diff --git a/data/model/legacy.py b/data/model/legacy.py
index 878a501aa..239b86131 100644
--- a/data/model/legacy.py
+++ b/data/model/legacy.py
@@ -1391,46 +1391,54 @@ def garbage_collect_repository(namespace_name, repository_name):
 
     logger.info('Cleaning up unreferenced images: %s', to_remove)
 
-    uuids_to_check_for_gc = set()
-    for image_id_to_remove in to_remove:
-      image_to_remove = all_images[image_id_to_remove]
+    uuids_to_check_for_gc = {all_images[id_to_remove].storage.uuid for id_to_remove in to_remove}
+    Image.delete().where(Image.id << list(to_remove)).execute()
 
-      logger.debug('Adding image storage to the gc list: %s',
-                   image_to_remove.storage.uuid)
-      uuids_to_check_for_gc.add(image_to_remove.storage.uuid)
+  logger.debug('Checking image storages for being orphaned: %s', uuids_to_check_for_gc)
 
-      image_to_remove.delete_instance()
+  # We are going to make the concious decision to not delete image storage inside the transaction
+  # This may end up producing garbage in s3, trading off for higher availability in the database
+  def placements_query_to_paths_set(placements_query):
+    return {(placement.location.name, config.store.image_path(placement.storage.uuid))
+            for placement in placements_query}
 
-    def remove_storages(query):
-      for storage in query:
-        logger.debug('Garbage collecting image storage: %s', storage.uuid)
+  def remove_storages(placements_query):
+    storages_to_remove = {placement.storage.uuid: placement.storage
+                          for placement in placements_query}
+    for storage in storages_to_remove.values():
+      # Deletes all placements as well, but leaves derived storages
+      storage.delete_instance(recursive=True)
 
-        image_path = config.store.image_path(storage.uuid)      
-        for placement in storage.imagestorageplacement_set:
-          location_name = placement.location.name
-          placement.delete_instance()
-          config.store.remove({location_name}, image_path)
+  paths_to_remove = set()
+  with config.app_config['DB_TRANSACTION_FACTORY'](db):
+    placements_to_remove = (ImageStoragePlacement
+                            .select(ImageStoragePlacement, ImageStorage, ImageStorageLocation)
+                            .join(ImageStorage)
+                            .join(Image, JOIN_LEFT_OUTER)
+                            .switch(ImageStoragePlacement)
+                            .join(ImageStorageLocation)
+                            .group_by(ImageStorage)
+                            .where(ImageStorage.uuid << list(uuids_to_check_for_gc))
+                            .having(fn.Count(Image.id) == 0))
+    paths_to_remove.update(placements_query_to_paths_set(placements_to_remove))
+    remove_storages(placements_to_remove)
 
-        storage.delete_instance(recursive=True)
+  with config.app_config['DB_TRANSACTION_FACTORY'](db):
+    derived_to_remove = (ImageStoragePlacement
+                         .select(ImageStoragePlacement, ImageStorage, ImageStorageLocation)
+                         .join(ImageStorage)
+                         .join(DerivedImageStorage, on=(ImageStorage.id ==
+                                                        DerivedImageStorage.derivative))
+                         .switch(ImageStoragePlacement)
+                         .join(ImageStorageLocation)
+                         .where(DerivedImageStorage.source >> None))
+    paths_to_remove.update(placements_query_to_paths_set(derived_to_remove))
+    remove_storages(derived_to_remove)
 
-    if uuids_to_check_for_gc:
-      storage_to_remove = (ImageStorage
-                           .select()
-                           .join(Image, JOIN_LEFT_OUTER)
-                           .group_by(ImageStorage)
-                           .where(ImageStorage.uuid << list(uuids_to_check_for_gc))
-                           .having(fn.Count(Image.id) == 0))
-
-      remove_storages(storage_to_remove)
-
-    # Now remove any derived image storages whose sources have been removed
-    derived_storages_to_remove = (ImageStorage
-      .select()
-      .join(DerivedImageStorage, on=(ImageStorage.id == DerivedImageStorage.derivative))
-      .where(DerivedImageStorage.source >> None))
-    remove_storages(derived_storages_to_remove)
-
-    return len(to_remove)
+  # Delete the actual blob storage
+  for location_name, image_path in paths_to_remove:
+    logger.debug('Removing %s from %s', image_path, location_name)
+    config.store.remove({location_name}, image_path)
 
 
 def get_tag_image(namespace_name, repository_name, tag_name):