diff --git a/contrib/tidy_datadir.sh b/contrib/tidy_datadir.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..5d6d826444
--- /dev/null
+++ b/contrib/tidy_datadir.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+if [ -d "$1" ]; then
+  cd "$1"
+else
+  echo "Usage: $0 <datadir>" >&2
+  echo "Removes obsolete Bitcoin database files" >&2
+  exit 1
+fi
+
+LEVEL=0
+if [ -f wallet.dat -a -f addr.dat -a -f blkindex.dat -a -f blk0001.dat ]; then LEVEL=1; fi
+if [ -f wallet.dat -a -f peers.dat -a -f blkindex.dat -a -f blk0001.dat ]; then LEVEL=2; fi
+if [ -f wallet.dat -a -f peers.dat -a -f coins/CURRENT -a -f blktree/CURRENT -a -f blocks/blk00000.dat ]; then LEVEL=3; fi
+if [ -f wallet.dat -a -f peers.dat -a -f chainstate/CURRENT -a -f blocks/index/CURRENT -a -f blocks/blk00000.dat ]; then LEVEL=4; fi
+
+case $LEVEL in
+  0)
+    echo "Error: no Bitcoin datadir detected."
+    exit 1
+    ;;
+  1)
+    echo "Detected old Bitcoin datadir (before 0.7)."
+    echo "Nothing to do."
+    exit 0
+    ;;
+  2)
+    echo "Detected Bitcoin 0.7 datadir."
+    ;;
+  3)
+    echo "Detected Bitcoin pre-0.8 datadir."
+    ;;
+  4)
+    echo "Detected Bitcoin 0.8 datadir."
+    ;;
+esac
+
+FILES=""
+DIRS=""
+
+if [ $LEVEL -ge 3 ]; then FILES=$(echo $FILES blk????.dat blkindex.dat); fi
+if [ $LEVEL -ge 2 ]; then FILES=$(echo $FILES addr.dat); fi
+if [ $LEVEL -ge 4 ]; then DIRS=$(echo $DIRS coins blktree); fi
+
+for FILE in $FILES; do
+  if [ -f $FILE ]; then
+    echo "Deleting: $FILE"
+    rm -f $FILE
+  fi
+done
+
+for DIR in $DIRS; do
+  if [ -d $DIR ]; then
+    echo "Deleting: $DIR/"
+    rm -rf $DIR
+  fi
+done
+
+echo "Done."