diff --git a/benchmarks/benches/indexing.rs b/benchmarks/benches/indexing.rs
index 9446c0b0f..cb220a5f0 100644
--- a/benchmarks/benches/indexing.rs
+++ b/benchmarks/benches/indexing.rs
@@ -6,9 +6,7 @@ use std::path::Path;
 
 use criterion::{criterion_group, criterion_main, Criterion};
 use milli::heed::{EnvOpenOptions, RwTxn};
-use milli::update::{
-    DeleteDocuments, IndexDocuments, IndexDocumentsConfig, IndexerConfig, Settings,
-};
+use milli::update::{IndexDocuments, IndexDocumentsConfig, IndexerConfig, Settings};
 use milli::Index;
 use rand::seq::SliceRandom;
 use rand_chacha::rand_core::SeedableRng;
diff --git a/milli/src/index.rs b/milli/src/index.rs
index 61ec41788..3e48f5eb1 100644
--- a/milli/src/index.rs
+++ b/milli/src/index.rs
@@ -1469,8 +1469,7 @@ pub(crate) mod tests {
     use crate::error::{Error, InternalError};
     use crate::index::{DEFAULT_MIN_WORD_LEN_ONE_TYPO, DEFAULT_MIN_WORD_LEN_TWO_TYPOS};
     use crate::update::{
-        self, DeleteDocuments, DeletionStrategy, IndexDocuments, IndexDocumentsConfig,
-        IndexDocumentsMethod, IndexerConfig, Settings,
+        self, IndexDocuments, IndexDocumentsConfig, IndexDocumentsMethod, IndexerConfig, Settings,
     };
     use crate::{db_snap, obkv_to_json, Filter, Index, Search, SearchResult};
 
@@ -1563,11 +1562,20 @@ pub(crate) mod tests {
         pub fn delete_document(&self, external_document_id: &str) {
             let mut wtxn = self.write_txn().unwrap();
 
-            let mut delete = DeleteDocuments::new(&mut wtxn, self).unwrap();
-            delete.strategy(self.index_documents_config.deletion_strategy);
+            let builder = IndexDocuments::new(
+                &mut wtxn,
+                self,
+                &self.indexer_config,
+                self.index_documents_config.clone(),
+                |_| (),
+                || false,
+            )
+            .unwrap();
+            let (builder, user_error) =
+                builder.remove_documents(vec![external_document_id.to_owned()]).unwrap();
+            user_error.unwrap();
+            builder.execute().unwrap();
 
-            delete.delete_external_id(external_document_id);
-            delete.execute().unwrap();
             wtxn.commit().unwrap();
         }
     }
@@ -1884,7 +1892,6 @@ pub(crate) mod tests {
         use maplit::hashset;
 
         let mut index = TempIndex::new();
-        index.index_documents_config.deletion_strategy = DeletionStrategy::AlwaysSoft;
         let index = index;
 
         index
@@ -2055,8 +2062,6 @@ pub(crate) mod tests {
         }
         // Second Batch: replace the documents with soft-deletion
         {
-            index.index_documents_config.deletion_strategy =
-                crate::update::DeletionStrategy::AlwaysSoft;
             let mut docs1 = vec![];
             for i in 0..3 {
                 docs1.push(serde_json::json!(
@@ -2125,7 +2130,6 @@ pub(crate) mod tests {
         drop(rtxn);
         // Third Batch: replace the documents with soft-deletion again
         {
-            index.index_documents_config.deletion_strategy = DeletionStrategy::AlwaysSoft;
             let mut docs1 = vec![];
             for i in 0..3 {
                 docs1.push(serde_json::json!(
@@ -2194,7 +2198,6 @@ pub(crate) mod tests {
 
         // Fourth Batch: replace the documents without soft-deletion
         {
-            index.index_documents_config.deletion_strategy = DeletionStrategy::AlwaysHard;
             let mut docs1 = vec![];
             for i in 0..3 {
                 docs1.push(serde_json::json!(
@@ -2266,7 +2269,6 @@ pub(crate) mod tests {
     fn bug_3021_first() {
         // https://github.com/meilisearch/meilisearch/issues/3021
         let mut index = TempIndex::new();
-        index.index_documents_config.deletion_strategy = DeletionStrategy::AlwaysSoft;
         index.index_documents_config.update_method = IndexDocumentsMethod::ReplaceDocuments;
 
         index
@@ -2379,7 +2381,6 @@ pub(crate) mod tests {
     fn bug_3021_second() {
         // https://github.com/meilisearch/meilisearch/issues/3021
         let mut index = TempIndex::new();
-        index.index_documents_config.deletion_strategy = DeletionStrategy::AlwaysSoft;
         index.index_documents_config.update_method = IndexDocumentsMethod::UpdateDocuments;
 
         index
@@ -2505,7 +2506,6 @@ pub(crate) mod tests {
     fn bug_3021_third() {
         // https://github.com/meilisearch/meilisearch/issues/3021
         let mut index = TempIndex::new();
-        index.index_documents_config.deletion_strategy = DeletionStrategy::AlwaysSoft;
         index.index_documents_config.update_method = IndexDocumentsMethod::UpdateDocuments;
 
         index
@@ -2544,8 +2544,6 @@ pub(crate) mod tests {
         "###);
         db_snap!(index, soft_deleted_documents_ids, 2, @"[0, ]");
 
-        index.index_documents_config.deletion_strategy = DeletionStrategy::AlwaysHard;
-
         index.add_documents(documents!([{ "primary_key": "4", "a": 2 }])).unwrap();
 
         db_snap!(index, documents_ids, @"[2, 3, ]");
@@ -2579,7 +2577,6 @@ pub(crate) mod tests {
         // https://github.com/meilisearch/meilisearch/issues/3021
         let mut index = TempIndex::new();
         index.index_documents_config.update_method = IndexDocumentsMethod::UpdateDocuments;
-        index.index_documents_config.deletion_strategy = DeletionStrategy::AlwaysSoft;
 
         index
             .update_settings(|settings| {
@@ -2622,7 +2619,6 @@ pub(crate) mod tests {
 
         let mut wtxn = index.write_txn().unwrap();
         let mut delete = DeleteDocuments::new(&mut wtxn, &index).unwrap();
-        delete.strategy(DeletionStrategy::AlwaysHard);
         delete.execute().unwrap();
         wtxn.commit().unwrap();
 
diff --git a/milli/src/update/facet/mod.rs b/milli/src/update/facet/mod.rs
index f932d5aee..71e434599 100644
--- a/milli/src/update/facet/mod.rs
+++ b/milli/src/update/facet/mod.rs
@@ -563,14 +563,11 @@ mod tests {
     use crate::db_snap;
     use crate::documents::documents_batch_reader_from_objects;
     use crate::index::tests::TempIndex;
-    use crate::update::DeletionStrategy;
 
     #[test]
     fn replace_all_identical_soft_deletion_then_hard_deletion() {
         let mut index = TempIndex::new_with_map_size(4096 * 1000 * 100);
 
-        index.index_documents_config.deletion_strategy = DeletionStrategy::AlwaysSoft;
-
         index
             .update_settings(|settings| {
                 settings.set_primary_key("id".to_owned());
@@ -622,7 +619,6 @@ mod tests {
         db_snap!(index, soft_deleted_documents_ids, "replaced_1_soft", @"6c975deb900f286d2f6456d2d5c3a123");
 
         // Then replace the last document while disabling soft_deletion
-        index.index_documents_config.deletion_strategy = DeletionStrategy::AlwaysHard;
         let mut documents = vec![];
         for i in 999..1000 {
             documents.push(
diff --git a/milli/src/update/index_documents/mod.rs b/milli/src/update/index_documents/mod.rs
index 7a77f3a96..0b000da06 100644
--- a/milli/src/update/index_documents/mod.rs
+++ b/milli/src/update/index_documents/mod.rs
@@ -35,8 +35,8 @@ use crate::documents::{obkv_to_object, DocumentsBatchReader};
 use crate::error::{Error, InternalError, UserError};
 pub use crate::update::index_documents::helpers::CursorClonableMmap;
 use crate::update::{
-    DeletionStrategy, IndexerConfig, PrefixWordPairsProximityDocids, UpdateIndexingStep,
-    WordPrefixDocids, WordPrefixIntegerDocids, WordsPrefixesFst,
+    IndexerConfig, PrefixWordPairsProximityDocids, UpdateIndexingStep, WordPrefixDocids,
+    WordPrefixIntegerDocids, WordsPrefixesFst,
 };
 use crate::{CboRoaringBitmapCodec, Index, Result};
 
@@ -89,7 +89,6 @@ pub struct IndexDocumentsConfig {
     pub words_positions_level_group_size: Option<NonZeroU32>,
     pub words_positions_min_level_size: Option<NonZeroU32>,
     pub update_method: IndexDocumentsMethod,
-    pub deletion_strategy: DeletionStrategy,
     pub autogenerate_docids: bool,
 }
 
@@ -2497,7 +2496,6 @@ mod tests {
 
         // Delete not all of the documents but some of them.
         let mut builder = DeleteDocuments::new(&mut wtxn, &index).unwrap();
-        builder.strategy(DeletionStrategy::AlwaysHard);
         builder.delete_external_id("0");
         builder.delete_external_id("3");
         let result = builder.execute().unwrap();
@@ -2559,7 +2557,6 @@ mod tests {
         ]
         */
         let mut index = TempIndex::new();
-        index.index_documents_config.deletion_strategy = DeletionStrategy::AlwaysHard;
 
         // START OF BATCH
 
diff --git a/milli/src/update/mod.rs b/milli/src/update/mod.rs
index 97d802d03..dd8851ccb 100644
--- a/milli/src/update/mod.rs
+++ b/milli/src/update/mod.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 pub use self::available_documents_ids::AvailableDocumentsIds;
 pub use self::clear_documents::ClearDocuments;
-pub use self::delete_documents::{DeleteDocuments, DeletionStrategy, DocumentDeletionResult};
 pub use self::facet::bulk::FacetsUpdateBulk;
 pub use self::facet::incremental::FacetsUpdateIncrementalInner;
 pub use self::index_documents::{
diff --git a/milli/src/update/prefix_word_pairs/mod.rs b/milli/src/update/prefix_word_pairs/mod.rs
index e3135d546..7d77490bc 100644
--- a/milli/src/update/prefix_word_pairs/mod.rs
+++ b/milli/src/update/prefix_word_pairs/mod.rs
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ mod tests {
     use crate::db_snap;
     use crate::documents::{DocumentsBatchBuilder, DocumentsBatchReader};
     use crate::index::tests::TempIndex;
-    use crate::update::{DeleteDocuments, DeletionStrategy, IndexDocumentsMethod};
+    use crate::update::IndexDocumentsMethod;
 
     fn documents_with_enough_different_words_for_prefixes(
         prefixes: &[&str],
@@ -337,7 +337,6 @@ mod tests {
 
         let mut wtxn = index.write_txn().unwrap();
         let mut delete = DeleteDocuments::new(&mut wtxn, &index).unwrap();
-        delete.strategy(DeletionStrategy::AlwaysHard);
         delete.delete_documents(&RoaringBitmap::from_iter([50]));
         delete.execute().unwrap();
         wtxn.commit().unwrap();
@@ -349,7 +348,6 @@ mod tests {
 
         let mut wtxn = index.write_txn().unwrap();
         let mut delete = DeleteDocuments::new(&mut wtxn, &index).unwrap();
-        delete.strategy(DeletionStrategy::AlwaysHard);
         delete.delete_documents(&RoaringBitmap::from_iter(0..50));
         delete.execute().unwrap();
         wtxn.commit().unwrap();
@@ -421,7 +419,6 @@ mod tests {
 
         let mut wtxn = index.write_txn().unwrap();
         let mut delete = DeleteDocuments::new(&mut wtxn, &index).unwrap();
-        delete.strategy(DeletionStrategy::AlwaysSoft);
         delete.delete_documents(&RoaringBitmap::from_iter([50]));
         delete.execute().unwrap();
         wtxn.commit().unwrap();
@@ -433,7 +430,6 @@ mod tests {
 
         let mut wtxn = index.write_txn().unwrap();
         let mut delete = DeleteDocuments::new(&mut wtxn, &index).unwrap();
-        delete.strategy(DeletionStrategy::AlwaysSoft);
 
         delete.delete_documents(&RoaringBitmap::from_iter(0..50));
         delete.execute().unwrap();
@@ -460,7 +456,6 @@ mod tests {
         let mut index = TempIndex::new();
         index.index_documents_config.words_prefix_threshold = Some(50);
         index.index_documents_config.update_method = IndexDocumentsMethod::ReplaceDocuments;
-        index.index_documents_config.deletion_strategy = DeletionStrategy::AlwaysSoft;
 
         index
             .update_settings(|settings| {
@@ -520,7 +515,6 @@ mod tests {
     fn replace_hard_deletion() {
         let mut index = TempIndex::new();
         index.index_documents_config.words_prefix_threshold = Some(50);
-        index.index_documents_config.deletion_strategy = DeletionStrategy::AlwaysHard;
         index.index_documents_config.update_method = IndexDocumentsMethod::ReplaceDocuments;
 
         index