diff --git a/core/model/VirtualPage.php b/core/model/VirtualPage.php
index eb7e2e866..bd90641de 100755
--- a/core/model/VirtualPage.php
+++ b/core/model/VirtualPage.php
@@ -65,9 +65,19 @@ class VirtualPage extends Page {
 		return $this->isPublishable() && parent::canPublish($member);
 	}
 	
+	/**
+	 * Return true if we can delete this page from the live site, which is different from can
+	 * we publish it.
+	 */
+	public function canDeleteFromLive($member = null) {
+		return parent::canPublish($member);
+	}
+	
 	/**
 	 * Returns true if is page is publishable by anyone at all
 	 * Return false if the source page isn't published yet.
+	 * 
+	 * Note that isPublishable doesn't affect ete from live, only publish.
 	 */
 	public function isPublishable() {
 		// No source
diff --git a/tests/model/VirtualPageTest.php b/tests/model/VirtualPageTest.php
index aac6ea565..e3683352e 100644
--- a/tests/model/VirtualPageTest.php
+++ b/tests/model/VirtualPageTest.php
@@ -125,5 +125,30 @@ class VirtualPageTest extends SapphireTest {
 		$p->doPublish();
 		$this->assertTrue($vp->canPublish());
 	}
+
+	function testCanDeleteOrphanedVirtualPagesFromLive() {
+		// An unpublished source page
+		$p = new Page();
+		$p->Content = "test content";
+		$p->write();
+		$p->doPublish();
+		
+		// With no source page, we can't publish
+		$vp = new VirtualPage();
+		$vp->CopyContentFromID = $p->ID;
+		$vp->write();
+
+		// Delete the source page
+		$this->assertTrue($vp->canPublish());
+		$this->assertTrue($p->doDeleteFromLive());
+		
+		// Confirm that we can unpublish, but not publish
+		$this->assertTrue($vp->canDeleteFromLive());
+		$this->assertFalse($vp->canPublish());
+		
+		// Confirm that the action really works
+		$this->assertTrue($vp->doDeleteFromLive());
+		$this->assertNull(DB::query("SELECT \"ID\" FROM \"SiteTree_Live\" WHERE \"ID\" = $vp->ID")->value());
+	}
 	
 }
\ No newline at end of file