diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 81a1323b..6f1f8fb2 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@ The format is based on [Keep a Changelog](https://keepachangelog.com/en/1.1.0/),
 and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0.html).
 
 ## [Unreleased]
+### Added
+- Option to keep conversations archived ([#334])
 
 ## [1.2.3] - 2025-08-21
 ### Changed
@@ -134,6 +136,7 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 [#288]: https://github.com/FossifyOrg/Messages/issues/288
 [#294]: https://github.com/FossifyOrg/Messages/issues/294
 [#309]: https://github.com/FossifyOrg/Messages/issues/309
+[#334]: https://github.com/FossifyOrg/Messages/issues/334
 [#349]: https://github.com/FossifyOrg/Messages/issues/349
 [#359]: https://github.com/FossifyOrg/Messages/issues/359
 [#461]: https://github.com/FossifyOrg/Messages/issues/461
diff --git a/app/src/main/kotlin/org/fossify/messages/activities/SettingsActivity.kt b/app/src/main/kotlin/org/fossify/messages/activities/SettingsActivity.kt
index d324ed15..62846beb 100644
--- a/app/src/main/kotlin/org/fossify/messages/activities/SettingsActivity.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/kotlin/org/fossify/messages/activities/SettingsActivity.kt
@@ -120,6 +120,7 @@ class SettingsActivity : SimpleActivity() {
         setupEnableDeliveryReports()
         setupSendLongMessageAsMMS()
         setupGroupMessageAsMMS()
+        setupKeepConversationsArchived()
         setupLockScreenVisibility()
         setupMMSFileSizeLimit()
         setupUseRecycleBin()
@@ -310,6 +311,14 @@ class SettingsActivity : SimpleActivity() {
         }
     }
 
+    private fun setupKeepConversationsArchived() = binding.apply {
+        settingsKeepConversationsArchived.isChecked = config.keepConversationsArchived
+        settingsKeepConversationsArchivedHolder.setOnClickListener {
+            settingsKeepConversationsArchived.toggle()
+            config.keepConversationsArchived = settingsKeepConversationsArchived.isChecked
+        }
+    }
+
     private fun setupLockScreenVisibility() = binding.apply {
         settingsLockScreenVisibility.text = getLockScreenVisibilityText()
         settingsLockScreenVisibilityHolder.setOnClickListener {
diff --git a/app/src/main/kotlin/org/fossify/messages/activities/ThreadActivity.kt b/app/src/main/kotlin/org/fossify/messages/activities/ThreadActivity.kt
index d54e7d1b..1251f19b 100644
--- a/app/src/main/kotlin/org/fossify/messages/activities/ThreadActivity.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/kotlin/org/fossify/messages/activities/ThreadActivity.kt
@@ -141,6 +141,7 @@ import org.fossify.messages.extensions.renameConversation
 import org.fossify.messages.extensions.restoreAllMessagesFromRecycleBinForConversation
 import org.fossify.messages.extensions.restoreMessageFromRecycleBin
 import org.fossify.messages.extensions.saveSmsDraft
+import org.fossify.messages.extensions.shouldUnarchive
 import org.fossify.messages.extensions.showWithAnimation
 import org.fossify.messages.extensions.subscriptionManagerCompat
 import org.fossify.messages.extensions.toArrayList
@@ -1640,7 +1641,9 @@ class ThreadActivity : SimpleActivity() {
             }
         }
         messagesDB.insertOrUpdate(message)
-        updateConversationArchivedStatus(message.threadId, false)
+        if (shouldUnarchive()) {
+            updateConversationArchivedStatus(message.threadId, false)
+        }
     }
 
     // show selected contacts, properly split to new lines when appropriate
diff --git a/app/src/main/kotlin/org/fossify/messages/extensions/Context.kt b/app/src/main/kotlin/org/fossify/messages/extensions/Context.kt
index 939c03b9..eee14f4a 100644
--- a/app/src/main/kotlin/org/fossify/messages/extensions/Context.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/kotlin/org/fossify/messages/extensions/Context.kt
@@ -1330,3 +1330,7 @@ fun Context.clearExpiredScheduledMessages(threadId: Long, messagesToDelete: List
 fun Context.getDefaultKeyboardHeight(): Int {
     return resources.getDimensionPixelSize(R.dimen.default_keyboard_height)
 }
+
+fun Context.shouldUnarchive(): Boolean {
+    return config.isArchiveAvailable && !config.keepConversationsArchived
+}
diff --git a/app/src/main/kotlin/org/fossify/messages/helpers/Config.kt b/app/src/main/kotlin/org/fossify/messages/helpers/Config.kt
index 29507906..deb00357 100644
--- a/app/src/main/kotlin/org/fossify/messages/helpers/Config.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/kotlin/org/fossify/messages/helpers/Config.kt
@@ -143,4 +143,9 @@ class Config(context: Context) : BaseConfig(context) {
         get() = prefs.getString(LAST_BLOCKED_KEYWORD_EXPORT_PATH, "")!!
         set(lastBlockedNumbersExportPath) = prefs.edit()
             .putString(LAST_BLOCKED_KEYWORD_EXPORT_PATH, lastBlockedNumbersExportPath).apply()
+
+    var keepConversationsArchived: Boolean
+        get() = prefs.getBoolean(KEEP_CONVERSATIONS_ARCHIVED, false)
+        set(keepConversationsArchived) = prefs.edit()
+            .putBoolean(KEEP_CONVERSATIONS_ARCHIVED, keepConversationsArchived).apply()
 }
diff --git a/app/src/main/kotlin/org/fossify/messages/helpers/Constants.kt b/app/src/main/kotlin/org/fossify/messages/helpers/Constants.kt
index 3f4e1082..a0a01520 100644
--- a/app/src/main/kotlin/org/fossify/messages/helpers/Constants.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/kotlin/org/fossify/messages/helpers/Constants.kt
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ const val IS_RECYCLE_BIN = "is_recycle_bin"
 const val IS_ARCHIVE_AVAILABLE = "is_archive_available"
 const val CUSTOM_NOTIFICATIONS = "custom_notifications"
 const val IS_LAUNCHED_FROM_SHORTCUT = "is_launched_from_shortcut"
+const val KEEP_CONVERSATIONS_ARCHIVED = "keep_conversations_archived"
 
 private const val PATH = "org.fossify.org.fossify.messages.action."
 const val MARK_AS_READ = PATH + "mark_as_read"
diff --git a/app/src/main/kotlin/org/fossify/messages/receivers/MmsReceiver.kt b/app/src/main/kotlin/org/fossify/messages/receivers/MmsReceiver.kt
index b258fe6e..4d961a4b 100644
--- a/app/src/main/kotlin/org/fossify/messages/receivers/MmsReceiver.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/kotlin/org/fossify/messages/receivers/MmsReceiver.kt
@@ -17,7 +17,9 @@ import org.fossify.messages.R
 import org.fossify.messages.extensions.getConversations
 import org.fossify.messages.extensions.getLatestMMS
 import org.fossify.messages.extensions.insertOrUpdateConversation
+import org.fossify.messages.extensions.shouldUnarchive
 import org.fossify.messages.extensions.showReceivedMessageNotification
+import org.fossify.messages.extensions.updateConversationArchivedStatus
 import org.fossify.messages.helpers.ReceiverUtils.isMessageFilteredOut
 import org.fossify.messages.helpers.refreshMessages
 import org.fossify.messages.models.Message
@@ -88,6 +90,9 @@ class MmsReceiver : MmsReceivedReceiver() {
                 val conversation = context.getConversations(mms.threadId).firstOrNull()
                     ?: return@ensureBackgroundThread
                 context.insertOrUpdateConversation(conversation)
+                if (context.shouldUnarchive()) {
+                    context.updateConversationArchivedStatus(mms.threadId, false)
+                }
                 refreshMessages()
             }
         }
diff --git a/app/src/main/kotlin/org/fossify/messages/receivers/SmsReceiver.kt b/app/src/main/kotlin/org/fossify/messages/receivers/SmsReceiver.kt
index 044e0b06..cebd6c9f 100644
--- a/app/src/main/kotlin/org/fossify/messages/receivers/SmsReceiver.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/kotlin/org/fossify/messages/receivers/SmsReceiver.kt
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ class SmsReceiver : BroadcastReceiver() {
                             subscriptionId
                         )
                     context.messagesDB.insertOrUpdate(message)
-                    if (context.config.isArchiveAvailable) {
+                    if (context.shouldUnarchive()) {
                         context.updateConversationArchivedStatus(threadId, false)
                     }
                     refreshMessages()
diff --git a/app/src/main/res/layout/activity_settings.xml b/app/src/main/res/layout/activity_settings.xml
index ebd96909..713d41de 100644
--- a/app/src/main/res/layout/activity_settings.xml
+++ b/app/src/main/res/layout/activity_settings.xml
@@ -351,6 +351,32 @@
                 android:id="@+id/settings_outgoing_messages_divider"
                 layout="@layout/divider" />
 
+            <TextView
+                android:id="@+id/settings_archived_messages_label"
+                style="@style/SettingsSectionLabelStyle"
+                android:layout_width="match_parent"
+                android:layout_height="wrap_content"
+                android:text="@string/archive" />
+
+            <RelativeLayout
+                android:id="@+id/settings_keep_conversations_archived_holder"
+                style="@style/SettingsHolderSwitchStyle"
+                android:layout_width="match_parent"
+                android:layout_height="wrap_content">
+
+                <org.fossify.commons.views.MyMaterialSwitch
+                    android:id="@+id/settings_keep_conversations_archived"
+                    style="@style/SettingsSwitchStyle"
+                    android:layout_width="match_parent"
+                    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
+                    android:text="@string/keep_conversations_archived" />
+
+            </RelativeLayout>
+
+            <include
+                android:id="@+id/settings_archive_divider"
+                layout="@layout/divider" />
+
             <TextView
                 android:id="@+id/settings_recycle_bin_label"
                 style="@style/SettingsSectionLabelStyle"
diff --git a/app/src/main/res/values/strings.xml b/app/src/main/res/values/strings.xml
index c7a6e2d5..2724856c 100644
--- a/app/src/main/res/values/strings.xml
+++ b/app/src/main/res/values/strings.xml
@@ -67,6 +67,7 @@
     <string name="no_archived_conversations">No archived conversations have been found</string>
     <string name="archive_emptied_successfully">The archive has been emptied successfully</string>
     <string name="empty_archive_confirmation">Are you sure you want to empty the archive? All archived conversations will be permanently lost.</string>
+    <string name="keep_conversations_archived">Keep conversations archived</string>
     <!-- Recycle bin -->
     <string name="restore">Restore</string>
     <string name="restore_all_messages">Restore all messages</string>