
+  }, 10000);
 });
diff --git a/src/packages/database/postgres/bulk-delete.ts b/src/packages/database/postgres/bulk-delete.ts
index 28677e366b..b6b38490a4 100644
--- a/src/packages/database/postgres/bulk-delete.ts
+++ b/src/packages/database/postgres/bulk-delete.ts
@@ -1,73 +1,81 @@
+// see packages/database/pool/pool.ts for where this name is also hard coded:
+process.env.PGDATABASE = "smc_ephemeral_testing_database";
+
 import { escapeIdentifier } from "pg";
 
 import getPool from "@cocalc/database/pool";
 import { SCHEMA } from "@cocalc/util/schema";
 
 interface Opts {
-  table: string;
+  table: string; // e.g. project_log, etc.
   field: "project_id" | "account_id"; // for now, we only support a few
+  id?: string; // default "id", the ID field in the table, which identifies each row uniquely
   value: string; // a UUID
-  limit?: number;
+  limit?: number; // default 1024
+  maxUtilPct?: number; // 0-100, percent
 }
 
 type Ret = Promise<{
   rowsDeleted: number;
   durationS: number;
+  totalWaitS: number;
+  totalPgTimeS: number;
 }>;
 
-function deleteQuery(table: string, field: string) {
+function deleteQuery(table: string, field: string, id: string) {
   const T = escapeIdentifier(table);
   const F = escapeIdentifier(field);
+  const ID = escapeIdentifier(id);
 
   return `
 DELETE FROM ${T}
-WHERE ${F} IN (
-    SELECT ${F} FROM ${T} WHERE ${F} = $1 LIMIT $2
-)
-RETURNING 1
-`;
+WHERE ${ID} IN (
+    SELECT ${ID} FROM ${T} WHERE ${F} = $1 LIMIT $2
+)`;
 }
 
 export async function bulk_delete(opts: Opts): Ret {
-  const { table, field, value } = opts;
-  let { limit = 1000 } = opts;
+  const { table, field, value, id = "id", maxUtilPct = 10 } = opts;
+  let { limit = 1024 } = opts;
   // assert table name is a key in SCHEMA
   if (!(table in SCHEMA)) {
     throw new Error(`table ${table} does not exist`);
   }
 
-  const q = deleteQuery(table, field);
-  console.log(q);
-  console.log(opts);
+  if (maxUtilPct < 1 || maxUtilPct > 99) {
+    throw new Error(`maxUtilPct must be between 1 and 99`);
+  }
 
+  const q = deleteQuery(table, field, id);
   const pool = getPool();
-
   const start_ts = Date.now();
-  let rowsDeleted = 0;
 
+  let rowsDeleted = 0;
+  let totalWaitS = 0;
+  let totalPgTimeS = 0;
   while (true) {
     const t0 = Date.now();
     const ret = await pool.query(q, [value, limit]);
-    const td = Date.now() - t0;
+    const dt = (Date.now() - t0) / 1000;
     rowsDeleted += ret.rowCount ?? 0;
+    totalPgTimeS += dt;
 
-    // adjust the limit
-    const next = Math.round(
-      td > 0.1 ? limit / 2 : td < 0.05 ? limit * 2 : limit,
-    );
-    limit = Math.max(1, Math.min(10000, next));
+    // adjust the limit: we aim to keep the operation between 0.1 and 0.2 secs
+    const next = dt > 0.2 ? limit / 2 : dt < 0.1 ? limit * 2 : limit;
+    limit = Math.max(1, Math.min(32768, Math.round(next)));
 
     // wait for a bit, but not more than 1 second ~ this aims for a max utilization of 10%
-    const wait_ms = Math.min(1000, td * 10);
-    await new Promise((done) => setTimeout(done, wait_ms));
+    const waitS = Math.min(1, dt * ((100 - maxUtilPct) / maxUtilPct));
+    await new Promise((done) => setTimeout(done, 1000 * waitS));
+    totalWaitS += waitS;
 
-    console.log(
-      `loop: deleted ${ret.rowCount} | wait=${wait_ms} | limit=${limit}`,
-    );
+    // console.log(
+    //   `deleted ${ret.rowCount} | dt=${dt} | wait=${waitS} | limit=${limit}`,
+    // );
 
     if (ret.rowCount === 0) break;
   }
 
   const durationS = (Date.now() - start_ts) / 1000;
-  return { durationS, rowsDeleted };
+  return { durationS, rowsDeleted, totalWaitS, totalPgTimeS };
 }