diff --git a/app/jobs/regular/delete_replies.rb b/app/jobs/regular/delete_replies.rb
index bbc0bec8ff4..9ec384ec8c6 100644
--- a/app/jobs/regular/delete_replies.rb
+++ b/app/jobs/regular/delete_replies.rb
@@ -18,6 +18,8 @@ module Jobs
       end
 
       replies = topic.posts.where("posts.post_number > 1")
+      replies = replies.where("like_count < ?", SiteSetting.skip_auto_delete_reply_likes) if SiteSetting.skip_auto_delete_reply_likes > 0
+
       replies.where('posts.created_at < ?', topic_timer.duration.days.ago).each do |post|
         PostDestroyer.new(topic_timer.user, post, context: I18n.t("topic_statuses.auto_deleted_by_timer")).destroy
       end
diff --git a/config/locales/server.en.yml b/config/locales/server.en.yml
index 2ddabb4fb3e..19d1313a63c 100644
--- a/config/locales/server.en.yml
+++ b/config/locales/server.en.yml
@@ -2182,6 +2182,7 @@ en:
     blur_tl0_flagged_posts_media: "Blur flagged posts images to hide potentially NSFW content."
     enable_page_publishing: "Allow staff members to publish topics to new URLs with their own styling."
     show_published_pages_login_required: "Anonymous users can see published pages, even when login is required."
+    skip_auto_delete_reply_likes: "When automatically deleting old replies, skip deleting posts with this number of likes or more."
 
     default_email_digest_frequency: "How often users receive summary emails by default."
     default_include_tl0_in_digests: "Include posts from new users in summary emails by default. Users can change this in their preferences."
diff --git a/config/site_settings.yml b/config/site_settings.yml
index a58796d187d..50dcefffd33 100644
--- a/config/site_settings.yml
+++ b/config/site_settings.yml
@@ -996,6 +996,7 @@ posting:
     default: false
   show_published_pages_login_required:
     default: false
+  skip_auto_delete_reply_likes: 5
 
 email:
   email_time_window_mins:
diff --git a/spec/jobs/delete_replies_spec.rb b/spec/jobs/delete_replies_spec.rb
index a1968bc671e..564fd78c4bd 100644
--- a/spec/jobs/delete_replies_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/jobs/delete_replies_spec.rb
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@ describe Jobs::DeleteReplies do
   end
 
   it "can delete replies of a topic" do
+    SiteSetting.skip_auto_delete_reply_likes = 0
+
     freeze_time (2.days.from_now)
 
     expect {
@@ -24,4 +26,16 @@ describe Jobs::DeleteReplies do
     topic_timer.reload
     expect(topic_timer.execute_at).to eq_time(2.day.from_now)
   end
+
+  it "does not delete posts with likes over the threshold" do
+    SiteSetting.skip_auto_delete_reply_likes = 3
+
+    freeze_time (2.days.from_now)
+
+    topic.posts.last.update!(like_count: SiteSetting.skip_auto_delete_reply_likes + 1)
+
+    expect {
+      described_class.new.execute(topic_timer_id: topic_timer.id)
+    }.to change { topic.posts.count }.by(-1)
+  end
 end