diff --git a/cmd/gotosocial/action/server/server.go b/cmd/gotosocial/action/server/server.go
index 8b524d66c..29c05ba1a 100644
--- a/cmd/gotosocial/action/server/server.go
+++ b/cmd/gotosocial/action/server/server.go
@@ -235,6 +235,11 @@ var Start action.GTSAction = func(ctx context.Context) error {
 		return fmt.Errorf("error starting gotosocial service: %s", err)
 	}
 
+	// perform initial media prune in case value of MediaRemoteCacheDays changed
+	if err := processor.AdminMediaRemotePrune(ctx, viper.GetInt(config.Keys.MediaRemoteCacheDays)); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("error during initial media prune: %s", err)
+	}
+
 	// catch shutdown signals from the operating system
 	sigs := make(chan os.Signal, 1)
 	signal.Notify(sigs, os.Interrupt, syscall.SIGTERM)
diff --git a/internal/media/manager.go b/internal/media/manager.go
index bf1c702c3..e5c7cd30a 100644
--- a/internal/media/manager.go
+++ b/internal/media/manager.go
@@ -175,10 +175,6 @@ func NewManager(database db.DB, storage *kv.KVStore) (Manager, error) {
 			return nil
 		}
 
-		// Run an initial cache prune in case max age changed
-		logrus.Infof("media manager: running initial remote cache cleanup")
-		go pruneFunc()
-
 		// now start all the cron stuff we've lined up
 		c.Start()
 		logrus.Infof("media manager: next scheduled remote cache cleanup is %q", c.Entry(entryID).Next)
diff --git a/internal/processing/admin.go b/internal/processing/admin.go
index d3452968a..10f3ff8ba 100644
--- a/internal/processing/admin.go
+++ b/internal/processing/admin.go
@@ -53,3 +53,7 @@ func (p *processor) AdminDomainBlockGet(ctx context.Context, authed *oauth.Auth,
 func (p *processor) AdminDomainBlockDelete(ctx context.Context, authed *oauth.Auth, id string) (*apimodel.DomainBlock, gtserror.WithCode) {
 	return p.adminProcessor.DomainBlockDelete(ctx, authed.Account, id)
 }
+
+func (p *processor) AdminMediaRemotePrune(ctx context.Context, mediaRemoteCacheDays int) gtserror.WithCode {
+	return p.adminProcessor.MediaRemotePrune(ctx, mediaRemoteCacheDays)
+}
diff --git a/internal/processing/admin/admin.go b/internal/processing/admin/admin.go
index a66480b8a..4b466a2d7 100644
--- a/internal/processing/admin/admin.go
+++ b/internal/processing/admin/admin.go
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ type Processor interface {
 	DomainBlockDelete(ctx context.Context, account *gtsmodel.Account, id string) (*apimodel.DomainBlock, gtserror.WithCode)
 	AccountAction(ctx context.Context, account *gtsmodel.Account, form *apimodel.AdminAccountActionRequest) gtserror.WithCode
 	EmojiCreate(ctx context.Context, account *gtsmodel.Account, user *gtsmodel.User, form *apimodel.EmojiCreateRequest) (*apimodel.Emoji, gtserror.WithCode)
+	MediaRemotePrune(ctx context.Context, mediaRemoteCacheDays int) gtserror.WithCode
 }
 
 type processor struct {
diff --git a/internal/processing/admin/mediaremoteprune.go b/internal/processing/admin/mediaremoteprune.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e4a50cab8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/processing/admin/mediaremoteprune.go
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+/*
+   GoToSocial
+   Copyright (C) 2021-2022 GoToSocial Authors admin@gotosocial.org
+
+   This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+   it under the terms of the GNU Affero General Public License as published by
+   the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+   (at your option) any later version.
+
+   This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+   but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+   MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+   GNU Affero General Public License for more details.
+
+   You should have received a copy of the GNU Affero General Public License
+   along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+*/
+
+package admin
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"fmt"
+
+	"github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
+	"github.com/superseriousbusiness/gotosocial/internal/gtserror"
+)
+
+func (p *processor) MediaRemotePrune(ctx context.Context, mediaRemoteCacheDays int) gtserror.WithCode {
+	if mediaRemoteCacheDays < 0 {
+		err := fmt.Errorf("invalid value for mediaRemoteCacheDays prune: value was %d, cannot be less than 0", mediaRemoteCacheDays)
+		return gtserror.NewErrorBadRequest(err, err.Error())
+	}
+
+	go func() {
+		pruned, err := p.mediaManager.PruneRemote(ctx, mediaRemoteCacheDays)
+		if err != nil {
+			logrus.Errorf("MediaRemotePrune: error pruning: %s", err)
+		} else {
+			logrus.Infof("MediaRemotePrune: pruned %d entries", pruned)
+		}
+	}()
+
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/internal/processing/processor.go b/internal/processing/processor.go
index 2b12acf52..69f3100f9 100644
--- a/internal/processing/processor.go
+++ b/internal/processing/processor.go
@@ -113,6 +113,8 @@ type Processor interface {
 	AdminDomainBlockGet(ctx context.Context, authed *oauth.Auth, id string, export bool) (*apimodel.DomainBlock, gtserror.WithCode)
 	// AdminDomainBlockDelete deletes one domain block, specified by ID, returning the deleted domain block.
 	AdminDomainBlockDelete(ctx context.Context, authed *oauth.Auth, id string) (*apimodel.DomainBlock, gtserror.WithCode)
+	// AdminMediaRemotePrune triggers a prune of remote media according to the given number of mediaRemoteCacheDays
+	AdminMediaRemotePrune(ctx context.Context, mediaRemoteCacheDays int) gtserror.WithCode
 
 	// AppCreate processes the creation of a new API application
 	AppCreate(ctx context.Context, authed *oauth.Auth, form *apimodel.ApplicationCreateRequest) (*apimodel.Application, error)