diff --git a/modules/field/field.attach.inc b/modules/field/field.attach.inc
index c643e40..e08e154 100644
--- a/modules/field/field.attach.inc
+++ b/modules/field/field.attach.inc
@@ -1341,7 +1341,8 @@ function field_attach_delete_bundle($entity_type, $bundle) {
   // disabled entity types or bundles.
   $instances = field_read_instances(array('entity_type' => $entity_type, 'bundle' => $bundle), array('include_inactive' => 1));
   foreach ($instances as $instance) {
-    field_delete_instance($instance);
+    // Delete fields as we go along, but do not perform purges.
+    field_delete_instance($instance, TRUE, FALSE);
   }
 
   // Clear the cache.
diff --git a/modules/field/field.crud.inc b/modules/field/field.crud.inc
index a6aaab1..1124590 100644
--- a/modules/field/field.crud.inc
+++ b/modules/field/field.crud.inc
@@ -384,8 +384,11 @@ function field_read_fields($params = array(), $include_additional = array()) {
  *
  * @param $field_name
  *   The field name to delete.
+ * @param $purge
+ *   (optional) If TRUE, the field deletion will be followed by a purge pass.
+ *   Defaults to TRUE.
  */
-function field_delete_field($field_name) {
+function field_delete_field($field_name, $purge = TRUE) {
   // Delete all non-deleted instances.
   $field = field_info_field($field_name);
   if (isset($field['bundles'])) {
@@ -410,6 +413,16 @@ function field_delete_field($field_name) {
   field_cache_clear(TRUE);
 
   module_invoke_all('field_delete_field', $field);
+
+  // Fields are purged on cron. However field module prevents disabling modules
+  // when field types they provided are used in a field until it is fully
+  // purged. In the case that a field has minimal or no content, a single call
+  // to field_purge_batch() will remove it from the system at once and avoid
+  // administrators having to wait for cron runs when removing instances that
+  // meet this criteria.
+  if ($purge) {
+    field_purge_batch(10, $field['id']);
+  }
 }
 
 /**
@@ -726,11 +739,14 @@ function field_read_instances($params = array(), $include_additional = array())
  * @param $instance
  *   An instance structure.
  * @param $field_cleanup
- *   If TRUE, the field will be deleted as well if its last instance is being
- *   deleted. If FALSE, it is the caller's responsability to handle the case of
- *   fields left without instances. Defaults to TRUE.
+ *   (optional) If TRUE, the field will be deleted as well if its last instance
+ *   is being deleted. If FALSE, it is the caller's responsability to handle the
+ *   case of fields left without instances. Defaults to TRUE.
+ * @param $purge
+ *   (optional) If TRUE and $field_cleanup is TRUE, the field deletion will be
+ *   followed by a purge pass. Defaults to TRUE.
  */
-function field_delete_instance($instance, $field_cleanup = TRUE) {
+function field_delete_instance($instance, $field_cleanup = TRUE, $purge = TRUE) {
   // Mark the field instance for deletion.
   db_update('field_config_instance')
     ->fields(array('deleted' => 1))
@@ -751,7 +767,7 @@ function field_delete_instance($instance, $field_cleanup = TRUE) {
 
   // Delete the field itself if we just deleted its last instance.
   if ($field_cleanup && count($field['bundles']) == 0) {
-    field_delete_field($field['field_name']);
+    field_delete_field($field['field_name'], $purge);
   }
 }
 
@@ -837,11 +853,17 @@ function field_delete_instance($instance, $field_cleanup = TRUE) {
  *
  * @param $batch_size
  *   The maximum number of field data records to purge before returning.
+ * @param $field_id
+ *   @todo
  */
-function field_purge_batch($batch_size) {
+function field_purge_batch($batch_size, $field_id = NULL) {
   // Retrieve all deleted field instances. We cannot use field_info_instances()
   // because that function does not return deleted instances.
-  $instances = field_read_instances(array('deleted' => 1), array('include_deleted' => 1));
+  $options = array('deleted' => 1);
+  if ($field_id) {
+    $options['field_id'] = $field_id;
+  }
+  $instances = field_read_instances($options, array('include_deleted' => 1));
 
   foreach ($instances as $instance) {
     // field_purge_data() will need the field array.
@@ -855,23 +877,28 @@ function field_purge_batch($batch_size) {
       ->range(0, $batch_size)
       ->execute();
 
-    if ($results) {
-      foreach ($results as $entity_type => $stub_entities) {
-        field_attach_load($entity_type, $stub_entities, FIELD_LOAD_CURRENT, array('field_id' => $field['id'], 'deleted' => 1));
-        foreach ($stub_entities as $stub_entity) {
-          // Purge the data for the entity.
-          field_purge_data($entity_type, $stub_entity, $field, $instance);
-        }
+    $count = 0;
+    foreach ($results as $entity_type => $stub_entities) {
+      field_attach_load($entity_type, $stub_entities, FIELD_LOAD_CURRENT, array('field_id' => $field['id'], 'deleted' => 1));
+      foreach ($stub_entities as $stub_entity) {
+        // Purge the data for the entity.
+        field_purge_data($entity_type, $stub_entity, $field, $instance);
+        $count++;
       }
     }
-    else {
-      // No field data remains for the instance, so we can remove it.
+    // If we received less results than we asked for, we know that no field data
+    // remains for the instance, so we can remove it.
+    if ($count < $batch_size) {
       field_purge_instance($instance);
     }
   }
 
   // Retrieve all deleted fields. Any that have no instances can be purged.
-  $fields = field_read_fields(array('deleted' => 1), array('include_deleted' => 1));
+  $options = array('deleted' => 1);
+  if ($field_id) {
+    $options['id'] = $field_id;
+  }
+  $fields = field_read_fields($options, array('include_deleted' => 1));
   foreach ($fields as $field) {
     $instances = field_read_instances(array('field_id' => $field['id']), array('include_deleted' => 1));
     if (empty($instances)) {
diff --git a/modules/field/tests/field.test b/modules/field/tests/field.test
index b361637..9d07ddc 100644
--- a/modules/field/tests/field.test
+++ b/modules/field/tests/field.test
@@ -2167,7 +2167,9 @@ class FieldCrudTestCase extends FieldTestCase {
     // Test that the first field is not deleted, and then delete it.
     $field = field_read_field($this->field['field_name'], array('include_deleted' => TRUE));
     $this->assertTrue(!empty($field) && empty($field['deleted']), t('A new field is not marked for deletion.'));
-    field_delete_field($this->field['field_name']);
+    // We test the intermediate state betwenn the deletion and the purge, so we
+    // explicitly instruct field_delete_field() to not run a purge pass.
+    field_delete_field($this->field['field_name'], FALSE);
 
     // Make sure that the field is marked as deleted when it is specifically
     // loaded.
@@ -2596,8 +2598,9 @@ class FieldInstanceCrudTestCase extends FieldTestCase {
     $another_instance = field_read_instance('test_entity', $this->another_instance_definition['field_name'], $this->another_instance_definition['bundle']);
     $this->assertTrue(!empty($another_instance) && empty($another_instance['deleted']), t('A non-deleted field instance is not marked for deletion.'));
 
-    // Make sure the field is deleted when its last instance is deleted.
-    field_delete_instance($another_instance);
+    // Make sure the field is marked deleted when its last instance is deleted
+    // (do not perform purge).
+    field_delete_instance($another_instance, TRUE, FALSE);
     $field = field_read_field($another_instance['field_name'], array('include_deleted' => TRUE));
     $this->assertTrue(!empty($field['deleted']), t('A deleted field is marked for deletion after all its instances have been marked for deletion.'));
   }
@@ -3174,11 +3177,9 @@ class FieldBulkDeleteTestCase extends FieldTestCase {
     $instance = field_info_instance($this->entity_type, $field['field_name'], 'bb_1');
     field_delete_instance($instance);
 
-    // Purge the data.
-    field_purge_batch(10);
-
-    // Purge again to purge the instance.
-    field_purge_batch(0);
+    // Purge the data and the instance (make sure this happens in one single
+    // pass by giving a batch size greater than the amounnt of data).
+    field_purge_batch(11);
 
     // The field still exists, not deleted.
     $fields = field_read_fields(array('id' => $field['id']), array('include_deleted' => 1));
@@ -3188,15 +3189,13 @@ class FieldBulkDeleteTestCase extends FieldTestCase {
     $instance = field_info_instance($this->entity_type, $field['field_name'], 'bb_2');
     field_delete_instance($instance);
 
-    // Purge the data.
-    field_purge_batch(10);
-
     // The field still exists, deleted.
     $fields = field_read_fields(array('id' => $field['id']), array('include_deleted' => 1));
     $this->assertTrue(isset($fields[$field['id']]) && $fields[$field['id']]['deleted'], 'The field exists and is deleted');
 
-    // Purge again to purge the instance and the field.
-    field_purge_batch(0);
+    // Purge the data, the instance and the field (make sure this happens in one
+    // single pass by giving a batch size greater than the amounnt of data).
+    field_purge_batch(11);
 
     // The field is gone.
     $fields = field_read_fields(array('id' => $field['id']), array('include_deleted' => 1, 'include_inactive' => 1));
diff --git a/modules/field_ui/field_ui.admin.inc b/modules/field_ui/field_ui.admin.inc
index 3f60085..811e0f5 100644
--- a/modules/field_ui/field_ui.admin.inc
+++ b/modules/field_ui/field_ui.admin.inc
@@ -1727,14 +1727,6 @@ function field_ui_field_delete_form_submit($form, &$form_state) {
 
   $admin_path = _field_ui_bundle_admin_path($entity_type, $bundle);
   $form_state['redirect'] = field_ui_get_destinations(array($admin_path . '/fields'));
-
-  // Fields are purged on cron. However field module prevents disabling modules
-  // when field types they provided are used in a field until it is fully
-  // purged. In the case that a field has minimal or no content, a single call
-  // to field_purge_batch() will remove it from the system. Call this with a
-  // low batch limit to avoid administrators having to wait for cron runs when
-  // removing instances that meet this criteria.
-  field_purge_batch(10);
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/modules/forum/forum.install b/modules/forum/forum.install
index 2eebd7f..68bf209 100644
--- a/modules/forum/forum.install
+++ b/modules/forum/forum.install
@@ -115,9 +115,6 @@ function forum_uninstall() {
   variable_del('node_options_forum');
 
   field_delete_field('taxonomy_forums');
-  // Purge field data now to allow taxonomy module to be uninstalled
-  // if this is the only field remaining.
-  field_purge_batch(10);
 }
 
 /**