diff --git a/scripts/check_galaxy.py b/scripts/check_galaxy.py
index 6e8e1a2916d..572b22388b9 100755
--- a/scripts/check_galaxy.py
+++ b/scripts/check_galaxy.py
@@ -141,8 +141,15 @@ class Browser:
             print "Remaining datasets ids:", " ".join( p.dids )
             raise Exception, "History still contains datasets after attempting to delete them"
         if new_history:
-            self.get("/root/history_new")
-            tc.save_cookies(self.cookie_jar)
+            self.get("/root/history_options")
+            p = hidParser()
+            p.feed(tc.browser.get_html())
+            if p.hid is None:
+                print "Unable to determine hid to delete old history"
+                sys.exit(1)
+            else:
+                self.get("/root/history_delete?id=%s" % p.hid)
+                tc.save_cookies(self.cookie_jar)
 
     def check_redir(self, url):
         try:
@@ -327,6 +334,16 @@ class didParser(htmllib.HTMLParser):
                 self.dids.append( i[1].rsplit("historyItemContainer-", 1)[1] )
                 dprint("got a dataset id: %s" % self.dids[-1])
 
+class hidParser(htmllib.HTMLParser):
+    def __init__(self):
+        htmllib.HTMLParser.__init__(self, formatter.NullFormatter())
+        self.hid = None
+    def start_a(self, attrs):
+        for i in attrs:
+            if i[0] == "href" and i[1].startswith("/root/history_delete"):
+                self.hid = i[1].rsplit("=", 1)[1]
+                dprint("got a history id: %s" % self.hid)
+
 class loggedinParser(htmllib.HTMLParser):
     def __init__(self):
         htmllib.HTMLParser.__init__(self, formatter.NullFormatter())