diff --git a/.palantir/revapi.yml b/.palantir/revapi.yml
index 18c63fbe7bb1..a726040a1473 100644
--- a/.palantir/revapi.yml
+++ b/.palantir/revapi.yml
@@ -1146,6 +1146,10 @@ acceptedBreaks:
         \ org.apache.iceberg.TableMetadata)"
       justification: "Removing deprecated code"
   "1.7.0":
+    org.apache.iceberg:iceberg-api:
+    - code: "java.method.addedToInterface"
+      new: "method org.apache.iceberg.ExpireSnapshots org.apache.iceberg.ExpireSnapshots::keepAtMost(int)"
+      justification: "Add new method"
     org.apache.iceberg:iceberg-core:
     - code: "java.method.removed"
       old: "method <T extends org.apache.iceberg.StructLike> org.apache.iceberg.deletes.PositionDeleteIndex\
diff --git a/api/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/ExpireSnapshots.java b/api/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/ExpireSnapshots.java
index f6524a1d4fba..e503940c5ff9 100644
--- a/api/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/ExpireSnapshots.java
+++ b/api/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/ExpireSnapshots.java
@@ -50,11 +50,24 @@ public interface ExpireSnapshots extends PendingUpdate<List<Snapshot>> {
   /**
    * Expires all snapshots older than the given timestamp.
    *
+   * <p>A snapshot kept by this method can still be expired by {@link #keepAtMost(int)}.
+   *
    * @param timestampMillis a long timestamp, as returned by {@link System#currentTimeMillis()}
    * @return this for method chaining
    */
   ExpireSnapshots expireOlderThan(long timestampMillis);
 
+  /**
+   * Keeps at most {@code numSnapshots} ancestors of the current snapshot and expires older
+   * ancestors.
+   *
+   * <p>A snapshot kept by this method can still be expired by {@link #expireOlderThan(long)}.
+   *
+   * @param numSnapshots the number of snapshots to keep at most
+   * @return this for method chaining
+   */
+  ExpireSnapshots keepAtMost(int numSnapshots);
+
   /**
    * Retains the most recent ancestors of the current snapshot.
    *
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/RemoveSnapshots.java b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/RemoveSnapshots.java
index 7558ea7d8a3e..241a7e38fb1d 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/RemoveSnapshots.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/RemoveSnapshots.java
@@ -30,6 +30,8 @@
 import static org.apache.iceberg.TableProperties.GC_ENABLED_DEFAULT;
 import static org.apache.iceberg.TableProperties.MAX_REF_AGE_MS;
 import static org.apache.iceberg.TableProperties.MAX_REF_AGE_MS_DEFAULT;
+import static org.apache.iceberg.TableProperties.MAX_SNAPSHOTS_TO_KEEP;
+import static org.apache.iceberg.TableProperties.MAX_SNAPSHOTS_TO_KEEP_DEFAULT;
 import static org.apache.iceberg.TableProperties.MAX_SNAPSHOT_AGE_MS;
 import static org.apache.iceberg.TableProperties.MAX_SNAPSHOT_AGE_MS_DEFAULT;
 import static org.apache.iceberg.TableProperties.MIN_SNAPSHOTS_TO_KEEP;
@@ -80,6 +82,7 @@ public void accept(String file) {
   private TableMetadata base;
   private long defaultExpireOlderThan;
   private int defaultMinNumSnapshots;
+  private int defaultMaxNumSnapshots;
   private Consumer<String> deleteFunc = defaultDelete;
   private ExecutorService deleteExecutorService = DEFAULT_DELETE_EXECUTOR_SERVICE;
   private ExecutorService planExecutorService = ThreadPools.getWorkerPool();
@@ -102,6 +105,9 @@ public void accept(String file) {
     this.defaultMinNumSnapshots =
         PropertyUtil.propertyAsInt(
             base.properties(), MIN_SNAPSHOTS_TO_KEEP, MIN_SNAPSHOTS_TO_KEEP_DEFAULT);
+    this.defaultMaxNumSnapshots =
+        PropertyUtil.propertyAsInt(
+            base.properties(), MAX_SNAPSHOTS_TO_KEEP, MAX_SNAPSHOTS_TO_KEEP_DEFAULT);
 
     this.defaultMaxRefAgeMs =
         PropertyUtil.propertyAsLong(base.properties(), MAX_REF_AGE_MS, MAX_REF_AGE_MS_DEFAULT);
@@ -131,6 +137,16 @@ public ExpireSnapshots expireOlderThan(long timestampMillis) {
     return this;
   }
 
+  @Override
+  public ExpireSnapshots keepAtMost(int numSnapshots) {
+    Preconditions.checkArgument(
+        1 <= numSnapshots,
+        "Number of snapshots to keep at most must be at least 1, cannot be: %s",
+        numSnapshots);
+    this.defaultMaxNumSnapshots = numSnapshots;
+    return this;
+  }
+
   @Override
   public ExpireSnapshots retainLast(int numSnapshots) {
     Preconditions.checkArgument(
@@ -245,9 +261,13 @@ private Set<Long> computeAllBranchSnapshotsToRetain(Collection<SnapshotRef> refs
             ref.maxSnapshotAgeMs() != null ? now - ref.maxSnapshotAgeMs() : defaultExpireOlderThan;
         int minSnapshotsToKeep =
             ref.minSnapshotsToKeep() != null ? ref.minSnapshotsToKeep() : defaultMinNumSnapshots;
+        int maxSnapshotsToKeep = Math.max(defaultMaxNumSnapshots, minSnapshotsToKeep);
         branchSnapshotsToRetain.addAll(
             computeBranchSnapshotsToRetain(
-                ref.snapshotId(), expireSnapshotsOlderThan, minSnapshotsToKeep));
+                ref.snapshotId(),
+                expireSnapshotsOlderThan,
+                minSnapshotsToKeep,
+                maxSnapshotsToKeep));
       }
     }
 
@@ -255,11 +275,16 @@ private Set<Long> computeAllBranchSnapshotsToRetain(Collection<SnapshotRef> refs
   }
 
   private Set<Long> computeBranchSnapshotsToRetain(
-      long snapshot, long expireSnapshotsOlderThan, int minSnapshotsToKeep) {
+      long snapshot,
+      long expireSnapshotsOlderThan,
+      int minSnapshotsToKeep,
+      int maxSnapshotsToKeep) {
     Set<Long> idsToRetain = Sets.newHashSet();
     for (Snapshot ancestor : SnapshotUtil.ancestorsOf(snapshot, base::snapshot)) {
-      if (idsToRetain.size() < minSnapshotsToKeep
-          || ancestor.timestampMillis() >= expireSnapshotsOlderThan) {
+      int retainSize = idsToRetain.size();
+      if (retainSize < minSnapshotsToKeep
+          || (retainSize < maxSnapshotsToKeep
+              && ancestor.timestampMillis() >= expireSnapshotsOlderThan)) {
         idsToRetain.add(ancestor.snapshotId());
       } else {
         return idsToRetain;
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/TableProperties.java b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/TableProperties.java
index c137bcd3a2c3..b262684cb01e 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/TableProperties.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/TableProperties.java
@@ -349,6 +349,9 @@ private TableProperties() {}
   public static final String MIN_SNAPSHOTS_TO_KEEP = "history.expire.min-snapshots-to-keep";
   public static final int MIN_SNAPSHOTS_TO_KEEP_DEFAULT = 1;
 
+  public static final String MAX_SNAPSHOTS_TO_KEEP = "history.expire.max-snapshots-to-keep";
+  public static final int MAX_SNAPSHOTS_TO_KEEP_DEFAULT = Integer.MAX_VALUE;
+
   public static final String MAX_REF_AGE_MS = "history.expire.max-ref-age-ms";
   public static final long MAX_REF_AGE_MS_DEFAULT = Long.MAX_VALUE;