diff --git a/beets/ui/commands.py b/beets/ui/commands.py
index d35922c65..75cae066c 100644
--- a/beets/ui/commands.py
+++ b/beets/ui/commands.py
@@ -1194,31 +1194,33 @@ default_commands.append(update_cmd)
 
 # remove: Remove items from library, delete files.
 
-def remove_items(lib, query, album, delete):
+def remove_items(lib, query, album, delete, force):
     """Remove items matching query from lib. If album, then match and
     remove whole albums. If delete, also remove files from disk.
     """
     # Get the matching items.
     items, albums = _do_query(lib, query, album)
 
-    # Prepare confirmation with user.
-    print_()
-    if delete:
-        fmt = u'$path - $title'
-        prompt = u'Really DELETE %i file%s (y/n)?' % \
-                 (len(items), 's' if len(items) > 1 else '')
-    else:
-        fmt = ''
-        prompt = u'Really remove %i item%s from the library (y/n)?' % \
-                 (len(items), 's' if len(items) > 1 else '')
+    # Confirm file removal if not forcing removal.
+    if not force:
+        # Prepare confirmation with user.
+        print_()
+        if delete:
+            fmt = u'$path - $title'
+            prompt = u'Really DELETE %i file%s (y/n)?' % \
+                     (len(items), 's' if len(items) > 1 else '')
+        else:
+            fmt = ''
+            prompt = u'Really remove %i item%s from the library (y/n)?' % \
+                     (len(items), 's' if len(items) > 1 else '')
 
-    # Show all the items.
-    for item in items:
-        ui.print_(format(item, fmt))
+        # Show all the items.
+        for item in items:
+            ui.print_(format(item, fmt))
 
-    # Confirm with user.
-    if not ui.input_yn(prompt, True):
-        return
+        # Confirm with user.
+        if not ui.input_yn(prompt, True):
+            return
 
     # Remove (and possibly delete) items.
     with lib.transaction():
@@ -1227,7 +1229,7 @@ def remove_items(lib, query, album, delete):
 
 
 def remove_func(lib, opts, args):
-    remove_items(lib, decargs(args), opts.album, opts.delete)
+    remove_items(lib, decargs(args), opts.album, opts.delete, opts.force)
 
 
 remove_cmd = ui.Subcommand(
@@ -1237,6 +1239,10 @@ remove_cmd.parser.add_option(
     u"-d", u"--delete", action="store_true",
     help=u"also remove files from disk"
 )
+remove_cmd.parser.add_option(
+    u"-f", u"--force", action="store_true",
+    help=u"do not ask when removing items"
+)
 remove_cmd.parser.add_album_option()
 remove_cmd.func = remove_func
 default_commands.append(remove_cmd)
diff --git a/docs/changelog.rst b/docs/changelog.rst
index 1069552c0..64b582450 100644
--- a/docs/changelog.rst
+++ b/docs/changelog.rst
@@ -4,7 +4,10 @@ Changelog
 1.3.19 (in development)
 -----------------------
 
-Changelog goes here!
+New features:
+
+* A new ``--force`` option for :ref:`remove-cmd` allows removal of items
+  without prompting beforehand. :bug:`2042`
 
 Some fixes for Windows:
 
diff --git a/docs/reference/cli.rst b/docs/reference/cli.rst
index faae67ee6..93b9b6253 100644
--- a/docs/reference/cli.rst
+++ b/docs/reference/cli.rst
@@ -211,7 +211,7 @@ remove
 ``````
 ::
 
-    beet remove [-ad] QUERY
+    beet remove [-adf] QUERY
 
 Remove music from your library.
 
@@ -219,6 +219,7 @@ This command uses the same :doc:`query <query>` syntax as the ``list`` command.
 You'll be shown a list of the files that will be removed and asked to confirm.
 By default, this just removes entries from the library database; it doesn't
 touch the files on disk. To actually delete the files, use ``beet remove -d``.
+If you do not want to be prompted to remove the files, use ``beet remove -f``.
 
 .. _modify-cmd:
 
diff --git a/test/test_ui.py b/test/test_ui.py
index 4476720e2..d40bfe3b7 100644
--- a/test/test_ui.py
+++ b/test/test_ui.py
@@ -134,14 +134,26 @@ class RemoveTest(_common.TestCase):
 
     def test_remove_items_no_delete(self):
         self.io.addinput('y')
-        commands.remove_items(self.lib, u'', False, False)
+        commands.remove_items(self.lib, u'', False, False, False)
         items = self.lib.items()
         self.assertEqual(len(list(items)), 0)
         self.assertTrue(os.path.exists(self.i.path))
 
     def test_remove_items_with_delete(self):
         self.io.addinput('y')
-        commands.remove_items(self.lib, u'', False, True)
+        commands.remove_items(self.lib, u'', False, True, False)
+        items = self.lib.items()
+        self.assertEqual(len(list(items)), 0)
+        self.assertFalse(os.path.exists(self.i.path))
+
+    def test_remove_items_with_force_no_delete(self):
+        commands.remove_items(self.lib, u'', False, False, True)
+        items = self.lib.items()
+        self.assertEqual(len(list(items)), 0)
+        self.assertTrue(os.path.exists(self.i.path))
+
+    def test_remove_items_with_force_delete(self):
+        commands.remove_items(self.lib, u'', False, True, True)
         items = self.lib.items()
         self.assertEqual(len(list(items)), 0)
         self.assertFalse(os.path.exists(self.i.path))