diff --git a/include/FedReplicaManager.h b/include/FedReplicaManager.h
index c881844765..9a7e7e4bcd 100644
--- a/include/FedReplicaManager.h
+++ b/include/FedReplicaManager.h
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ public:
      *  @param d pointer to underlying DB (LogDB)
      *  @param l log_retention length (num records)
      */
-    FedReplicaManager(time_t _t, time_t _p, SqlDB * d, const std::string& l);
+    FedReplicaManager(time_t _t, time_t _p, SqlDB * d, unsigned int l);
 
     virtual ~FedReplicaManager();
 
@@ -203,7 +203,7 @@ private:
 
     SqlDB * logdb;
 
-    std::string log_retention;
+    unsigned int log_retention;
 
     // -------------------------------------------------------------------------
     // Action Listener interface
diff --git a/include/LogDB.h b/include/LogDB.h
index b68f2157ba..166a11df5d 100644
--- a/include/LogDB.h
+++ b/include/LogDB.h
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ private:
 class LogDB : public SqlDB
 {
 public:
-    LogDB(SqlDB * _db, bool solo, const std::string& log_retention);
+    LogDB(SqlDB * _db, bool solo, unsigned int log_retention);
 
     virtual ~LogDB();
 
@@ -267,7 +267,7 @@ private:
     /**
      *  Max number of records to keep in the database
      */
-    std::string log_retention;
+    unsigned int log_retention;
 
     // -------------------------------------------------------------------------
     // DataBase implementation
diff --git a/src/nebula/Nebula.cc b/src/nebula/Nebula.cc
index ddf10f1cb3..c5f4c1a2fd 100644
--- a/src/nebula/Nebula.cc
+++ b/src/nebula/Nebula.cc
@@ -231,12 +231,13 @@ void Nebula::start(bool bootstrap_only)
     time_t xmlrpc_ms;
     time_t log_purge;
 
-    string log_retention = vatt->vector_value("LOG_RETENTION");
+    unsigned int log_retention;
 
     vatt->vector_value("LOG_PURGE_TIMEOUT", log_purge);
     vatt->vector_value("ELECTION_TIMEOUT_MS", election_ms);
     vatt->vector_value("BROADCAST_TIMEOUT_MS", bcast_ms);
     vatt->vector_value("XMLRPC_TIMEOUT_MS", xmlrpc_ms);
+    vatt->vector_value("LOG_RETENTION", log_retention);
 
     Log::set_zone_id(zone_id);
 
diff --git a/src/raft/FedReplicaManager.cc b/src/raft/FedReplicaManager.cc
index c7a7cae9c0..86aa9f6016 100644
--- a/src/raft/FedReplicaManager.cc
+++ b/src/raft/FedReplicaManager.cc
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ const time_t FedReplicaManager::xmlrpc_timeout_ms = 10000;
 /* -------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
 
 FedReplicaManager::FedReplicaManager(time_t _t, time_t _p, SqlDB * d,
-    const std::string& l): ReplicaManager(), timer_period(_t), purge_period(_p),
+    unsigned int l): ReplicaManager(), timer_period(_t), purge_period(_p),
     last_index(-1), logdb(d), log_retention(l)
 {
     pthread_mutex_init(&mutex, 0);
@@ -303,12 +303,16 @@ void FedReplicaManager::timer_action(const ActionRequest& ar)
 
             pthread_mutex_lock(&mutex);
 
-            // keep the last "log_retention" records
-            oss << "DELETE FROM fed_logdb WHERE log_index NOT IN (SELECT "
-                << "log_index FROM fed_logdb ORDER BY log_index DESC LIMIT "
-                << log_retention <<")";
+            if ( last_index > log_retention )
+            {
+                unsigned int delete_index = last_index - log_retention;
 
-            logdb->exec_wr(oss);
+                // keep the last "log_retention" records
+                oss << "DELETE FROM fed_logdb WHERE log_index >= 0 AND "
+                    << "log_index < " << delete_index;
+
+                logdb->exec_wr(oss);
+            }
 
             pthread_mutex_unlock(&mutex);
         }
diff --git a/src/sql/LogDB.cc b/src/sql/LogDB.cc
index fa5237e251..3e45253f52 100644
--- a/src/sql/LogDB.cc
+++ b/src/sql/LogDB.cc
@@ -33,8 +33,8 @@ const char * LogDB::db_bootstrap = "CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS "
 /* -------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
 /* -------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
 
-LogDB::LogDB(SqlDB * _db, bool _solo, const std::string& _lret):solo(_solo),
-    db(_db), next_index(0), last_applied(-1), last_index(-1), last_term(-1),
+LogDB::LogDB(SqlDB * _db, bool _solo, unsigned int _lret):solo(_solo), db(_db),
+    next_index(0), last_applied(-1), last_index(-1), last_term(-1),
     log_retention(_lret)
 {
     int r, i;
@@ -419,12 +419,27 @@ int LogDB::purge_log()
 {
     std::ostringstream oss;
 
-    // keep the last "log_retention" records as well as those not applied to DB
-    oss << "DELETE FROM logdb WHERE timestamp >0 AND log_index NOT IN "
-        << "(SELECT log_index FROM logdb ORDER BY log_index DESC LIMIT "
-        << log_retention <<")";
+    pthread_mutex_lock(&mutex);
 
-    return db->exec_wr(oss);
+    if ( last_index < log_retention )
+    {
+        pthread_mutex_unlock(&mutex);
+        return 0;
+    }
+
+    unsigned int delete_index = last_index - log_retention;
+
+    oss.str("");
+
+    // keep the last "log_retention" records as well as those not applied to DB
+    oss << "DELETE FROM logdb WHERE timestamp > 0 AND log_index >= 0 "
+        << "AND log_index < "  << delete_index;
+
+    int rc = db->exec_wr(oss);
+
+    pthread_mutex_unlock(&mutex);
+
+    return rc;
 }
 
 /* -------------------------------------------------------------------------- */