diff --git a/packages/kbn-management/settings/setting_ids/index.ts b/packages/kbn-management/settings/setting_ids/index.ts
index 08ce7f3579229..0f79a5fff0506 100644
--- a/packages/kbn-management/settings/setting_ids/index.ts
+++ b/packages/kbn-management/settings/setting_ids/index.ts
@@ -150,6 +150,7 @@ export const OBSERVABILITY_AI_ASSISTANT_SIMULATED_FUNCTION_CALLING =
   'observability:aiAssistantSimulatedFunctionCalling';
 export const OBSERVABILITY_AI_ASSISTANT_SEARCH_CONNECTOR_INDEX_PATTERN =
   'observability:aiAssistantSearchConnectorIndexPattern';
+export const OBSERVABILITY_SEARCH_EXCLUDED_DATA_TIERS = 'observability:searchExcludedDataTiers';
 
 // Reporting settings
 export const XPACK_REPORTING_CUSTOM_PDF_LOGO_ID = 'xpackReporting:customPdfLogo';
diff --git a/packages/serverless/settings/observability_project/index.ts b/packages/serverless/settings/observability_project/index.ts
index 470964954d166..85f6327bf0a07 100644
--- a/packages/serverless/settings/observability_project/index.ts
+++ b/packages/serverless/settings/observability_project/index.ts
@@ -37,4 +37,5 @@ export const OBSERVABILITY_PROJECT_SETTINGS = [
   settings.OBSERVABILITY_AI_ASSISTANT_LOGS_INDEX_PATTERN_ID,
   settings.OBSERVABILITY_AI_ASSISTANT_SIMULATED_FUNCTION_CALLING,
   settings.OBSERVABILITY_AI_ASSISTANT_SEARCH_CONNECTOR_INDEX_PATTERN,
+  settings.OBSERVABILITY_SEARCH_EXCLUDED_DATA_TIERS,
 ];
diff --git a/src/plugins/kibana_usage_collection/server/collectors/management/schema.ts b/src/plugins/kibana_usage_collection/server/collectors/management/schema.ts
index d1ab81f3e60a7..52c0df738246a 100644
--- a/src/plugins/kibana_usage_collection/server/collectors/management/schema.ts
+++ b/src/plugins/kibana_usage_collection/server/collectors/management/schema.ts
@@ -694,4 +694,11 @@ export const stackManagementSchema: MakeSchemaFrom<UsageStats> = {
     type: 'boolean',
     _meta: { description: 'Non-default value of setting.' },
   },
+  'observability:searchExcludedDataTiers': {
+    type: 'array',
+    items: {
+      type: 'keyword',
+      _meta: { description: 'Non-default value of setting.' },
+    },
+  },
 };
diff --git a/src/plugins/kibana_usage_collection/server/collectors/management/types.ts b/src/plugins/kibana_usage_collection/server/collectors/management/types.ts
index c66f4f07a296e..0a0ebe8ebbac6 100644
--- a/src/plugins/kibana_usage_collection/server/collectors/management/types.ts
+++ b/src/plugins/kibana_usage_collection/server/collectors/management/types.ts
@@ -181,4 +181,5 @@ export interface UsageStats {
   'aiAssistant:preferredAIAssistantType': string;
   'observability:profilingFetchTopNFunctionsFromStacktraces': boolean;
   'securitySolution:excludedDataTiersForRuleExecution': string[];
+  'observability:searchExcludedDataTiers': string[];
 }
diff --git a/src/plugins/telemetry/schema/oss_plugins.json b/src/plugins/telemetry/schema/oss_plugins.json
index 70fbeec73bc5d..77e050334803b 100644
--- a/src/plugins/telemetry/schema/oss_plugins.json
+++ b/src/plugins/telemetry/schema/oss_plugins.json
@@ -10355,6 +10355,15 @@
             }
           }
         },
+        "observability:searchExcludedDataTiers": {
+          "type": "array",
+          "items": {
+            "type": "keyword",
+            "_meta": {
+              "description": "Non-default value of setting."
+            }
+          }
+        },
         "banners:placement": {
           "type": "keyword",
           "_meta": {
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/observability_solution/observability/common/ui_settings_keys.ts b/x-pack/plugins/observability_solution/observability/common/ui_settings_keys.ts
index fe43cd30705db..efceaca9a0427 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/observability_solution/observability/common/ui_settings_keys.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/observability_solution/observability/common/ui_settings_keys.ts
@@ -48,3 +48,4 @@ export const profilingAzureCostDiscountRate = 'observability:profilingAzureCostD
 export const apmEnableTransactionProfiling = 'observability:apmEnableTransactionProfiling';
 export const profilingFetchTopNFunctionsFromStacktraces =
   'observability:profilingFetchTopNFunctionsFromStacktraces';
+export const searchExcludedDataTiers = 'observability:searchExcludedDataTiers';
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/observability_solution/observability/server/ui_settings.ts b/x-pack/plugins/observability_solution/observability/server/ui_settings.ts
index d404606b4ce79..81c0596722106 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/observability_solution/observability/server/ui_settings.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/observability_solution/observability/server/ui_settings.ts
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ import {
   apmEnableServiceInventoryTableSearchBar,
   profilingFetchTopNFunctionsFromStacktraces,
   enableInfrastructureContainerAssetView,
+  searchExcludedDataTiers,
 } from '../common/ui_settings_keys';
 
 const betaLabel = i18n.translate('xpack.observability.uiSettings.betaLabel', {
@@ -640,6 +641,24 @@ export const uiSettings: Record<string, UiSettings> = {
     schema: schema.boolean(),
     requiresPageReload: false,
   },
+  [searchExcludedDataTiers]: {
+    category: [observabilityFeatureId],
+    name: i18n.translate('xpack.observability.searchExcludedDataTiers', {
+      defaultMessage: 'Excluded data tiers from search',
+    }),
+    description: i18n.translate(
+      'xpack.observability.advancedSettings.searchExcludedDataTiersDesc',
+      {
+        defaultMessage: `Specify the data tiers to exclude from search, such as data_cold and/or data_frozen. 
+        When configured, indices allocated in the selected tiers will be ignored from search requests. Affected apps: APM`,
+      }
+    ),
+    value: [],
+    schema: schema.arrayOf(
+      schema.oneOf([schema.literal('data_cold'), schema.literal('data_frozen')])
+    ),
+    requiresPageReload: false,
+  },
 };
 
 function throttlingDocsLink({ href }: { href: string }) {