diff --git a/ChangeLog.md b/ChangeLog.md
index 9069219be9..fe1af6c780 100644
--- a/ChangeLog.md
+++ b/ChangeLog.md
@@ -116,6 +116,8 @@ Other enhancements:
 * `stack clean` will delete the entire `.stack-work/dist` directory,
   not just the relevant subdirectory for the current GHC version. See
   [#4480](https://github.com/commercialhaskell/stack/issues/4480).
+* Add `stack purge` as a shortcut for `stack clean --full`. See
+  [#3863](https://github.com/commercialhaskell/stack/issues/3863).
 
 Bug fixes:
 
diff --git a/doc/GUIDE.md b/doc/GUIDE.md
index 850cf64fbd..1250832e04 100644
--- a/doc/GUIDE.md
+++ b/doc/GUIDE.md
@@ -280,6 +280,24 @@ As you can see from that path (and as emphasized earlier), the installation is
 placed to not interfere with any other GHC installation, whether system-wide or
 even different GHC versions installed by stack.
 
+## Cleaning your project
+
+You can clean up build artifacts for your project using the `stack clean` and `stack purge` commands.
+
+### `stack clean`
+
+`stack clean` deletes the local working directories containing compiler output.
+By default, that means the contents of directories in `.stack-work/dist`, for all the `.stack-work` directories within a project.
+
+Use `stack clean <specific-package>` to delete the output for the package _specific-package_ only.
+
+### `stack purge`
+
+`stack purge` deletes the local stack working directories, including extra-deps, git dependencies and the compiler output (including logs).
+It does not delete any snapshot packages, compilers or programs installed using `stack install`. This essentially
+reverts the project to a completely fresh state, as if it had never been built.
+`stack purge` is just a shortcut for `stack clean --full`
+
 ### The build command
 
 The build command is the heart and soul of stack. It is the engine that powers
diff --git a/src/Stack/Clean.hs b/src/Stack/Clean.hs
index 6a8087649f..ef4b58fdae 100644
--- a/src/Stack/Clean.hs
+++ b/src/Stack/Clean.hs
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 module Stack.Clean
     (clean
     ,CleanOpts(..)
+    ,CleanCommand(..)
     ,StackCleanException(..)
     ) where
 
@@ -58,12 +59,17 @@ dirsToDelete cleanOpts = do
 -- | Options for @stack clean@.
 data CleanOpts
     = CleanShallow [PackageName]
-    -- ^ Delete the "dist directories" as defined in 'Stack.Constants.distRelativeDir'
+    -- ^ Delete the "dist directories" as defined in 'Stack.Constants.Config.distRelativeDir'
     -- for the given local packages. If no packages are given, all project packages
     -- should be cleaned.
     | CleanFull
     -- ^ Delete all work directories in the project.
 
+-- | Clean commands
+data CleanCommand
+    = Clean
+    | Purge
+
 -- | Exceptions during cleanup.
 newtype StackCleanException
     = NonLocalPackages [PackageName]
diff --git a/src/Stack/Options/CleanParser.hs b/src/Stack/Options/CleanParser.hs
index de566e9638..b90845ff05 100644
--- a/src/Stack/Options/CleanParser.hs
+++ b/src/Stack/Options/CleanParser.hs
@@ -2,21 +2,23 @@
 module Stack.Options.CleanParser where
 
 import           Options.Applicative
-import           Stack.Clean                       (CleanOpts (..))
+import           Stack.Clean                       (CleanCommand(..), CleanOpts (..))
 import           Stack.Prelude
 import           Stack.Types.PackageName
 
 -- | Command-line parser for the clean command.
-cleanOptsParser :: Parser CleanOpts
-cleanOptsParser = CleanShallow <$> packages <|> doFullClean
+cleanOptsParser :: CleanCommand -> Parser CleanOpts
+cleanOptsParser Clean = CleanShallow <$> packages <|> doFullClean
   where
     packages =
         many
             (packageNameArgument
                  (metavar "PACKAGE" <>
-                  help "If none specified, clean all local packages"))
+                  help "If none specified, clean all project packages"))
     doFullClean =
         flag'
             CleanFull
             (long "full" <>
-             help "Delete all work directories (.stack-work by default) in the project")
+             help "Delete the project’s stack working directories (.stack-work by default).")
+
+cleanOptsParser Purge = pure CleanFull
diff --git a/src/main/Main.hs b/src/main/Main.hs
index 53834746e6..22c63afc70 100644
--- a/src/main/Main.hs
+++ b/src/main/Main.hs
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ import           RIO.PrettyPrint
 import qualified RIO.PrettyPrint as PP (style)
 import           Stack.Build
 import           Stack.Build.Target (NeedTargets(..))
-import           Stack.Clean (CleanOpts(..), clean)
+import           Stack.Clean (CleanCommand(..), CleanOpts(..), clean)
 import           Stack.Config
 import           Stack.ConfigCmd as ConfigCmd
 import           Stack.Constants
@@ -410,9 +410,13 @@ commandLineHandler currentDir progName isInterpreter = complicatedOptions
                     evalCmd
                     (evalOptsParser "CODE")
         addCommand' "clean"
-                    "Clean the local packages"
+                    "Delete build artefacts for the project packages."
                     cleanCmd
-                    cleanOptsParser
+                    (cleanOptsParser Clean)
+        addCommand' "purge"
+                    "Delete the project stack working directories (.stack-work by default). Shortcut for 'stack clean --full'"
+                    cleanCmd
+                    (cleanOptsParser Purge)
         addCommand' "list-dependencies"
                     "List the dependencies"
                     (listDependenciesCmd True)
diff --git a/test/integration/tests/3863-purge-command/Main.hs b/test/integration/tests/3863-purge-command/Main.hs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..4c54e19faa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/integration/tests/3863-purge-command/Main.hs
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+import StackTest
+import Data.Maybe (listToMaybe, fromMaybe)
+import System.Directory
+import System.FilePath
+
+main :: IO ()
+main =
+  -- For these commands, we'll need to know the `dist` directory.
+  -- This is usually `.stack-work/dist/$compiler-variant/Cabal-xxxx`
+  stackCheckStdout [defaultResolverArg, "path", "--dist-dir"] $ \distDir ->
+
+    stackCheckStdout [defaultResolverArg, "path", "--local-install-root"] $ \localInstallRoot -> do
+
+      -- Usually `.stack-work`
+      let stackWork = fromMaybe (error "There must be a stack working directory.") $
+            listToMaybe (splitDirectories distDir)
+
+      -- First, clean the .stack-work directory.
+      -- This is only necessary when running individual tests.
+      stack [defaultResolverArg, "purge"]
+      doesNotExist stackWork
+
+      -- The dist directory should exist after a build
+      stack [defaultResolverArg, "build"]
+      doesExist distDir
+      doesExist localInstallRoot
+      doesExist stackWork
+
+      -- The dist directory should not exist after a clean, whereas the
+      -- .stack-work directory should
+      stack [defaultResolverArg, "clean"]
+      run "exa" ["-T", ".stack-work"]
+      doesNotExist distDir
+      doesExist localInstallRoot
+      doesExist stackWork
+
+      -- The .stack-work directory should not exist after a purge
+      stack [defaultResolverArg, "purge"]
+      doesNotExist stackWork
diff --git a/test/integration/tests/3863-purge-command/files/new-template.cabal b/test/integration/tests/3863-purge-command/files/new-template.cabal
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..192e0b2dfb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/integration/tests/3863-purge-command/files/new-template.cabal
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+name:                new-template
+version:             0.1.0.0
+build-type:          Simple
+cabal-version:       >=1.10
+
+
+library
+  hs-source-dirs:      src
+  exposed-modules:     Lib
+  build-depends:       base >= 4.7 && < 5
+  default-language:    Haskell2010
diff --git a/test/integration/tests/3863-purge-command/files/src/Lib.hs b/test/integration/tests/3863-purge-command/files/src/Lib.hs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..1c88a82644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/integration/tests/3863-purge-command/files/src/Lib.hs
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+module Lib where
+
+someFunc :: ()
+someFunc = ()
diff --git a/test/integration/tests/3863-purge-command/files/stack.yaml b/test/integration/tests/3863-purge-command/files/stack.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..227c646ed3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/integration/tests/3863-purge-command/files/stack.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+flags: {}
+packages:
+- '.'
+extra-deps: []
+resolver: lts-11.22