diff --git a/internal/orchestrator/tasks/taskcollectgarbage.go b/internal/orchestrator/tasks/taskcollectgarbage.go
index 4c2bd981..3ebd468c 100644
--- a/internal/orchestrator/tasks/taskcollectgarbage.go
+++ b/internal/orchestrator/tasks/taskcollectgarbage.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package tasks
 import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
+	"reflect"
 	"time"
 
 	v1 "github.com/garethgeorge/backrest/gen/go/v1"
@@ -11,21 +12,45 @@ import (
 	"go.uber.org/zap"
 )
 
+type gcSettingsForType struct {
+	maxAge  time.Duration
+	keepMin int
+	keepMax int
+}
+
+type groupByKey struct {
+	Repo string
+	Plan string
+	Type reflect.Type
+}
+
 const (
-	gcStartupDelay = 60 * time.Second
+	gcStartupDelay = 1 * time.Second
 	gcInterval     = 24 * time.Hour
 )
 
-// gcAgeForOperation returns the age at which an operation is eligible for garbage collection.
-func gcAgeForOperation(op *v1.Operation) time.Duration {
-	switch op.Op.(type) {
-	// stats, check, and prune operations are kept for a year
-	case *v1.Operation_OperationStats, *v1.Operation_OperationCheck, *v1.Operation_OperationPrune:
-		return 365 * 24 * time.Hour
-	// all other operations are kept for 30 days
-	default:
-		return 30 * 24 * time.Hour
-	}
+var gcSettings = map[reflect.Type]gcSettingsForType{
+	reflect.TypeOf(&v1.Operation_OperationStats{}): {
+		maxAge:  365 * 24 * time.Hour,
+		keepMin: 1,
+		keepMax: 100,
+	},
+	reflect.TypeOf(&v1.Operation_OperationCheck{}): {
+		maxAge:  365 * 24 * time.Hour,
+		keepMin: 1,
+		keepMax: 12,
+	},
+	reflect.TypeOf(&v1.Operation_OperationPrune{}): {
+		maxAge:  365 * 24 * time.Hour,
+		keepMin: 1,
+		keepMax: 12,
+	},
+}
+
+var defaultGcSettings = gcSettingsForType{
+	maxAge:  30 * 24 * time.Hour,
+	keepMin: 1,
+	keepMax: 100,
 }
 
 type CollectGarbageTask struct {
@@ -85,23 +110,65 @@ func (t *CollectGarbageTask) gcOperations(log *oplog.OpLog) error {
 		return fmt.Errorf("identifying forgotten snapshots: %w", err)
 	}
 
+	// keep track of IDs that are still valid and of the IDs that are being forgotten
 	validIDs := make(map[int64]struct{})
 	forgetIDs := []int64{}
 	curTime := curTimeMillis()
-	if err := log.Query(oplog.SelectAll, func(op *v1.Operation) error {
+
+	var deletedByMaxAge, deletedByMaxCount, deletedByForgottenSnapshot int
+	deletedByType := make(map[string]int)
+	stats := make(map[groupByKey]gcSettingsForType)
+
+	if err := log.Query(oplog.Query{Reversed: true}, func(op *v1.Operation) error {
 		validIDs[op.Id] = struct{}{}
 
 		forgot, ok := snapshotForgottenForFlow[op.FlowId]
-		if !ok {
-			// no snapshot associated with this flow; check if it's old enough to be gc'd
-			maxAgeForOperation := gcAgeForOperation(op)
-			if curTime-op.UnixTimeStartMs > maxAgeForOperation.Milliseconds() {
+		if ok {
+			if forgot {
+				// snapshot is forgotten; this operation is eligible for gc
 				forgetIDs = append(forgetIDs, op.Id)
+				deletedByForgottenSnapshot++
+				deletedByType[reflect.TypeOf(op.Op).String()]++
 			}
-		} else if forgot {
-			// snapshot is forgotten; this operation is eligible for gc
-			forgetIDs = append(forgetIDs, op.Id)
+			return nil
 		}
+
+		key := groupByKey{
+			Repo: op.RepoId,
+			Plan: op.PlanId,
+			Type: reflect.TypeOf(op.Op),
+		}
+
+		st, ok := stats[key]
+		if !ok {
+			gcSettings, ok := gcSettings[reflect.TypeOf(op.Op)]
+			if !ok {
+				st = defaultGcSettings
+			} else {
+				st = gcSettings
+			}
+		}
+
+		st.keepMax--    // decrement the max retention, when this < 0 operation must be gc'd
+		st.keepMin--    // decrement the min retention, when this < 0 we can start gc'ing
+		stats[key] = st // update the stats
+
+		if st.keepMin >= 0 {
+			// can't delete if within min retention period
+			return nil
+		}
+		if st.keepMax < 0 {
+			// max retention reached; this operation must be gc'd.
+			forgetIDs = append(forgetIDs, op.Id)
+			deletedByMaxCount++
+			deletedByType[key.Type.String()]++
+		} else if curTime-op.UnixTimeStartMs > st.maxAge.Milliseconds() {
+			// operation is old enough to be gc'd
+			forgetIDs = append(forgetIDs, op.Id)
+			deletedByMaxAge++
+			deletedByType[key.Type.String()]++
+		}
+
 		return nil
 	}); err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("identifying gc eligible operations: %w", err)
@@ -109,14 +176,13 @@ func (t *CollectGarbageTask) gcOperations(log *oplog.OpLog) error {
 
 	if err := log.Delete(forgetIDs...); err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("removing gc eligible operations: %w", err)
-	} else if len(forgetIDs) > 0 {
-		for _, id := range forgetIDs {
-			delete(validIDs, id)
-		}
+	}
+	for _, id := range forgetIDs { // update validIDs with respect to the just deleted operations
+		delete(validIDs, id)
 	}
 
 	zap.L().Info("collecting garbage operations",
-		zap.Any("operations_removed", len(forgetIDs)))
+		zap.Int("operations_removed", len(forgetIDs)), zap.Int("removed_by_age", deletedByMaxAge), zap.Int("removed_by_limit", deletedByMaxCount), zap.Int("removed_by_snapshot_forgotten", deletedByForgottenSnapshot), zap.Any("removed_by_type", deletedByType))
 
 	// cleaning up logstore
 	toDelete := []string{}