diff --git a/internal/model/model.go b/internal/model/model.go
index d6b589425..e99db243f 100644
--- a/internal/model/model.go
+++ b/internal/model/model.go
@@ -1065,6 +1065,7 @@ func (m *Model) ScanFolderSub(folder, sub string) error {
 		Matcher:      ignores,
 		BlockSize:    protocol.BlockSize,
 		TempNamer:    defTempNamer,
+		TempLifetime: time.Duration(m.cfg.Options().KeepTemporariesH) * time.Hour,
 		CurrentFiler: cFiler{m, folder},
 		IgnorePerms:  m.folderCfgs[folder].IgnorePerms,
 	}
diff --git a/internal/model/puller.go b/internal/model/puller.go
index 968db7a76..6d3f7405f 100644
--- a/internal/model/puller.go
+++ b/internal/model/puller.go
@@ -91,21 +91,16 @@ func (p *Puller) Serve() {
 
 	pullTimer := time.NewTimer(checkPullIntv)
 	scanTimer := time.NewTimer(time.Millisecond) // The first scan should be done immediately.
-	cleanTimer := time.NewTicker(time.Hour)
 
 	defer func() {
 		pullTimer.Stop()
 		scanTimer.Stop()
-		cleanTimer.Stop()
 		// TODO: Should there be an actual FolderStopped state?
 		p.model.setState(p.folder, FolderIdle)
 	}()
 
 	var prevVer uint64
 
-	// Clean out old temporaries before we start pulling
-	p.clean()
-
 	// We don't start pulling files until a scan has been completed.
 	initialScanCompleted := false
 
@@ -222,10 +217,6 @@ loop:
 				l.Infoln("Completed initial scan (rw) of folder", p.folder)
 				initialScanCompleted = true
 			}
-
-		// Clean out old temporaries
-		case <-cleanTimer.C:
-			p.clean()
 		}
 	}
 }
@@ -846,23 +837,6 @@ func (p *Puller) finisherRoutine(in <-chan *sharedPullerState) {
 	}
 }
 
-// clean deletes orphaned temporary files
-func (p *Puller) clean() {
-	keep := time.Duration(p.model.cfg.Options().KeepTemporariesH) * time.Hour
-	now := time.Now()
-	filepath.Walk(p.dir, func(path string, info os.FileInfo, err error) error {
-		if err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-
-		if info.Mode().IsRegular() && defTempNamer.IsTemporary(path) && info.ModTime().Add(keep).Before(now) {
-			os.Remove(path)
-		}
-
-		return nil
-	})
-}
-
 func invalidateFolder(cfg *config.Configuration, folderID string, err error) {
 	for i := range cfg.Folders {
 		folder := &cfg.Folders[i]
diff --git a/internal/model/puller_test.go b/internal/model/puller_test.go
index 2481f8873..50408f1b6 100644
--- a/internal/model/puller_test.go
+++ b/internal/model/puller_test.go
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"testing"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/syncthing/syncthing/internal/config"
 	"github.com/syncthing/syncthing/internal/protocol"
@@ -28,6 +29,16 @@ import (
 	"github.com/syndtr/goleveldb/leveldb/storage"
 )
 
+func init() {
+	// We do this to make sure that the temp file required for the tests does
+	// not get removed during the tests.
+	future := time.Now().Add(time.Hour)
+	err := os.Chtimes(filepath.Join("testdata", defTempNamer.TempName("file")), future, future)
+	if err != nil {
+		panic(err)
+	}
+}
+
 var blocks = []protocol.BlockInfo{
 	{Hash: []uint8{0xfa, 0x43, 0x23, 0x9b, 0xce, 0xe7, 0xb9, 0x7c, 0xa6, 0x2f, 0x0, 0x7c, 0xc6, 0x84, 0x87, 0x56, 0xa, 0x39, 0xe1, 0x9f, 0x74, 0xf3, 0xdd, 0xe7, 0x48, 0x6d, 0xb3, 0xf9, 0x8d, 0xf8, 0xe4, 0x71}}, // Zero'ed out block
 	{Offset: 0, Size: 0x20000, Hash: []uint8{0x7e, 0xad, 0xbc, 0x36, 0xae, 0xbb, 0xcf, 0x74, 0x43, 0xe2, 0x7a, 0x5a, 0x4b, 0xb8, 0x5b, 0xce, 0xe6, 0x9e, 0x1e, 0x10, 0xf9, 0x8a, 0xbc, 0x77, 0x95, 0x2, 0x29, 0x60, 0x9e, 0x96, 0xae, 0x6c}},
diff --git a/internal/scanner/walk.go b/internal/scanner/walk.go
index d0a1d4819..c19f5489f 100644
--- a/internal/scanner/walk.go
+++ b/internal/scanner/walk.go
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import (
 	"path/filepath"
 	"runtime"
 	"strings"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/syncthing/syncthing/internal/ignore"
 	"github.com/syncthing/syncthing/internal/lamport"
@@ -40,6 +41,8 @@ type Walker struct {
 	Matcher *ignore.Matcher
 	// If TempNamer is not nil, it is used to ignore tempory files when walking.
 	TempNamer TempNamer
+	// Number of hours to keep temporary files for
+	TempLifetime time.Duration
 	// If CurrentFiler is not nil, it is queried for the current file before rescanning.
 	CurrentFiler CurrentFiler
 	// If IgnorePerms is true, changes to permission bits will not be
@@ -86,6 +89,7 @@ func (w *Walker) Walk() (chan protocol.FileInfo, error) {
 }
 
 func (w *Walker) walkAndHashFiles(fchan chan protocol.FileInfo) filepath.WalkFunc {
+	now := time.Now()
 	return func(p string, info os.FileInfo, err error) error {
 		if err != nil {
 			if debug {
@@ -111,6 +115,12 @@ func (w *Walker) walkAndHashFiles(fchan chan protocol.FileInfo) filepath.WalkFun
 			if debug {
 				l.Debugln("temporary:", rn)
 			}
+			if info.Mode().IsRegular() && info.ModTime().Add(w.TempLifetime).Before(now) {
+				os.Remove(p)
+				if debug {
+					l.Debugln("removing temporary:", rn, info.ModTime())
+				}
+			}
 			return nil
 		}