diff --git a/src/bindings/python/fluxacct/accounting/bank_subcommands.py b/src/bindings/python/fluxacct/accounting/bank_subcommands.py
index 914ee13c..86bc8693 100644
--- a/src/bindings/python/fluxacct/accounting/bank_subcommands.py
+++ b/src/bindings/python/fluxacct/accounting/bank_subcommands.py
@@ -171,11 +171,27 @@ def view_bank(conn, bank, tree=False, users=False, parsable=False, cols=None):
         raise ValueError(f"view-bank: {exc}")
 
 
-def delete_bank(conn, bank):
+def delete_bank(conn, bank, force=False):
+    """
+    Deactivate a bank row in the bank_table by setting its 'active' status to 0.
+    If force=True, actually remove the bank row from the bank_table. If the bank contains
+    multiple sub-banks and associations, either disable or actually remove those rows as
+    well.
+
+    Args:
+        conn: The SQLite Connection object
+        bank: the name of the bank
+        force: an option to actually remove the row from the bank_table instead of
+            just setting the 'active' column to 0.
+    """
     cursor = conn.cursor()
+    if force:
+        sql_stmt = "DELETE FROM bank_table WHERE bank=?"
+    else:
+        sql_stmt = "UPDATE bank_table SET active=0 WHERE bank=?"
 
     try:
-        cursor.execute("UPDATE bank_table SET active=0 WHERE bank=?", (bank,))
+        cursor.execute(sql_stmt, (bank,))
 
         # helper function to traverse the bank table and disable all of its sub banks
         def get_sub_banks(bank):
@@ -190,13 +206,13 @@ def get_sub_banks(bank):
                     FROM association_table WHERE bank=?
                     """
                 for assoc_row in cursor.execute(select_assoc_stmt, (bank,)):
-                    u.delete_user(conn, username=assoc_row[0], bank=assoc_row[1])
+                    u.delete_user(
+                        conn, username=assoc_row[0], bank=assoc_row[1], force=force
+                    )
             # else, disable all of its sub banks and continue traversing
             else:
                 for row in result:
-                    cursor.execute(
-                        "UPDATE bank_table SET active=0 WHERE bank=?", (row[0],)
-                    )
+                    cursor.execute(sql_stmt, (row[0],))
                     get_sub_banks(row[0])
 
         get_sub_banks(bank)
diff --git a/src/cmd/flux-account-service.py b/src/cmd/flux-account-service.py
index f2a52c4a..0f779351 100755
--- a/src/cmd/flux-account-service.py
+++ b/src/cmd/flux-account-service.py
@@ -301,7 +301,7 @@ def add_bank(self, handle, watcher, msg, arg):
 
     def delete_bank(self, handle, watcher, msg, arg):
         try:
-            val = b.delete_bank(self.conn, msg.payload["bank"])
+            val = b.delete_bank(self.conn, msg.payload["bank"], msg.payload["force"])
 
             payload = {"delete_bank": val}
 
diff --git a/src/cmd/flux-account.py b/src/cmd/flux-account.py
index 75b63e28..0e986545 100755
--- a/src/cmd/flux-account.py
+++ b/src/cmd/flux-account.py
@@ -387,6 +387,17 @@ def add_delete_bank_arg(subparsers):
         help="bank name",
         metavar="BANK",
     )
+    subparser_delete_bank.add_argument(
+        "--force",
+        action="store_const",
+        const=True,
+        default=False,
+        help=(
+            "actually remove bank from bank_table (WARNING: removing a row from "
+            "the bank_table can affect a bank and its users' fair-share value; "
+            "proceed with caution)"
+        ),
+    )
 
 
 def add_edit_bank_arg(subparsers):