diff --git a/LICENSE b/LICENSE
index 42dfd5e..a40793e 100644
--- a/LICENSE
+++ b/LICENSE
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-blurp: A GoToSocial status deletion tool.
+blurp: A GoToSocial status management tool.
 Copyright (C) 2024 decentral1se
 
 This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify it under
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 7fa9638..2bca34b 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -4,7 +4,11 @@
 
 > 🚧 Status: **ALPHA SOFTWARE** 🚧
 
-A [GoToSocial](https://docs.gotosocial.org) status deletion tool. Given that this can completely destroy your status history, I'm not sure I really recommend it. However, it does Work For Me ™ `blurp` might be useful to you while we're waiting for [`#1442`](https://github.com/superseriousbusiness/gotosocial/issues/1442) to get implemented.
+A [GoToSocial](https://docs.gotosocial.org) status management tool.
+
+`blurp` might be useful to you while we're waiting for
+[`#1442`](https://github.com/superseriousbusiness/gotosocial/issues/1442) to
+get implemented.
 
 ## Install
 
@@ -15,6 +19,42 @@ curl https://git.coopcloud.tech/decentral1se/blurp/raw/branch/main/blurp -o blur
 chmod +x blurp
 ```
 
+## Delete stuff 🔥
+
+You'll need to log in first:
+
+```
+blurp login -u foo@bar.zone
+```
+
+You can archive all your account statuses:
+
+```
+blurp archive
+```
+
+See `./archive` for every status (favourited, pinned, boosted, bookmarked etc.)
+connected with your account. All media attachments are downloaded alongside the
+status. Status content is dumped as a JSON file.
+
+> 🔴 **DANGER ZONE** 🔴
+
+To delete all statuses older than *2 weeks*:
+
+```
+blurp delete
+```
+
+It is **HIGHLY RECOMMENDED** to pass `--dry/-d` as a dry run before actually
+deleting stuff or real. This lets `blurp` tell you what it will actually do
+before doing it. Avoid heartache, always `--dry`.
+
+You can use `--weeks/-w` to supply a value for "number of weeks". If you need
+to send less requests, say, 1 request every 3 seconds, you can pass `-r 3`. See
+`--help` for more.
+
+> 🔴 **DANGER ZONE** 🔴
+
 ## Field notes on how deletion works in GoToSocial
 
 > 🟡 How this exactly works seems to depend both on a shifting development sands
@@ -56,38 +96,6 @@ chmod +x blurp
   be nice to run `blurp` at some "less busy" time period (but yanno, timezones,
   so 🤷) and/or consider more strict rate limiting (`--rate/-r`).
 
-## Delete stuff 🔥
-
-You'll need to log in first:
-
-```
-blurp login -u foo@bar.zone
-```
-
-You might want to archive stuff locally:
-
-```
-blurp archive
-```
-
-See `./archive` for every status (favourited, pinned, boosted, bookmarked etc.)
-connected with your account. All media attachments are downloaded alongside the
-status. Status content is dumped as a JSON file.
-
-> 🔴 **DANGER ZONE** 🔴
-
-To delete all statuses older than *2 weeks*:
-
-```
-blurp delete
-```
-
-You can use `--weeks/-w` to supply a value for "number of weeks". If you need
-to send less requests, say, 1 request every 3 seconds, you can pass `-r 3`. See
-`--help` for more.
-
-> 🔴 **DANGER ZONE** 🔴
-
 ## ACK
 
 Made possible by the good work of [slurp](https://github.com/VyrCossont/slurp).
diff --git a/blurp b/blurp
index 9092364..796e519 100755
Binary files a/blurp and b/blurp differ
diff --git a/blurp.go b/blurp.go
index a41e106..b897aae 100644
--- a/blurp.go
+++ b/blurp.go
@@ -22,9 +22,10 @@ import (
 )
 
 var (
-	user  string
-	weeks int
-	rate  int
+	user  string // account username
+	weeks int    // number of weeks of statuses to retain
+	rate  int    // requests per second
+	dry   bool   // whether or not to run in dry mode
 )
 
 func init() {
@@ -36,6 +37,7 @@ func init() {
 
 	deleteCmd.Flags().IntVarP(&weeks, "weeks", "w", 2, "keep statuses NEWER than no. of weeks")
 	deleteCmd.Flags().IntVarP(&rate, "rate", "r", 1, "send a request every 'r' seconds")
+	deleteCmd.Flags().BoolVarP(&dry, "dry", "d", false, "dry run mode (NO DELETION)")
 	rootCmd.AddCommand(deleteCmd)
 }
 
@@ -50,7 +52,7 @@ func main() {
 // rootCmd is the root command.
 var rootCmd = &cobra.Command{
 	Use:   "blurp",
-	Short: "A GoToSocial status deletion tool",
+	Short: "A GoToSocial status management tool",
 }
 
 // loginCmd is the login command.
@@ -152,6 +154,10 @@ var deleteCmd = &cobra.Command{
 
 		slog.Info(fmt.Sprintf("keeping statuses NEWER than %d weeks", weeks))
 
+		if dry {
+			slog.Info("DRY RUN MODE ENABLED - STATUS DELETION DISABLED")
+		}
+
 		acc, err := getAccount(authClient)
 		if err != nil {
 			slog.Error("unable to retrieve account", "error", err)
@@ -174,15 +180,21 @@ var deleteCmd = &cobra.Command{
 
 			numHours := time.Duration(168 * weeks)
 			if t.Before(time.Now().Add(-time.Hour * numHours)) {
-				_, err := authClient.Client.Statuses.StatusDelete(&statuses.StatusDeleteParams{
-					ID: status.ID,
-				}, authClient.Auth)
-				if err != nil {
-					slog.Error("unable to delete status", "error", err)
-					os.Exit(1)
+				if !dry {
+					_, err := authClient.Client.Statuses.StatusDelete(&statuses.StatusDeleteParams{
+						ID: status.ID,
+					}, authClient.Auth)
+					if err != nil {
+						slog.Error("unable to delete status", "error", err)
+						os.Exit(1)
+					}
 				}
 
-				slog.Info(fmt.Sprintf("deleted %s (created: %s)", status.ID, t.Format(time.DateOnly)))
+				msg := fmt.Sprintf("deleted %s (created: %s)", status.ID, t.Format(time.DateOnly))
+				if dry {
+					msg = fmt.Sprintf("DRY RUN: %s", msg)
+				}
+				slog.Info(msg)
 
 				time.Sleep(time.Duration(rate))
 			} else {