diff --git a/webgoat-container/src/main/java/org/owasp/webgoat/CleanupLocalProgressFiles.java b/webgoat-container/src/main/java/org/owasp/webgoat/CleanupLocalProgressFiles.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9200a8a5a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/webgoat-container/src/main/java/org/owasp/webgoat/CleanupLocalProgressFiles.java
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+package org.owasp.webgoat;
+
+import lombok.extern.slf4j.Slf4j;
+import org.springframework.beans.factory.annotation.Value;
+import org.springframework.boot.autoconfigure.condition.ConditionalOnExpression;
+import org.springframework.context.annotation.Configuration;
+
+import javax.annotation.PostConstruct;
+import java.io.File;
+
+/**
+ * @author nbaars
+ * @since 4/15/17.
+ */
+@Slf4j
+@Configuration
+@ConditionalOnExpression("'${webgoat.clean}' == 'true'")
+public class CleanupLocalProgressFiles {
+
+    @Value("${webgoat.server.directory}")
+    private String webgoatHome;
+
+    @PostConstruct
+    public void clean() {
+        File dir = new File(webgoatHome);
+        if (dir.exists()) {
+            File[] progressFiles = dir.listFiles(f -> f.getName().endsWith(".progress"));
+            if (progressFiles != null) {
+                log.info("Removing stored user preferences...");
+                for (File f : progressFiles) {
+                    f.delete();
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/webgoat-container/src/main/resources/application.properties b/webgoat-container/src/main/resources/application.properties
index 9d6ad7e56..6ec69f48d 100644
--- a/webgoat-container/src/main/resources/application.properties
+++ b/webgoat-container/src/main/resources/application.properties
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ security.enable-csrf=false
 spring.resources.cache-period=0
 spring.thymeleaf.cache=false
 
+webgoat.clean=true
 webgoat.server.directory=${user.home}/.webgoat/
 webgoat.user.directory=${user.home}/.webgoat/
 webgoat.build.version=@project.version@