Dendritic cells and macrophages are major components of the phagocyte system and are professional antigen presenting cells. In the current review, we discuss the differential contribution of dendritic cell and macrophage subsets in the clearance of dying cells and the consequences of these processes. We hypothesize that under steady-state conditions, the clearance of apoptotic cells is mostly confined to a specialized subset of phagocytes with anti-inflammatory properties.