diff --git a/navalplanner-business/src/main/java/org/navalplanner/business/orders/daos/IOrderElementDAO.java b/navalplanner-business/src/main/java/org/navalplanner/business/orders/daos/IOrderElementDAO.java
index 24945aceb..a51be6839 100644
--- a/navalplanner-business/src/main/java/org/navalplanner/business/orders/daos/IOrderElementDAO.java
+++ b/navalplanner-business/src/main/java/org/navalplanner/business/orders/daos/IOrderElementDAO.java
@@ -113,4 +113,6 @@ public interface IOrderElementDAO extends IGenericDAO<OrderElement, Long> {
 
     BigDecimal calculateMinWorkedHours(final List<OrderElement> list);
 
+    boolean isAlreadyInUseThisOrAnyOfItsChildren(OrderElement orderElement);
+
 }
diff --git a/navalplanner-business/src/main/java/org/navalplanner/business/orders/daos/OrderElementDAO.java b/navalplanner-business/src/main/java/org/navalplanner/business/orders/daos/OrderElementDAO.java
index 8134570d6..a740ba080 100644
--- a/navalplanner-business/src/main/java/org/navalplanner/business/orders/daos/OrderElementDAO.java
+++ b/navalplanner-business/src/main/java/org/navalplanner/business/orders/daos/OrderElementDAO.java
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ import org.navalplanner.business.orders.entities.TaskSource;
 import org.navalplanner.business.planner.daos.ITaskSourceDAO;
 import org.navalplanner.business.templates.entities.OrderElementTemplate;
 import org.navalplanner.business.workreports.daos.IWorkReportLineDAO;
+import org.navalplanner.business.workreports.entities.WorkReport;
 import org.navalplanner.business.workreports.entities.WorkReportLine;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.annotation.Autowired;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.config.BeanDefinition;
@@ -362,4 +363,31 @@ public class OrderElementDAO extends GenericDAOHibernate<OrderElement, Long>
         return min;
     }
 
+    private boolean isAlreadyInUse(OrderElement orderElement) {
+        boolean usedInWorkReports = !getSession().createCriteria(
+                WorkReport.class).add(
+                Restrictions.eq("orderElement", orderElement)).list().isEmpty();
+        boolean usedInWorkReportLines = !getSession().createCriteria(
+                WorkReportLine.class).add(
+                Restrictions.eq("orderElement", orderElement)).list().isEmpty();
+
+        return usedInWorkReports || usedInWorkReportLines;
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public boolean isAlreadyInUseThisOrAnyOfItsChildren(
+            OrderElement orderElement) {
+        if (isAlreadyInUse(orderElement)) {
+            return true;
+        }
+
+        for (OrderElement child : orderElement.getChildren()) {
+            if (isAlreadyInUseThisOrAnyOfItsChildren(child)) {
+                return true;
+            }
+        }
+
+        return false;
+    }
+
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/navalplanner-webapp/src/main/java/org/navalplanner/web/orders/IOrderModel.java b/navalplanner-webapp/src/main/java/org/navalplanner/web/orders/IOrderModel.java
index 5b1e4e78f..2b7aa4d62 100644
--- a/navalplanner-webapp/src/main/java/org/navalplanner/web/orders/IOrderModel.java
+++ b/navalplanner-webapp/src/main/java/org/navalplanner/web/orders/IOrderModel.java
@@ -119,4 +119,6 @@ public interface IOrderModel {
 
     boolean userCanWrite(Order order, String loginName);
 
+    boolean isAlreadyInUse(OrderElement element);
+
 }
diff --git a/navalplanner-webapp/src/main/java/org/navalplanner/web/orders/OrderCRUDController.java b/navalplanner-webapp/src/main/java/org/navalplanner/web/orders/OrderCRUDController.java
index d99e80f95..30bcae161 100644
--- a/navalplanner-webapp/src/main/java/org/navalplanner/web/orders/OrderCRUDController.java
+++ b/navalplanner-webapp/src/main/java/org/navalplanner/web/orders/OrderCRUDController.java
@@ -277,7 +277,7 @@ public class OrderCRUDController extends GenericForwardComposer {
             orderElementController.doAfterCompose(self
                     .getFellow("editOrderElement"));
             orderElementTreeController = new OrderElementTreeController(
-                    orderModel, orderElementController);
+                    orderModel, orderElementController, messagesForUser);
 
             TreeComponent orderElementsTree = (TreeComponent) editWindow
                     .getFellow("orderElementTree");
diff --git a/navalplanner-webapp/src/main/java/org/navalplanner/web/orders/OrderElementTreeController.java b/navalplanner-webapp/src/main/java/org/navalplanner/web/orders/OrderElementTreeController.java
index 81dc44613..d527e3643 100644
--- a/navalplanner-webapp/src/main/java/org/navalplanner/web/orders/OrderElementTreeController.java
+++ b/navalplanner-webapp/src/main/java/org/navalplanner/web/orders/OrderElementTreeController.java
@@ -38,6 +38,8 @@ import org.navalplanner.business.orders.entities.OrderLineGroup;
 import org.navalplanner.business.orders.entities.SchedulingState;
 import org.navalplanner.business.requirements.entities.CriterionRequirement;
 import org.navalplanner.business.templates.entities.OrderElementTemplate;
+import org.navalplanner.web.common.IMessagesForUser;
+import org.navalplanner.web.common.Level;
 import org.navalplanner.web.common.Util;
 import org.navalplanner.web.common.Util.Getter;
 import org.navalplanner.web.common.Util.Setter;
@@ -97,6 +99,8 @@ public class OrderElementTreeController extends TreeController<OrderElement> {
     @Resource
     private IOrderTemplatesControllerEntryPoints orderTemplates;
 
+    private final IMessagesForUser messagesForUser;
+
     public List<org.navalplanner.business.labels.entities.Label> getLabels() {
         return orderModel.getLabels();
     }
@@ -107,10 +111,12 @@ public class OrderElementTreeController extends TreeController<OrderElement> {
     }
 
     public OrderElementTreeController(IOrderModel orderModel,
-            OrderElementController orderElementController) {
+            OrderElementController orderElementController,
+            IMessagesForUser messagesForUser) {
         super(OrderElement.class);
         this.orderModel = orderModel;
         this.orderElementController = orderElementController;
+        this.messagesForUser = messagesForUser;
     }
 
     public OrderElementController getOrderElementController() {
@@ -673,4 +679,19 @@ public class OrderElementTreeController extends TreeController<OrderElement> {
         };
     }
 
+    @Override
+    protected void remove(OrderElement element) {
+        boolean alreadyInUse = orderModel.isAlreadyInUse(element);
+        if (alreadyInUse) {
+            messagesForUser
+                    .showMessage(
+                            Level.ERROR,
+                            _(
+                                    "You can not remove the order element \"{0}\" because of this or any of its children are already in use in some work reports",
+                                    element.getName()));
+        } else {
+            super.remove(element);
+        }
+    }
+
 }
diff --git a/navalplanner-webapp/src/main/java/org/navalplanner/web/orders/OrderModel.java b/navalplanner-webapp/src/main/java/org/navalplanner/web/orders/OrderModel.java
index 07b550db9..92522c6ec 100644
--- a/navalplanner-webapp/src/main/java/org/navalplanner/web/orders/OrderModel.java
+++ b/navalplanner-webapp/src/main/java/org/navalplanner/web/orders/OrderModel.java
@@ -50,7 +50,6 @@ import org.navalplanner.business.labels.daos.ILabelDAO;
 import org.navalplanner.business.labels.entities.Label;
 import org.navalplanner.business.orders.daos.IOrderDAO;
 import org.navalplanner.business.orders.daos.IOrderElementDAO;
-import org.navalplanner.business.orders.entities.CriterionRequirementOrderElementHandler;
 import org.navalplanner.business.orders.entities.HoursGroup;
 import org.navalplanner.business.orders.entities.Order;
 import org.navalplanner.business.orders.entities.OrderElement;
@@ -754,4 +753,10 @@ public class OrderModel implements IOrderModel {
         return false;
     }
 
+    @Override
+    @Transactional(readOnly = true)
+    public boolean isAlreadyInUse(OrderElement element) {
+        return orderElementDAO.isAlreadyInUseThisOrAnyOfItsChildren(element);
+    }
+
 }