diff --git a/core/commands/files.go b/core/commands/files.go
index f85ae83a234..f0804c5d5a8 100644
--- a/core/commands/files.go
+++ b/core/commands/files.go
@@ -1002,6 +1002,7 @@ Remove files or directories.
 	},
 	Options: []cmdkit.Option{
 		cmdkit.BoolOption("recursive", "r", "Recursively remove directories."),
+		cmdkit.BoolOption("force", "Forcibly remove target at path; implies -r for directories"),
 	},
 	Run: func(req oldcmds.Request, res oldcmds.Response) {
 		defer res.SetOutput(nil)
@@ -1041,8 +1042,6 @@ Remove files or directories.
 			return
 		}
 
-		dashr, _, _ := req.Option("r").Bool()
-
 		var success bool
 		defer func() {
 			if success {
@@ -1054,8 +1053,10 @@ Remove files or directories.
 			}
 		}()
 
-		// if '-r' specified, don't check file type (in bad scenarios, the block may not exist)
-		if dashr {
+		// if '--force' specified, it will remove anything else,
+		// including file, directory, corrupted node, etc
+		force, _, _ := req.Option("force").Bool()
+		if force {
 			err := pdir.Unlink(name)
 			if err != nil {
 				res.SetError(err, cmdkit.ErrNormal)
@@ -1066,25 +1067,31 @@ Remove files or directories.
 			return
 		}
 
-		childi, err := pdir.Child(name)
+		// get child node by name, when the node is corrupted and nonexistent,
+		// it will return specific error.
+		child, err := pdir.Child(name)
 		if err != nil {
 			res.SetError(err, cmdkit.ErrNormal)
 			return
 		}
 
-		switch childi.(type) {
+		dashr, _, _ := req.Option("r").Bool()
+
+		switch child.(type) {
 		case *mfs.Directory:
-			res.SetError(fmt.Errorf("%s is a directory, use -r to remove directories", path), cmdkit.ErrNormal)
-			return
-		default:
-			err := pdir.Unlink(name)
-			if err != nil {
-				res.SetError(err, cmdkit.ErrNormal)
+			if !dashr {
+				res.SetError(fmt.Errorf("%s is a directory, use -r to remove directories", path), cmdkit.ErrNormal)
 				return
 			}
+		}
 
-			success = true
+		err = pdir.Unlink(name)
+		if err != nil {
+			res.SetError(err, cmdkit.ErrNormal)
+			return
 		}
+
+		success = true
 	},
 }
 
diff --git a/test/sharness/t0250-files-api.sh b/test/sharness/t0250-files-api.sh
index 7b97f31ded6..793e168bede 100755
--- a/test/sharness/t0250-files-api.sh
+++ b/test/sharness/t0250-files-api.sh
@@ -629,6 +629,20 @@ test_files_api() {
   test_expect_success "repo gc $EXTRA" '
     ipfs repo gc
   '
+
+  # test rm
+
+  test_expect_success "remove file forcibly" '
+    echo "hello world" | ipfs files write --create /forcibly &&
+    ipfs files rm --force /forcibly &&
+    verify_dir_contents /
+  '
+
+  test_expect_success "remove directory forcibly" '
+    ipfs files mkdir /forcibly-dir &&
+    ipfs files rm --force /forcibly-dir &&
+    verify_dir_contents /
+  '
 }
 
 # test offline and online