diff --git a/index/scorch/introducer.go b/index/scorch/introducer.go
index 9402e5a4..a80e5ac1 100644
--- a/index/scorch/introducer.go
+++ b/index/scorch/introducer.go
@@ -68,6 +68,7 @@ func (s *Scorch) introduceSegment(next *segmentIntroduction) error {
 
 	// prepare new index snapshot, with curr size + 1
 	newSnapshot := &IndexSnapshot{
+		parent:   s,
 		segment:  make([]*SegmentSnapshot, len(s.root.segment)+1),
 		offsets:  make([]uint64, len(s.root.segment)+1),
 		internal: make(map[string][]byte, len(s.root.segment)),
@@ -155,6 +156,7 @@ func (s *Scorch) introduceMerge(nextMerge *segmentMerge) {
 	currSize := len(s.root.segment)
 	newSize := currSize + 1 - len(nextMerge.old)
 	newSnapshot := &IndexSnapshot{
+		parent:   s,
 		segment:  make([]*SegmentSnapshot, 0, newSize),
 		offsets:  make([]uint64, 0, newSize),
 		internal: make(map[string][]byte, len(s.root.segment)),
diff --git a/index/scorch/persister.go b/index/scorch/persister.go
index 964e1db9..d66bdea0 100644
--- a/index/scorch/persister.go
+++ b/index/scorch/persister.go
@@ -17,8 +17,11 @@ package scorch
 import (
 	"bytes"
 	"fmt"
+	"io/ioutil"
 	"log"
 	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"sort"
 	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/RoaringBitmap/roaring"
@@ -31,6 +34,8 @@ import (
 type notificationChan chan struct{}
 
 func (s *Scorch) persisterLoop() {
+	s.removeOldData(true)
+
 	var notify notificationChan
 	var lastPersistedEpoch uint64
 OUTER:
@@ -105,6 +110,7 @@ OUTER:
 				// woken up, next loop should pick up work
 			}
 		}
+		s.removeOldData(false)
 	}
 	s.asyncTasks.Done()
 }
@@ -217,6 +223,7 @@ func (s *Scorch) persistSnapshot(snapshot *IndexSnapshot) error {
 
 	s.rootLock.Lock()
 	newIndexSnapshot := &IndexSnapshot{
+		parent:   s,
 		epoch:    s.root.epoch,
 		segment:  make([]*SegmentSnapshot, len(s.root.segment)),
 		offsets:  make([]uint64, len(s.root.offsets)),
@@ -275,6 +282,7 @@ func (s *Scorch) loadFromBolt() error {
 		if snapshots == nil {
 			return nil
 		}
+		foundRoot := false
 		c := snapshots.Cursor()
 		for k, _ := c.Last(); k != nil; k, _ = c.Prev() {
 			_, snapshotEpoch, err := segment.DecodeUvarintAscending(k)
@@ -282,14 +290,20 @@ func (s *Scorch) loadFromBolt() error {
 				log.Printf("unable to parse segment epoch %x, continuing", k)
 				continue
 			}
+			if foundRoot {
+				s.eligibleForRemoval = append(s.eligibleForRemoval, snapshotEpoch)
+				continue
+			}
 			snapshot := snapshots.Bucket(k)
 			if snapshot == nil {
 				log.Printf("snapshot key, but bucket missing %x, continuing", k)
+				s.eligibleForRemoval = append(s.eligibleForRemoval, snapshotEpoch)
 				continue
 			}
 			indexSnapshot, err := s.loadSnapshot(snapshot)
 			if err != nil {
 				log.Printf("unable to load snapshot, %v, continuing", err)
+				s.eligibleForRemoval = append(s.eligibleForRemoval, snapshotEpoch)
 				continue
 			}
 			indexSnapshot.epoch = snapshotEpoch
@@ -301,8 +315,11 @@ func (s *Scorch) loadFromBolt() error {
 			}
 			s.nextSegmentID++
 			s.nextSnapshotEpoch = snapshotEpoch + 1
+			if s.root != nil {
+				_ = s.root.DecRef()
+			}
 			s.root = indexSnapshot
-			break
+			foundRoot = true
 		}
 		return nil
 	})
@@ -311,6 +328,7 @@ func (s *Scorch) loadFromBolt() error {
 func (s *Scorch) loadSnapshot(snapshot *bolt.Bucket) (*IndexSnapshot, error) {
 
 	rv := &IndexSnapshot{
+		parent:   s,
 		internal: make(map[string][]byte),
 		refs:     1,
 	}
@@ -380,3 +398,139 @@ func (s *Scorch) loadSegment(segmentBucket *bolt.Bucket) (*SegmentSnapshot, erro
 
 	return rv, nil
 }
+
+type uint64Descending []uint64
+
+func (p uint64Descending) Len() int           { return len(p) }
+func (p uint64Descending) Less(i, j int) bool { return p[i] > p[j] }
+func (p uint64Descending) Swap(i, j int)      { p[i], p[j] = p[j], p[i] }
+
+func (s *Scorch) removeOldData(force bool) {
+	removed, err := s.removeOldBoltSnapshots()
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Printf("got err removing old bolt snapshots: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	if force || removed > 0 {
+		err = s.removeOldZapFiles()
+		if err != nil {
+			log.Printf("go err removing old zap files: %v", err)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+// NumSnapshotsToKeep represents how many recent, old snapshots to
+// keep around per Scorch instance.  Useful for apps that require
+// rollback'ability.
+var NumSnapshotsToKeep int
+
+// Removes enough snapshots from the rootBolt so that the
+// s.eligibleForRemoval stays under the NumSnapshotsToKeep policy.
+func (s *Scorch) removeOldBoltSnapshots() (numRemoved int, err error) {
+	var epochsToRemove []uint64
+
+	s.rootLock.Lock()
+	if len(s.eligibleForRemoval) > NumSnapshotsToKeep {
+		sort.Sort(uint64Descending(s.eligibleForRemoval))
+		epochsToRemove = append([]uint64(nil), s.eligibleForRemoval[NumSnapshotsToKeep:]...) // Copy.
+		s.eligibleForRemoval = s.eligibleForRemoval[0:NumSnapshotsToKeep]
+	}
+	s.rootLock.Unlock()
+
+	if len(epochsToRemove) <= 0 {
+		return 0, nil
+	}
+
+	tx, err := s.rootBolt.Begin(true)
+	if err != nil {
+		return 0, err
+	}
+	defer func() {
+		if err == nil {
+			err = s.rootBolt.Sync()
+		}
+	}()
+	defer func() {
+		if err == nil {
+			err = tx.Commit()
+		} else {
+			_ = tx.Rollback()
+		}
+	}()
+
+	for _, epochToRemove := range epochsToRemove {
+		k := segment.EncodeUvarintAscending(nil, epochToRemove)
+		err = tx.DeleteBucket(k)
+		if err == bolt.ErrBucketNotFound {
+			err = nil
+		}
+		if err == nil {
+			numRemoved++
+		}
+	}
+
+	return numRemoved, err
+}
+
+// Removes any *.zap files which aren't listed in the rootBolt.
+func (s *Scorch) removeOldZapFiles() error {
+	liveFileNames, err := s.loadZapFileNames()
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	currFileInfos, err := ioutil.ReadDir(s.path)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	for _, finfo := range currFileInfos {
+		fname := finfo.Name()
+		if filepath.Ext(fname) == ".zap" {
+			if _, exists := liveFileNames[fname]; !exists {
+				err := os.Remove(s.path + string(os.PathSeparator) + fname)
+				if err != nil {
+					log.Printf("got err removing file: %s, err: %v", fname, err)
+				}
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
+// Returns the *.zap file names that are listed in the rootBolt.
+func (s *Scorch) loadZapFileNames() (map[string]struct{}, error) {
+	rv := map[string]struct{}{}
+	err := s.rootBolt.View(func(tx *bolt.Tx) error {
+		snapshots := tx.Bucket(boltSnapshotsBucket)
+		if snapshots == nil {
+			return nil
+		}
+		sc := snapshots.Cursor()
+		for sk, _ := sc.First(); sk != nil; sk, _ = sc.Next() {
+			snapshot := snapshots.Bucket(sk)
+			if snapshot == nil {
+				continue
+			}
+			segc := snapshot.Cursor()
+			for segk, _ := segc.First(); segk != nil; segk, _ = segc.Next() {
+				if segk[0] == boltInternalKey[0] {
+					continue
+				}
+				segmentBucket := snapshot.Bucket(segk)
+				if segmentBucket == nil {
+					continue
+				}
+				pathBytes := segmentBucket.Get(boltPathKey)
+				if pathBytes == nil {
+					continue
+				}
+				rv[string(pathBytes)] = struct{}{}
+			}
+		}
+		return nil
+	})
+
+	return rv, err
+}
diff --git a/index/scorch/scorch.go b/index/scorch/scorch.go
index d59563be..06e788ca 100644
--- a/index/scorch/scorch.go
+++ b/index/scorch/scorch.go
@@ -59,6 +59,8 @@ type Scorch struct {
 	persisterNotifier  chan notificationChan
 	rootBolt           *bolt.DB
 	asyncTasks         sync.WaitGroup
+
+	eligibleForRemoval []uint64 // Index snapshot epoch's that are safe to GC.
 }
 
 func NewScorch(storeName string, config map[string]interface{}, analysisQueue *index.AnalysisQueue) (index.Index, error) {
@@ -67,9 +69,9 @@ func NewScorch(storeName string, config map[string]interface{}, analysisQueue *i
 		config:            config,
 		analysisQueue:     analysisQueue,
 		stats:             &Stats{},
-		root:              &IndexSnapshot{refs: 1},
 		nextSnapshotEpoch: 1,
 	}
+	rv.root = &IndexSnapshot{parent: rv, refs: 1}
 	ro, ok := config["read_only"].(bool)
 	if ok {
 		rv.readOnly = ro
@@ -324,6 +326,14 @@ func (s *Scorch) Advanced() (store.KVStore, error) {
 	return nil, nil
 }
 
+func (s *Scorch) AddEligibleForRemoval(epoch uint64) {
+	s.rootLock.Lock()
+	if s.root == nil || s.root.epoch != epoch {
+		s.eligibleForRemoval = append(s.eligibleForRemoval, epoch)
+	}
+	s.rootLock.Unlock()
+}
+
 func init() {
 	registry.RegisterIndexType(Name, NewScorch)
 }
diff --git a/index/scorch/snapshot_index.go b/index/scorch/snapshot_index.go
index 19581f75..6dd77ff4 100644
--- a/index/scorch/snapshot_index.go
+++ b/index/scorch/snapshot_index.go
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ type asynchSegmentResult struct {
 }
 
 type IndexSnapshot struct {
+	parent   *Scorch
 	segment  []*SegmentSnapshot
 	offsets  []uint64
 	internal map[string][]byte
@@ -67,6 +68,9 @@ func (i *IndexSnapshot) DecRef() (err error) {
 				}
 			}
 		}
+		if i.parent != nil {
+			go i.parent.AddEligibleForRemoval(i.epoch)
+		}
 	}
 	i.m.Unlock()
 	return err