diff --git a/internal/api/job.go b/internal/api/job.go
index 65584ca..7701374 100644
--- a/internal/api/job.go
+++ b/internal/api/job.go
@@ -882,6 +882,7 @@ func (api *RestAPI) deleteJobByRequest(rw http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request)
 // @failure     500     {object} api.ErrorResponse          "Internal Server Error"
 // @security    ApiKeyAuth
 // @router      /api/jobs/delete_job_before/{ts} [delete]
+// @param       omit-tagged query bool false "Omit jobs with tags from deletion"
 func (api *RestAPI) deleteJobBefore(rw http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 	var cnt int
 	// Fetch job (that will be stopped) from db
@@ -894,7 +895,17 @@ func (api *RestAPI) deleteJobBefore(rw http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 			return
 		}
 
-		cnt, err = api.JobRepository.DeleteJobsBefore(ts)
+		// Check for omit-tagged query parameter
+		omitTagged := false
+		if omitTaggedStr := r.URL.Query().Get("omit-tagged"); omitTaggedStr != "" {
+			omitTagged, e = strconv.ParseBool(omitTaggedStr)
+			if e != nil {
+				handleError(fmt.Errorf("boolean expected for omit-tagged parameter: %w", e), http.StatusBadRequest, rw)
+				return
+			}
+		}
+
+		cnt, err = api.JobRepository.DeleteJobsBefore(ts, omitTagged)
 	} else {
 		handleError(errors.New("the parameter 'ts' is required"), http.StatusBadRequest, rw)
 		return
diff --git a/internal/repository/job.go b/internal/repository/job.go
index 34c37e6..2f003e3 100644
--- a/internal/repository/job.go
+++ b/internal/repository/job.go
@@ -321,9 +321,14 @@ func (r *JobRepository) FetchEnergyFootprint(job *schema.Job) (map[string]float6
 	return job.EnergyFootprint, nil
 }
 
-func (r *JobRepository) DeleteJobsBefore(startTime int64) (int, error) {
+func (r *JobRepository) DeleteJobsBefore(startTime int64, omitTagged bool) (int, error) {
 	var cnt int
 	q := sq.Select("count(*)").From("job").Where("job.start_time < ?", startTime)
+
+	if omitTagged {
+		q = q.Where("NOT EXISTS (SELECT 1 FROM jobtag WHERE jobtag.job_id = job.id)")
+	}
+
 	if err := q.RunWith(r.DB).QueryRow().Scan(&cnt); err != nil {
 		cclog.Errorf("Error counting jobs before %d: %v", startTime, err)
 		return 0, err
@@ -332,7 +337,13 @@ func (r *JobRepository) DeleteJobsBefore(startTime int64) (int, error) {
 	// Invalidate cache for jobs being deleted (get job IDs first)
 	if cnt > 0 {
 		var jobIds []int64
-		rows, err := sq.Select("id").From("job").Where("job.start_time < ?", startTime).RunWith(r.DB).Query()
+		selectQuery := sq.Select("id").From("job").Where("job.start_time < ?", startTime)
+
+		if omitTagged {
+			selectQuery = selectQuery.Where("NOT EXISTS (SELECT 1 FROM jobtag WHERE jobtag.job_id = job.id)")
+		}
+
+		rows, err := selectQuery.RunWith(r.DB).Query()
 		if err == nil {
 			defer rows.Close()
 			for rows.Next() {
@@ -350,6 +361,10 @@ func (r *JobRepository) DeleteJobsBefore(startTime int64) (int, error) {
 	}
 
 	qd := sq.Delete("job").Where("job.start_time < ?", startTime)
+
+	if omitTagged {
+		qd = qd.Where("NOT EXISTS (SELECT 1 FROM jobtag WHERE jobtag.job_id = job.id)")
+	}
 	_, err := qd.RunWith(r.DB).Exec()
 
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/internal/taskmanager/retentionService.go b/internal/taskmanager/retentionService.go
index e452ffd..0a61bc4 100644
--- a/internal/taskmanager/retentionService.go
+++ b/internal/taskmanager/retentionService.go
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ func RegisterRetentionDeleteService(age int, includeDB bool, omitTagged bool) {
 				archive.GetHandle().CleanUp(jobs)
 
 				if includeDB {
-					cnt, err := jobRepo.DeleteJobsBefore(startTime)
+					cnt, err := jobRepo.DeleteJobsBefore(startTime, omitTagged)
 					if err != nil {
 						cclog.Errorf("Error while deleting retention jobs from db: %s", err.Error())
 					} else {
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ func RegisterRetentionMoveService(age int, includeDB bool, location string, omit
 				archive.GetHandle().Move(jobs, location)
 
 				if includeDB {
-					cnt, err := jobRepo.DeleteJobsBefore(startTime)
+					cnt, err := jobRepo.DeleteJobsBefore(startTime, omitTagged)
 					if err != nil {
 						cclog.Errorf("Error while deleting retention jobs from db: %v", err)
 					} else {