diff --git a/src/commands/delete.command.ts b/src/commands/delete.command.ts
index d0ee7e43bc..ea2a1600f5 100644
--- a/src/commands/delete.command.ts
+++ b/src/commands/delete.command.ts
@@ -39,10 +39,10 @@ export class DeleteCommand {
         }
 
         try {
-            if (cmd.trash) {
-                await this.cipherService.softDeleteWithServer(id);
-            } else {
+            if (cmd.permanent) {
                 await this.cipherService.deleteWithServer(id);
+            } else {
+                await this.cipherService.softDeleteWithServer(id);
             }
             return Response.success();
         } catch (e) {
diff --git a/src/commands/list.command.ts b/src/commands/list.command.ts
index 6d20df62be..b28f573c93 100644
--- a/src/commands/list.command.ts
+++ b/src/commands/list.command.ts
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@ export class ListCommand {
 
     private async listCiphers(cmd: program.Command) {
         let ciphers: CipherView[];
+        cmd.trash = cmd.trash || false;
         if (cmd.url != null && cmd.url.trim() !== '') {
             ciphers = await this.cipherService.getAllDecryptedForUrl(cmd.url);
         } else {
@@ -66,7 +67,7 @@ export class ListCommand {
 
         if (cmd.folderid != null || cmd.collectionid != null || cmd.organizationid != null) {
             ciphers = ciphers.filter((c) => {
-                if (cmd.trash && !c.isDeleted) {
+                if (cmd.trash !== c.isDeleted) {
                     return false;
                 }
                 if (cmd.folderid != null) {
@@ -104,11 +105,11 @@ export class ListCommand {
                 return false;
             });
         } else if (cmd.search == null || cmd.search.trim() === '') {
-            ciphers = ciphers.filter((c) => (cmd.trash || false) === c.isDeleted);
+            ciphers = ciphers.filter((c) => cmd.trash === c.isDeleted);
         }
 
         if (cmd.search != null && cmd.search.trim() !== '') {
-            ciphers = this.searchService.searchCiphersBasic(ciphers, cmd.search, cmd.trash || false);
+            ciphers = this.searchService.searchCiphersBasic(ciphers, cmd.search, cmd.trash);
         }
 
         const res = new ListResponse(ciphers.map((o) => new CipherResponse(o)));
diff --git a/src/program.ts b/src/program.ts
index 212267a034..6f8a40c557 100644
--- a/src/program.ts
+++ b/src/program.ts
@@ -396,7 +396,7 @@ export class Program extends BaseProgram {
             .command('delete <object> <id>')
             .option('--itemid <itemid>', 'Attachment\'s item id.')
             .option('--organizationid <organizationid>', 'Organization id for an organization object.')
-            .option('-t, --trash', 'Places the item in the trash instead of permanently deleting it (item only).')
+            .option('-p, --permanent', 'Permanently deletes the item instead of soft-deleting it (item only).')
             .description('Delete an object from the vault.')
             .on('--help', () => {
                 writeLn('\n  Objects:');
@@ -413,7 +413,7 @@ export class Program extends BaseProgram {
                 writeLn('  Examples:');
                 writeLn('');
                 writeLn('    bw delete item 7063feab-4b10-472e-b64c-785e2b870b92');
-                writeLn('    bw delete item 89c21cd2-fab0-4f69-8c6e-ab8a0168f69a --trash');
+                writeLn('    bw delete item 89c21cd2-fab0-4f69-8c6e-ab8a0168f69a --permanent');
                 writeLn('    bw delete folder 5cdfbd80-d99f-409b-915b-f4c5d0241b02');
                 writeLn('    bw delete attachment b857igwl1dzrs2 --itemid 310d5ffd-e9a2-4451-af87-ea054dce0f78');
                 writeLn('', true);