diff --git a/lib/cache.php b/lib/cache.php
index 6f4b3e6e3f..36f409ab71 100644
--- a/lib/cache.php
+++ b/lib/cache.php
@@ -99,12 +99,13 @@ class OC_Cache {
 	}
 
 	/**
-	 * clear the user cache
+	 * clear the user cache of all entries starting with a prefix
+	 * @param string prefix (optional)
 	 * @return bool
 	 */
-	static public function clear() {
+	static public function clear($prefix='') {
 		$user_cache = self::getUserCache();
-		return $user_cache->clear();
+		return $user_cache->clear($prefix);
 	}
 
 	/**
diff --git a/lib/cache/apc.php b/lib/cache/apc.php
index 6cf47d0c15..c192fe2f19 100644
--- a/lib/cache/apc.php
+++ b/lib/cache/apc.php
@@ -43,14 +43,15 @@ class OC_Cache_APC {
 		return apc_delete($this->getNamespace().$key);
 	}
 
-	public function clear(){
-		$ns = $this->getNamespace();
+	public function clear($prefix=''){
+		$ns = $this->getNamespace().$prefix;
 		$cache = apc_cache_info('user');
 		foreach($cache['cache_list'] as $entry) {
 			if (strpos($entry['info'], $ns) === 0) {
 				apc_delete($entry['info']);
 			}
 		}
+		return true;
 	}
 }
 if(!function_exists('apc_exists')) {
diff --git a/lib/cache/broker.php b/lib/cache/broker.php
index 931d0dd407..c2aceabaf5 100644
--- a/lib/cache/broker.php
+++ b/lib/cache/broker.php
@@ -46,8 +46,8 @@ class OC_Cache_Broker {
 		return $this->slow_cache->remove($key);
 	}
 
-	public function clear(){
-		$this->fast_cache->clear();
-		$this->slow_cache->clear();
+	public function clear($prefix=''){
+		$this->fast_cache->clear($prefix);
+		$this->slow_cache->clear($prefix);
 	}
 }
diff --git a/lib/cache/file.php b/lib/cache/file.php
index 0b7d3e3050..562c3d1716 100644
--- a/lib/cache/file.php
+++ b/lib/cache/file.php
@@ -62,15 +62,16 @@ class OC_Cache_File{
 		return $storage->unlink($key);
 	}
 
-	public function clear(){
+	public function clear($prefix=''){
 		$storage = $this->getStorage();
 		if($storage and $storage->is_dir('/')){
 			$dh=$storage->opendir('/');
 			while($file=readdir($dh)){
-				if($file!='.' and $file!='..'){
+				if($file!='.' and $file!='..' and ($prefix==='' || strpos($file, $prefix) === 0)){
 					$storage->unlink('/'.$file);
 				}
 			}
 		}
+		return true;
 	}
 }
diff --git a/lib/cache/xcache.php b/lib/cache/xcache.php
index bd55cee8f6..951f9b4754 100644
--- a/lib/cache/xcache.php
+++ b/lib/cache/xcache.php
@@ -43,7 +43,8 @@ class OC_Cache_XCache {
 		return xcache_unset($this->getNamespace().$key);
 	}
 
-	public function clear(){
-		return xcache_unset_by_prefix($this->getNamespace());
+	public function clear($prefix=''){
+		xcache_unset_by_prefix($this->getNamespace().$prefix);
+		return true;
 	}
 }
diff --git a/tests/lib/cache.php b/tests/lib/cache.php
index bb5cfc6ee1..511999be95 100644
--- a/tests/lib/cache.php
+++ b/tests/lib/cache.php
@@ -42,6 +42,27 @@ abstract class Test_Cache extends UnitTestCase {
 		$this->assertNull($this->instance->get('not_set'),'Unset value not equal to null');
 
 		$this->assertTrue($this->instance->remove('value1'));
+		$this->assertFalse($this->instance->hasKey('value1'));
+	}
+
+	function testClear(){
+		$value='ipsum lorum';
+		$this->instance->set('1_value1',$value);
+		$this->instance->set('1_value2',$value);
+		$this->instance->set('2_value1',$value);
+		$this->instance->set('3_value1',$value);
+
+		$this->assertTrue($this->instance->clear('1_'));
+		$this->assertFalse($this->instance->hasKey('1_value1'));
+		$this->assertFalse($this->instance->hasKey('1_value2'));
+		$this->assertTrue($this->instance->hasKey('2_value1'));
+		$this->assertTrue($this->instance->hasKey('3_value1'));
+
+		$this->assertTrue($this->instance->clear());
+		$this->assertFalse($this->instance->hasKey('1_value1'));
+		$this->assertFalse($this->instance->hasKey('1_value2'));
+		$this->assertFalse($this->instance->hasKey('2_value1'));
+		$this->assertFalse($this->instance->hasKey('3_value1'));
 	}
 
 	function testTTL(){