diff --git a/app/models/alchemy/page/publisher.rb b/app/models/alchemy/page/publisher.rb
index fcdc97802b..4c6c941740 100644
--- a/app/models/alchemy/page/publisher.rb
+++ b/app/models/alchemy/page/publisher.rb
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ def initialize(page)
       def publish!(public_on:)
         Page.transaction do
           version = public_version(public_on)
-          version.elements.not_nested.destroy_all
+          DeleteElements.new(version.elements).call
 
           # We must not use .find_each here to not mess up the order of elements
           page.draft_version.elements.not_nested.available.each do |element|
diff --git a/app/services/alchemy/delete_elements.rb b/app/services/alchemy/delete_elements.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..3870b875c4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/services/alchemy/delete_elements.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+# frozen_string_literal: true
+
+module Alchemy
+  class DeleteElements
+    class WouldLeaveOrphansError < StandardError; end
+    attr_reader :elements
+
+    def initialize(elements)
+      @elements = elements
+    end
+
+    def call
+      if orphanable_records.present?
+        raise WouldLeaveOrphansError
+      end
+
+      contents = Alchemy::Content.where(element_id: elements.map(&:id))
+      contents.group_by(&:essence_type)
+        .transform_values! { |value| value.map(&:essence_id) }
+        .each do |class_name, ids|
+          class_name.constantize.where(id: ids).delete_all
+        end
+      contents.delete_all
+      delete_elements
+    end
+
+    private
+
+    def orphanable_records
+      Alchemy::Element.where(parent_element_id: [elements]).where.not(id: elements)
+    end
+
+    def delete_elements
+      case elements
+      when ActiveRecord::Associations::CollectionProxy
+        elements.delete_all(:delete_all)
+      when ActiveRecord::Relation
+        elements.delete_all
+      else
+        Alchemy::Element.where(id: elements).delete_all
+      end
+    end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/spec/services/alchemy/delete_elements_spec.rb b/spec/services/alchemy/delete_elements_spec.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2e2ea95348
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/services/alchemy/delete_elements_spec.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,70 @@
+# frozen_string_literal: true
+
+require "rails_helper"
+
+RSpec.describe Alchemy::DeleteElements do
+  let!(:parent_element) { create(:alchemy_element, :with_nestable_elements, :with_contents) }
+  let!(:nested_element) { parent_element.nested_elements.first }
+  let!(:normal_element) { create(:alchemy_element, :with_contents) }
+
+  before do
+    expect(Alchemy::Element.count).not_to be_zero
+    expect(Alchemy::Content.count).not_to be_zero
+    expect(Alchemy::EssenceText.count).not_to be_zero
+    expect(Alchemy::EssencePicture.count).not_to be_zero
+    expect(Alchemy::EssenceRichtext.count).not_to be_zero
+  end
+
+  subject { Alchemy::DeleteElements.new(elements).call }
+
+  context "with all elements" do
+    let(:elements) { [parent_element, nested_element, normal_element] }
+
+    it "destroys all elements" do
+      subject
+      expect(Alchemy::Element.count).to be_zero
+      expect(Alchemy::Content.count).to be_zero
+      expect(Alchemy::EssenceText.count).to be_zero
+      expect(Alchemy::EssencePicture.count).to be_zero
+      expect(Alchemy::EssenceRichtext.count).to be_zero
+    end
+
+    context "when calling with an ActiveRecord::Relation" do
+      let(:elements) { Alchemy::Element.all }
+
+      it "works" do
+        subject
+        expect(Alchemy::Element.count).to be_zero
+        expect(Alchemy::Content.count).to be_zero
+        expect(Alchemy::EssenceText.count).to be_zero
+        expect(Alchemy::EssencePicture.count).to be_zero
+        expect(Alchemy::EssenceRichtext.count).to be_zero
+      end
+    end
+
+    context "when calling it as an association" do
+      let(:page_version) { create(:alchemy_page_version) }
+      let(:elements) { page_version.elements }
+      before do
+        Alchemy::Element.update_all(page_version_id: page_version.id)
+      end
+
+      it "works" do
+        subject
+        expect(Alchemy::Element.count).to be_zero
+        expect(Alchemy::Content.count).to be_zero
+        expect(Alchemy::EssenceText.count).to be_zero
+        expect(Alchemy::EssencePicture.count).to be_zero
+        expect(Alchemy::EssenceRichtext.count).to be_zero
+      end
+    end
+  end
+
+  context "when calling with an element having nested elements that is not in the collection" do
+    let(:elements) { [parent_element, normal_element] }
+
+    it "raises an error and deletes nothing" do
+      expect { subject }.to raise_exception(Alchemy::DeleteElements::WouldLeaveOrphansError)
+    end
+  end
+end