diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 24e6e80..c225e20 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -7,6 +7,11 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 
 ## [Unreleased]
 
+### Added
+- **Configurable backup retention.** Choose how many timestamped store backups
+  to keep (default 20) from Settings → "Backups to keep". The count is honoured
+  on the next write-triggered backup, with no restart required.
+
 ## [0.1.0-alpha.1] - 2026-05-30
 
 First packaged release. Cuts an alpha to exercise the release pipeline
diff --git a/src/Snipdeck.App/Bootstrap.cs b/src/Snipdeck.App/Bootstrap.cs
index 9059fdb..52bc1f4 100644
--- a/src/Snipdeck.App/Bootstrap.cs
+++ b/src/Snipdeck.App/Bootstrap.cs
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ public static IServiceProvider Build()
             var snipStoreFilePath = Path.Combine(storageDirectory, _snipStoreFileName);
 
             var snipStore = new JsonSnipStore(snipStoreFilePath);
-            var backupService = new BackupService(snipStoreFilePath, backupDirectory, clock);
+            var backupService = new BackupService(snipStoreFilePath, backupDirectory, clock, () => config.BackupRetention);
             var iconStorage = new IconAssetStorage(storageDirectory);
 
             var services = new ServiceCollection();
diff --git a/src/Snipdeck.App/Views/ShellPage.xaml b/src/Snipdeck.App/Views/ShellPage.xaml
index ba97529..b797d94 100644
--- a/src/Snipdeck.App/Views/ShellPage.xaml
+++ b/src/Snipdeck.App/Views/ShellPage.xaml
@@ -175,6 +175,16 @@
                                    MaxWidth="320" />
                     </tk:SettingsCard>
 
+                    <tk:SettingsCard Header="Backups to keep"
+                                     Description="Older backups beyond this count are pruned after each save.">
+                        <NumberBox Value="{x:Bind BackupRetention, Mode=TwoWay}"
+                                   Minimum="1"
+                                   Maximum="200"
+                                   SmallChange="1"
+                                   SpinButtonPlacementMode="Inline"
+                                   MinWidth="120" />
+                    </tk:SettingsCard>
+
                     <tk:SettingsCard Header="Updates"
                                      Description="Check the GitHub releases feed for a newer build.">
                         <StackPanel Orientation="Horizontal" Spacing="8">
diff --git a/src/Snipdeck.Core/Models/AppConfig.cs b/src/Snipdeck.Core/Models/AppConfig.cs
index db90cd5..a848b64 100644
--- a/src/Snipdeck.Core/Models/AppConfig.cs
+++ b/src/Snipdeck.Core/Models/AppConfig.cs
@@ -4,12 +4,16 @@ public sealed class AppConfig
     {
         public const int CurrentSchemaVersion = 1;
 
+        public const int DefaultBackupRetention = 20;
+
         public int SchemaVersion { get; set; } = CurrentSchemaVersion;
 
         public string? StoragePath { get; set; }
 
         public string? BackupDirectory { get; set; }
 
+        public int BackupRetention { get; set; } = DefaultBackupRetention;
+
         public ThemePreference Theme { get; set; } = ThemePreference.System;
 
         public HotkeyBinding Hotkey { get; set; } = HotkeyBinding.Default;
diff --git a/src/Snipdeck.Core/Services/BackupService.cs b/src/Snipdeck.Core/Services/BackupService.cs
index c49f61e..b01be87 100644
--- a/src/Snipdeck.Core/Services/BackupService.cs
+++ b/src/Snipdeck.Core/Services/BackupService.cs
@@ -7,30 +7,49 @@ namespace Snipdeck.Core.Services
 {
     public sealed class BackupService : IBackupService, IDisposable
     {
-        public const int DefaultRetention = 20;
+        public const int DefaultRetention = AppConfig.DefaultBackupRetention;
         private const string _filenamePrefix = "snipstore_";
         private const string _filenameSuffix = ".json";
         private const string _timestampFormat = "yyyyMMdd_HHmmssfff";
 
         private readonly string _sourceFilePath;
         private readonly IClock _clock;
-        private readonly int _retention;
+        private readonly Func<int> _retentionProvider;
         private readonly SemaphoreSlim _gate = new(1, 1);
 
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Constructs the service with a fixed retention count. Validated eagerly.
+        /// </summary>
         public BackupService(string sourceFilePath, string backupDirectory, IClock clock, int retention = DefaultRetention)
+            : this(sourceFilePath, backupDirectory, clock, ValidateFixedRetention(retention))
+        {
+        }
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Constructs the service with a retention <paramref name="retentionProvider"/>
+        /// read lazily on each prune, so a change to the backing configuration takes
+        /// effect on the next backup without re-creating the service. Provided values
+        /// are clamped to at least 1 at use time — a bad configuration value must never
+        /// crash a backup.
+        /// </summary>
+        public BackupService(string sourceFilePath, string backupDirectory, IClock clock, Func<int> retentionProvider)
         {
             ArgumentException.ThrowIfNullOrWhiteSpace(sourceFilePath);
             ArgumentException.ThrowIfNullOrWhiteSpace(backupDirectory);
             ArgumentNullException.ThrowIfNull(clock);
-            if (retention < 1)
-            {
-                throw new ArgumentOutOfRangeException(nameof(retention), retention, "Retention must be at least 1.");
-            }
+            ArgumentNullException.ThrowIfNull(retentionProvider);
 
             _sourceFilePath = sourceFilePath;
             BackupDirectory = backupDirectory;
             _clock = clock;
-            _retention = retention;
+            _retentionProvider = retentionProvider;
+        }
+
+        private static Func<int> ValidateFixedRetention(int retention)
+        {
+            return retention < 1
+                ? throw new ArgumentOutOfRangeException(nameof(retention), retention, "Retention must be at least 1.")
+                : () => retention;
         }
 
         public string BackupDirectory { get; }
@@ -107,11 +126,13 @@ private IEnumerable<string> EnumerateBackupFiles()
 
         private void PruneStaleBackups()
         {
+            var retention = Math.Max(1, _retentionProvider());
+
             var ordered = EnumerateBackupFiles()
                 .OrderByDescending(name => name, StringComparer.Ordinal)
                 .ToList();
 
-            for (var i = _retention; i < ordered.Count; i++)
+            for (var i = retention; i < ordered.Count; i++)
             {
                 try
                 {
diff --git a/src/Snipdeck.Core/ViewModels/SettingsViewModel.cs b/src/Snipdeck.Core/ViewModels/SettingsViewModel.cs
index f59711d..ca96263 100644
--- a/src/Snipdeck.Core/ViewModels/SettingsViewModel.cs
+++ b/src/Snipdeck.Core/ViewModels/SettingsViewModel.cs
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ public SettingsViewModel(
             HotkeyDisplay = FormatHotkey(config.Hotkey);
             StorageDirectory = config.StoragePath ?? pathProvider.DefaultStorageDirectory;
             BackupDirectory = config.BackupDirectory ?? pathProvider.DefaultBackupDirectory;
+            BackupRetention = config.BackupRetention;
             _suppressPersist = false;
 
             var assembly = typeof(SettingsViewModel).Assembly;
@@ -79,6 +80,9 @@ public SettingsViewModel(
         [ObservableProperty]
         public partial int ThemeIndex { get; set; }
 
+        [ObservableProperty]
+        public partial int BackupRetention { get; set; }
+
         [ObservableProperty]
         public partial CloseBehaviour CloseBehaviour { get; set; }
 
@@ -106,6 +110,17 @@ partial void OnThemeIndexChanged(int value)
             _ = PersistAsync();
         }
 
+        partial void OnBackupRetentionChanged(int value)
+        {
+            if (value < 1)
+            {
+                // Re-entrant set lands back here with a valid value, which persists.
+                BackupRetention = 1;
+                return;
+            }
+            _ = PersistAsync();
+        }
+
         partial void OnCloseBehaviourIndexChanged(int value)
         {
             CloseBehaviour = value == 1 ? CloseBehaviour.Exit : CloseBehaviour.HideToTray;
@@ -148,6 +163,7 @@ private async Task PersistAsync()
             }
             _config.Theme = Theme;
             _config.CloseBehaviour = CloseBehaviour;
+            _config.BackupRetention = BackupRetention;
             await _settingsStore.SaveAsync(_config).ConfigureAwait(true);
         }
 
diff --git a/tests/Snipdeck.Core.Tests/Services/BackupServiceTests.cs b/tests/Snipdeck.Core.Tests/Services/BackupServiceTests.cs
index fc7b965..0f6d1e7 100644
--- a/tests/Snipdeck.Core.Tests/Services/BackupServiceTests.cs
+++ b/tests/Snipdeck.Core.Tests/Services/BackupServiceTests.cs
@@ -132,6 +132,54 @@ public async Task CreateBackupAsync_prunes_backups_beyond_retention()
             Assert.Equal("snipstore_20260529_120004000.json", remaining[2]);
         }
 
+        [Fact]
+        public async Task CreateBackupAsync_reads_retention_lazily_from_provider()
+        {
+            WriteSource();
+            var clock = new FakeClock(new DateTimeOffset(2026, 5, 29, 12, 0, 0, TimeSpan.Zero));
+            var retention = 5;
+            var service = new BackupService(_sourcePath, _backupDirectory, clock, () => retention);
+
+            // Fill up under the initial retention of 5.
+            for (var i = 0; i < 5; i++)
+            {
+                await service.CreateBackupAsync();
+                clock.Advance(TimeSpan.FromSeconds(1));
+            }
+            Assert.Equal(5, Directory.GetFiles(_backupDirectory, "snipstore_*.json").Length);
+
+            // Tighten retention and back up again: the next prune honours the new value.
+            retention = 2;
+            await service.CreateBackupAsync();
+
+            Assert.Equal(2, Directory.GetFiles(_backupDirectory, "snipstore_*.json").Length);
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public async Task CreateBackupAsync_clamps_non_positive_provider_value_to_one()
+        {
+            WriteSource();
+            var clock = new FakeClock(new DateTimeOffset(2026, 5, 29, 12, 0, 0, TimeSpan.Zero));
+            var service = new BackupService(_sourcePath, _backupDirectory, clock, () => 0);
+
+            for (var i = 0; i < 4; i++)
+            {
+                await service.CreateBackupAsync();
+                clock.Advance(TimeSpan.FromSeconds(1));
+            }
+
+            // A zero/negative provider value never wipes everything: at least one is kept.
+            Assert.Single(Directory.GetFiles(_backupDirectory, "snipstore_*.json"));
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void Provider_constructor_rejects_null_provider()
+        {
+            var clock = new FakeClock(DateTimeOffset.UtcNow);
+            Assert.Throws<ArgumentNullException>(
+                () => new BackupService(_sourcePath, _backupDirectory, clock, retentionProvider: null!));
+        }
+
         [Fact]
         public async Task PruneStep_does_not_touch_unrelated_files_in_backup_directory()
         {