diff --git a/services/real-time/app/coffee/DocumentUpdaterManager.coffee b/services/real-time/app/coffee/DocumentUpdaterManager.coffee
index 9f516c2f2d..d5df28ed49 100644
--- a/services/real-time/app/coffee/DocumentUpdaterManager.coffee
+++ b/services/real-time/app/coffee/DocumentUpdaterManager.coffee
@@ -36,9 +36,11 @@ module.exports = DocumentUpdaterManager =
 				callback err
 
 	flushProjectToMongoAndDelete: (project_id, callback = ()->) ->
+		# this method is called when the last connected user leaves the project
 		logger.log project_id:project_id, "deleting project from document updater"
 		timer = new metrics.Timer("delete.mongo.project")
-		url = "#{settings.apis.documentupdater.url}/project/#{project_id}"
+		# flush the project in the background when all users have left
+		url = "#{settings.apis.documentupdater.url}/project/#{project_id}?background=true"
 		request.del url, (err, res, body)->
 			timer.done()
 			if err?
diff --git a/services/real-time/test/unit/coffee/DocumentUpdaterManagerTests.coffee b/services/real-time/test/unit/coffee/DocumentUpdaterManagerTests.coffee
index 4f2c5d9b51..e6d82f24ff 100644
--- a/services/real-time/test/unit/coffee/DocumentUpdaterManagerTests.coffee
+++ b/services/real-time/test/unit/coffee/DocumentUpdaterManagerTests.coffee
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ describe 'DocumentUpdaterManager', ->
 				@DocumentUpdaterManager.flushProjectToMongoAndDelete @project_id, @callback
 
 			it 'should delete the project from the document updater', ->
-				url = "#{@settings.apis.documentupdater.url}/project/#{@project_id}"
+				url = "#{@settings.apis.documentupdater.url}/project/#{@project_id}?background=true"
 				@request.del.calledWith(url).should.equal true
 
 			it "should call the callback with no error", ->