diff --git a/docs/changelog/7.x.x.txt b/docs/changelog/7.x.x.txt
index 68d691f0f..b4a759cb0 100644
--- a/docs/changelog/7.x.x.txt
+++ b/docs/changelog/7.x.x.txt
@@ -4,8 +4,9 @@
  - The YUI library used in WebGUI has been upgraded to 2.5.0.
  - The resizable text area implementation used in WebGUI has been
    migrated to the code provided by YUI 2.5.0.
--  As a result of the above, we no longer need extjs, and it has been
+ - As a result of the above, we no longer need extjs, and it has been
    removed.
+ - added script to remove unneeded .wgaccess files instead of having it run during upgrade
 
 7.5.3
  - prevent HTML and Macro injection in usernames
diff --git a/docs/upgrades/upgrade_7.5.2-7.5.3.pl b/docs/upgrades/upgrade_7.5.2-7.5.3.pl
index a65771555..65a5493e9 100644
--- a/docs/upgrades/upgrade_7.5.2-7.5.3.pl
+++ b/docs/upgrades/upgrade_7.5.2-7.5.3.pl
@@ -23,31 +23,11 @@ my $quiet; # this line required
 
 my $session = start(); # this line required
 
-removePublicStorageAccessFiles($session);
 # upgrade functions go here
 
 finish($session); # this line required
 
 
-#-------------------------------------------------
-sub removePublicStorageAccessFiles {
-    my $session = shift;
-    print "\tRemoving unnecessary .wgaccess files.\n" unless ($quiet);
-    my $uploadsPath = $session->config->get('uploadsPath');
-    File::Find::find({no_chdir => 1, wanted => sub {
-        return if -d $File::Find::name;
-        my $filename = (File::Spec->splitpath($File::Find::name))[2];
-        return if $filename ne '.wgaccess';
-        open my $fh, '<', $File::Find::name or return;
-        local $/ = "\n";
-        chomp (my ($user, $viewGroup, $editGroup) = <$fh>);
-        close $fh;
-        if ($user eq '1' || $viewGroup eq '1' || $viewGroup eq '7' || $editGroup eq '1' || $editGroup eq '7') {
-            unlink $File::Find::name;
-        }
-    }}, $uploadsPath);
-}
-
 ##-------------------------------------------------
 #sub exampleFunction {
 #	my $session = shift;
diff --git a/sbin/purgeWGAccess.pl b/sbin/purgeWGAccess.pl
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e28e714df
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sbin/purgeWGAccess.pl
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+use lib "../lib";
+use strict;
+use Getopt::Long;
+use WebGUI::Config;
+
+local $| = 1; #disable output buffering
+GetOptions(
+    'configFile=s' => \(my $configFile),
+    'configFile=s' => \(my $configFile),
+);
+my $config = WebGUI::Config->new("..",$configFile);
+use File::Find;
+
+print "\tRemoving unnecessary .wgaccess files.\n";
+my $uploadsPath = $config->get('uploadsPath');
+File::Find::find({wanted => sub {
+    my $filename = $_;
+    return
+        if -d $filename;                    # Skip directories
+    return
+        if $filename ne '.wgaccess';        # skip anything other than .wgaccess
+    open my $fh, '<', $filename or return;  # skip files we can't open
+    chomp (my ($user, $viewGroup, $editGroup) = <$fh>); # slurp file as lines
+    close $fh;
+    # 
+    if ($user eq '1' || $viewGroup eq '1' || $viewGroup eq '7' || $editGroup eq '1' || $editGroup eq '7') {
+        unlink $filename;
+    }
+}}, $uploadsPath);
+