diff --git a/core/modules/file/config/install/file.settings.yml b/core/modules/file/config/install/file.settings.yml
index e652277..16ebe66 100644
--- a/core/modules/file/config/install/file.settings.yml
+++ b/core/modules/file/config/install/file.settings.yml
@@ -3,4 +3,4 @@ description:
   length: 128
 icon:
   directory: 'core/modules/file/icons'
-
+file_usage_temporary: false
diff --git a/core/modules/file/config/schema/file.schema.yml b/core/modules/file/config/schema/file.schema.yml
index b9f8918..988bea9 100644
--- a/core/modules/file/config/schema/file.schema.yml
+++ b/core/modules/file/config/schema/file.schema.yml
@@ -21,6 +21,9 @@ file.settings:
         directory:
           type: path
           label: 'Directory'
+    file_usage_temporary:
+      type: boolean
+      label: 'Controls if unused files should be marked temporary'
 
 field.storage_settings.file:
   type: base_entity_reference_field_settings
diff --git a/core/modules/file/file.module b/core/modules/file/file.module
index c63fff4..06be79c 100644
--- a/core/modules/file/file.module
+++ b/core/modules/file/file.module
@@ -1560,3 +1560,29 @@ function _views_file_status($choice = NULL) {
 
   return $status;
 }
+
+/**
+ * Implements hook_form_FORM_ID_alter().
+ */
+function file_form_system_file_system_settings_alter(&$form, FormStateInterface $form_state) {
+  $config = \Drupal::configFactory()->getEditable('file.settings');
+  $form['file_usage_temporary'] = array(
+    '#type'          => 'checkbox',
+    '#title'         => t('Mark unused files as temporary'),
+    '#default_value' => $config->get('file_usage_temporary'),
+    '#description'   => t('If checked, files for which all usages are removed are marked as temporary and then later on removed. <strong>Warning:</strong> There are currently known bugs with file usage counting, it is recommended to leave this disabled to prevent the loss of files.'),
+  );
+
+  $form['#submit'][] = 'file_system_file_settings_submit';
+}
+
+/**
+ * Form submission handler for system_logging_settings().
+ *
+ * @see syslog_form_system_logging_settings_alter()
+ */
+function file_system_file_settings_submit($form, FormStateInterface $form_state) {
+  \Drupal::configFactory()->getEditable('file.settings')
+    ->set('file_usage_temporary', $form_state->getValue('file_usage_temporary'))
+    ->save();
+}
diff --git a/core/modules/file/file.services.yml b/core/modules/file/file.services.yml
index 1c463af..b4b2418 100644
--- a/core/modules/file/file.services.yml
+++ b/core/modules/file/file.services.yml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 services:
   file.usage:
     class: Drupal\file\FileUsage\DatabaseFileUsageBackend
-    arguments: ['@database']
+    arguments: ['@database', '@config.factory']
     tags:
       - { name: backend_overridable }
diff --git a/core/modules/file/src/FileUsage/DatabaseFileUsageBackend.php b/core/modules/file/src/FileUsage/DatabaseFileUsageBackend.php
index 12647b1..44e88da 100644
--- a/core/modules/file/src/FileUsage/DatabaseFileUsageBackend.php
+++ b/core/modules/file/src/FileUsage/DatabaseFileUsageBackend.php
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 namespace Drupal\file\FileUsage;
 
+use Drupal\Core\Config\ConfigFactoryInterface;
 use Drupal\Core\Database\Connection;
 use Drupal\file\FileInterface;
 
@@ -33,9 +34,11 @@ class DatabaseFileUsageBackend extends FileUsageBase {
    * @param string $table
    *   (optional) The table to store file usage info. Defaults to 'file_usage'.
    */
-  public function __construct(Connection $connection, $table = 'file_usage') {
+  public function __construct(Connection $connection, ConfigFactoryInterface $config_factory = NULL, $table = 'file_usage') {
+    parent::__construct($config_factory);
     $this->connection = $connection;
 
+
     $this->tableName = $table;
   }
 
diff --git a/core/modules/file/src/FileUsage/FileUsageBase.php b/core/modules/file/src/FileUsage/FileUsageBase.php
index c90359b..2e02c90 100644
--- a/core/modules/file/src/FileUsage/FileUsageBase.php
+++ b/core/modules/file/src/FileUsage/FileUsageBase.php
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 namespace Drupal\file\FileUsage;
 
+use Drupal\Core\Config\ConfigFactoryInterface;
 use Drupal\file\FileInterface;
 
 /**
@@ -10,6 +11,23 @@
 abstract class FileUsageBase implements FileUsageInterface {
 
   /**
+   * The config factory.
+   *
+   * @var \Drupal\Core\Config\ConfigFactoryInterface
+   */
+  protected $configFactory;
+
+  /**
+   * Creates a FileUsageBase object.
+   *
+   * @param \Drupal\Core\Config\ConfigFactoryInterface $config_factory
+   *   The config factory.
+   */
+  public function __construct(ConfigFactoryInterface $config_factory = NULL) {
+    $this->configFactory = $config_factory ?: \Drupal::configFactory();
+  }
+
+  /**
    * {@inheritdoc}
    */
   public function add(FileInterface $file, $module, $type, $id, $count = 1) {
@@ -24,6 +42,11 @@ public function add(FileInterface $file, $module, $type, $id, $count = 1) {
    * {@inheritdoc}
    */
   public function delete(FileInterface $file, $module, $type = NULL, $id = NULL, $count = 1) {
+    // Do not actually mark files as temporary when the behavior is disabled.
+    if (!$this->configFactory->get('file.settings')->get('file_usage_temporary')) {
+      return;
+    }
+
     // If there are no more remaining usages of this file, mark it as temporary,
     // which result in a delete through system_cron().
     $usage = \Drupal::service('file.usage')->listUsage($file);
diff --git a/core/modules/file/src/Tests/FileFieldRevisionTest.php b/core/modules/file/src/Tests/FileFieldRevisionTest.php
index f5d00c7..f3db6f9 100644
--- a/core/modules/file/src/Tests/FileFieldRevisionTest.php
+++ b/core/modules/file/src/Tests/FileFieldRevisionTest.php
@@ -22,6 +22,9 @@ class FileFieldRevisionTest extends FileFieldTestBase {
    *    should be deleted also.
    */
   function testRevisions() {
+
+    $this->config('file.settings')->set('file_usage_temporary', TRUE)->save();
+
     $node_storage = $this->container->get('entity.manager')->getStorage('node');
     $type_name = 'article';
     $field_name = strtolower($this->randomMachineName());
diff --git a/core/modules/file/src/Tests/FileListingTest.php b/core/modules/file/src/Tests/FileListingTest.php
index 708f138..8dbeffc 100644
--- a/core/modules/file/src/Tests/FileListingTest.php
+++ b/core/modules/file/src/Tests/FileListingTest.php
@@ -30,6 +30,8 @@ class FileListingTest extends FileFieldTestBase {
   protected function setUp() {
     parent::setUp();
 
+    $this->config('file.settings')->set('file_usage_temporary', TRUE)->save();
+
     $this->adminUser = $this->drupalCreateUser(array('access files overview', 'bypass node access'));
     $this->baseUser = $this->drupalCreateUser();
     $this->createFileField('file', 'node', 'article', array(), array('file_extensions' => 'txt png'));
diff --git a/core/modules/file/src/Tests/FileOnTranslatedEntityTest.php b/core/modules/file/src/Tests/FileOnTranslatedEntityTest.php
index 7987bcf..502f757 100644
--- a/core/modules/file/src/Tests/FileOnTranslatedEntityTest.php
+++ b/core/modules/file/src/Tests/FileOnTranslatedEntityTest.php
@@ -29,6 +29,8 @@ class FileOnTranslatedEntityTest extends FileFieldTestBase {
   protected function setUp() {
     parent::setUp();
 
+    $this->config('file.settings')->set('file_usage_temporary', TRUE)->save();
+
     // Create the "Basic page" node type.
     // @todo Remove the disabling of new revision creation in
     //   https://www.drupal.org/node/1239558.
diff --git a/core/modules/file/src/Tests/FilePrivateTest.php b/core/modules/file/src/Tests/FilePrivateTest.php
index 2705ef2..09a34ae 100644
--- a/core/modules/file/src/Tests/FilePrivateTest.php
+++ b/core/modules/file/src/Tests/FilePrivateTest.php
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ protected function setUp() {
     node_access_test_add_field(NodeType::load('article'));
     node_access_rebuild();
     \Drupal::state()->set('node_access_test.private', TRUE);
+    $this->config('file.settings')->set('file_usage_temporary', TRUE)->save();
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/core/modules/file/tests/src/Kernel/DeleteTest.php b/core/modules/file/tests/src/Kernel/DeleteTest.php
index b880571..6bed807 100644
--- a/core/modules/file/tests/src/Kernel/DeleteTest.php
+++ b/core/modules/file/tests/src/Kernel/DeleteTest.php
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ function testUnused() {
    * Tries deleting a file that is in use.
    */
   function testInUse() {
+    $this->config('file.settings')->set('file_usage_temporary', TRUE)->save();
     $file = $this->createFile();
     $file_usage = $this->container->get('file.usage');
     $file_usage->add($file, 'testing', 'test', 1);
diff --git a/core/modules/image/src/Tests/ImageOnTranslatedEntityTest.php b/core/modules/image/src/Tests/ImageOnTranslatedEntityTest.php
index a8985ce..09ad0f6 100644
--- a/core/modules/image/src/Tests/ImageOnTranslatedEntityTest.php
+++ b/core/modules/image/src/Tests/ImageOnTranslatedEntityTest.php
@@ -29,6 +29,8 @@ class ImageOnTranslatedEntityTest extends ImageFieldTestBase {
   protected function setUp() {
     parent::setUp();
 
+    $this->config('file.settings')->set('file_usage_temporary', TRUE)->save();
+
     // Create the "Basic page" node type.
     // @todo Remove the disabling of new revision creation in
     //   https://www.drupal.org/node/1239558.
diff --git a/core/modules/user/src/Tests/UserPictureTest.php b/core/modules/user/src/Tests/UserPictureTest.php
index 3f8db42..3d2617d 100644
--- a/core/modules/user/src/Tests/UserPictureTest.php
+++ b/core/modules/user/src/Tests/UserPictureTest.php
@@ -33,6 +33,8 @@ class UserPictureTest extends WebTestBase {
   protected function setUp() {
     parent::setUp();
 
+    $this->config('file.settings')->set('file_usage_temporary', TRUE)->save();
+
     $this->webUser = $this->drupalCreateUser(array(
       'access content',
       'access comments',