diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 27ef467d..5560987a 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
     "prepare": "husky",
     "server:build": "npm run build --prefix server",
     "server:console": "npm run console --prefix server",
+    "server:db:clean-orphaned-records": "npm run db:clean-orphaned-records --prefix server",
     "server:db:create-admin-user": "npm run db:create-admin-user --prefix server",
     "server:db:init": "npm run db:init --prefix server",
     "server:db:migrate": "npm run db:migrate --prefix server",
diff --git a/server/db/clean-orphaned-records.js b/server/db/clean-orphaned-records.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..400f9522
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/db/clean-orphaned-records.js
@@ -0,0 +1,186 @@
+/*!
+ * Copyright (c) 2024 PLANKA Software GmbH
+ * Licensed under the Fair Use License: https://github.com/plankanban/planka/blob/master/LICENSE.md
+ */
+
+/* eslint-disable no-await-in-loop */
+/* eslint-disable no-console */
+/* eslint-disable no-restricted-syntax */
+
+const { read } = require('read');
+const initKnex = require('knex');
+
+const knexfile = require('./knexfile');
+
+const SAMPLE_SIZE = 5;
+
+// Reference rows that carry no content of their own: once the project or board
+// they point at is gone they are unusable, and the client builds its project
+// list from them, so a single leftover row can take the whole home view down
+const REMOVABLE = [
+  {
+    table: 'project_manager',
+    description: 'project managers of a missing project',
+    whereRaw: 'NOT EXISTS (SELECT 1 FROM project WHERE project.id = project_manager.project_id)',
+  },
+  {
+    table: 'project_favorite',
+    description: 'favorites of a missing project',
+    whereRaw: 'NOT EXISTS (SELECT 1 FROM project WHERE project.id = project_favorite.project_id)',
+  },
+  // Only the board is checked here: the project is denormalized onto the row and
+  // the client resolves it through the board, so a stale project alone is a
+  // repairable inconsistency and deleting the row would revoke real board access
+  {
+    table: 'board_membership',
+    description: 'board memberships of a missing board',
+    whereRaw: 'NOT EXISTS (SELECT 1 FROM board WHERE board.id = board_membership.board_id)',
+  },
+  {
+    table: 'board_subscription',
+    description: 'board subscriptions of a missing board',
+    whereRaw: 'NOT EXISTS (SELECT 1 FROM board WHERE board.id = board_subscription.board_id)',
+  },
+];
+
+// Reported but never touched: removing these would take user content with them,
+// or the repair depends on which of the two sides is meant to win
+const REPORTABLE = [
+  {
+    table: 'board',
+    description: 'boards of a missing project',
+    whereRaw: 'NOT EXISTS (SELECT 1 FROM project WHERE project.id = board.project_id)',
+  },
+  {
+    table: 'list',
+    description: 'lists of a missing board',
+    whereRaw: 'NOT EXISTS (SELECT 1 FROM board WHERE board.id = list.board_id)',
+  },
+  {
+    table: 'card',
+    description: 'cards of a missing list',
+    whereRaw: 'NOT EXISTS (SELECT 1 FROM list WHERE list.id = card.list_id)',
+  },
+  {
+    table: 'notification_service',
+    description: 'notification services of a missing board',
+    whereRaw: `board_id IS NOT NULL
+      AND NOT EXISTS (SELECT 1 FROM board WHERE board.id = notification_service.board_id)`,
+  },
+  {
+    table: 'project',
+    description: 'projects owned by a missing project manager',
+    whereRaw: `owner_project_manager_id IS NOT NULL
+      AND NOT EXISTS (SELECT 1 FROM project_manager WHERE project_manager.id = project.owner_project_manager_id)`,
+  },
+  {
+    table: 'board_membership',
+    description: 'board memberships whose denormalized project does not match their board',
+    whereRaw: `EXISTS (
+      SELECT 1 FROM board
+      WHERE board.id = board_membership.board_id
+        AND board.project_id <> board_membership.project_id
+    )`,
+  },
+];
+
+const knex = initKnex(knexfile);
+
+const findOrphans = async ({ table, whereRaw }) => {
+  const rows = await knex(table).select('id').whereRaw(whereRaw).orderBy('id');
+  return rows.map(({ id }) => id);
+};
+
+const report = (checks, idsByCheck) => {
+  let total = 0;
+
+  checks.forEach((check, index) => {
+    const ids = idsByCheck[index];
+    total += ids.length;
+
+    if (ids.length === 0) {
+      return;
+    }
+
+    const sample = ids.slice(0, SAMPLE_SIZE).join(', ');
+    const rest = ids.length > SAMPLE_SIZE ? `, and ${ids.length - SAMPLE_SIZE} more` : '';
+
+    console.log(`  ${check.table}: ${ids.length} ${check.description}`);
+    console.log(`    ids: ${sample}${rest}`);
+  });
+
+  return total;
+};
+
+const confirmBackup = async () => {
+  if (!process.stdin.isTTY) {
+    throw new Error('Refusing to delete without a terminal to confirm the backup on');
+  }
+
+  const answer = await read({
+    prompt: 'Have you created a backup of this database? Type "yes" to continue: ',
+  });
+
+  if (answer.trim().toLowerCase() !== 'yes') {
+    throw new Error('Aborted, nothing was deleted');
+  }
+};
+
+(async () => {
+  try {
+    const isApplying = process.argv.includes('--apply');
+
+    const removableIds = [];
+    for (const check of REMOVABLE) {
+      removableIds.push(await findOrphans(check));
+    }
+
+    const reportableIds = [];
+    for (const check of REPORTABLE) {
+      reportableIds.push(await findOrphans(check));
+    }
+
+    console.log('Removable orphaned records:');
+    const removableTotal = report(REMOVABLE, removableIds);
+
+    if (removableTotal === 0) {
+      console.log('  none');
+    }
+
+    console.log('\nOther inconsistencies (reported only, never deleted by this script):');
+
+    if (report(REPORTABLE, reportableIds) === 0) {
+      console.log('  none');
+    }
+
+    if (!isApplying) {
+      console.log('\nDry run, nothing was deleted. Pass --apply to delete the removable records.');
+      return;
+    }
+
+    if (removableTotal === 0) {
+      return;
+    }
+
+    console.log('');
+    await confirmBackup();
+
+    await knex.transaction(async (trx) => {
+      for (const [index, check] of REMOVABLE.entries()) {
+        const ids = removableIds[index];
+
+        if (ids.length > 0) {
+          await trx(check.table).whereIn('id', ids).delete();
+          console.log(`Deleted ${ids.length} from ${check.table}`);
+        }
+      }
+    });
+
+    console.log(`\nDeleted ${removableTotal} orphaned records.`);
+  } catch (error) {
+    console.error(error.message);
+    process.exitCode = 1;
+  } finally {
+    await knex.destroy();
+  }
+})();
diff --git a/server/package.json b/server/package.json
index c6349f33..191c340c 100644
--- a/server/package.json
+++ b/server/package.json
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
   "scripts": {
     "build": "node build.js",
     "console": "dotenv sails console",
+    "db:clean-orphaned-records": "node db/clean-orphaned-records.js",
     "db:create-admin-user": "node db/create-admin-user.js",
     "db:init": "node db/init.js",
     "db:migrate": "knex migrate:latest --cwd db",