diff --git a/app/src/main/java/eu/kanade/tachiyomi/data/preference/PreferencesHelper.kt b/app/src/main/java/eu/kanade/tachiyomi/data/preference/PreferencesHelper.kt
index af95883de1..a4189ae6e8 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/eu/kanade/tachiyomi/data/preference/PreferencesHelper.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/eu/kanade/tachiyomi/data/preference/PreferencesHelper.kt
@@ -262,7 +262,7 @@ class PreferencesHelper(val context: Context) {
 
     fun backupInterval() = flowPrefs.getInt(Keys.backupInterval, 0)
 
-    fun removeAfterReadSlots() = prefs.getInt(Keys.removeAfterReadSlots, -1)
+    fun removeAfterReadSlots() = flowPrefs.getInt(Keys.removeAfterReadSlots, -1)
 
     fun removeAfterMarkedAsRead() = prefs.getBoolean(Keys.removeAfterMarkedAsRead, false)
 
@@ -409,6 +409,8 @@ class PreferencesHelper(val context: Context) {
 
     fun removeBookmarkedChapters() = flowPrefs.getBoolean("pref_remove_bookmarked", false)
 
+    fun removeExcludeCategories() = flowPrefs.getStringSet("remove_exclude_categories", emptySet())
+
     fun showAllCategories() = flowPrefs.getBoolean("show_all_categories", true)
 
     fun showAllCategoriesWhenSearchingSingleCategory() = flowPrefs.getBoolean("show_all_categories_when_searching_single_category", false)
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/eu/kanade/tachiyomi/ui/reader/ReaderViewModel.kt b/app/src/main/java/eu/kanade/tachiyomi/ui/reader/ReaderViewModel.kt
index d55e487088..649fdc5845 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/eu/kanade/tachiyomi/ui/reader/ReaderViewModel.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/eu/kanade/tachiyomi/ui/reader/ReaderViewModel.kt
@@ -561,7 +561,7 @@ class ReaderViewModel(
     private fun deleteChapterIfNeeded(currentChapter: ReaderChapter) {
         // Determine which chapter should be deleted and enqueue
         val currentChapterPosition = chapterList.indexOf(currentChapter)
-        val removeAfterReadSlots = preferences.removeAfterReadSlots()
+        val removeAfterReadSlots = preferences.removeAfterReadSlots().get()
         val chapterToDelete = chapterList.getOrNull(currentChapterPosition - removeAfterReadSlots)
 
         if (removeAfterReadSlots != 0 && chapterToDownload != null) {
@@ -571,6 +571,15 @@ class ReaderViewModel(
         }
         // Check if deleting option is enabled and chapter exists
         if (removeAfterReadSlots != -1 && chapterToDelete != null) {
+            val excludedCategories = preferences.removeExcludeCategories().get().map(String::toInt)
+            if (excludedCategories.any()) {
+                val categories = db.getCategoriesForManga(manga!!).executeAsBlocking()
+                    .mapNotNull { it.id }
+                    .ifEmpty { listOf(0) }
+
+                if (categories.any { it in excludedCategories }) return
+            }
+
             enqueueDeleteReadChapters(chapterToDelete)
         }
     }
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/eu/kanade/tachiyomi/ui/setting/SettingsDownloadController.kt b/app/src/main/java/eu/kanade/tachiyomi/ui/setting/SettingsDownloadController.kt
index 4d048299e3..6e78d053e2 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/eu/kanade/tachiyomi/ui/setting/SettingsDownloadController.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/eu/kanade/tachiyomi/ui/setting/SettingsDownloadController.kt
@@ -55,6 +55,9 @@ class SettingsDownloadController : SettingsController() {
             summaryRes = R.string.split_tall_images_summary
         }
 
+        val dbCategories = db.getCategories().executeAsBlocking()
+        val categories = listOf(Category.createDefault(context)) + dbCategories
+
         preferenceCategory {
             titleRes = R.string.remove_after_read
 
@@ -64,7 +67,7 @@ class SettingsDownloadController : SettingsController() {
                 defaultValue = false
             }
             intListPreference(activity) {
-                key = Keys.removeAfterReadSlots
+                bindTo(preferences.removeAfterReadSlots())
                 titleRes = R.string.remove_after_read
                 entriesRes = arrayOf(
                     R.string.never,
@@ -77,15 +80,20 @@ class SettingsDownloadController : SettingsController() {
                 entryRange = -1..4
                 defaultValue = -1
             }
+            multiSelectListPreferenceMat(activity) {
+                bindTo(preferences.removeExcludeCategories())
+                titleRes = R.string.pref_remove_exclude_categories
+                entries = categories.map { it.name }
+                entryValues = categories.map { it.id.toString() }
+                noSelectionRes = R.string.none
+                preferences.removeAfterReadSlots().asImmediateFlowIn(viewScope) { isVisible = it != -1 }
+            }
             switchPreference {
                 bindTo(preferences.removeBookmarkedChapters())
                 titleRes = R.string.allow_deleting_bookmarked_chapters
             }
         }
 
-        val dbCategories = db.getCategories().executeAsBlocking()
-        val categories = listOf(Category.createDefault(context)) + dbCategories
-
         preferenceCategory {
             titleRes = R.string.download_new_chapters
 
diff --git a/app/src/main/res/values/strings.xml b/app/src/main/res/values/strings.xml
index 6f4d043ac5..9a4e45c88c 100644
--- a/app/src/main/res/values/strings.xml
+++ b/app/src/main/res/values/strings.xml
@@ -969,6 +969,7 @@
     <string name="remove_when_marked_as_read">Remove when marked as read</string>
     <string name="allow_deleting_bookmarked_chapters">Allow deleting bookmarked chapters</string>
     <string name="remove_after_read">Remove after read</string>
+    <string name="pref_remove_exclude_categories">Excluded categories</string>
     <string name="custom_location">Custom location</string>
     <string name="last_read_chapter">Last read chapter</string>
     <string name="second_to_last">Second to last chapter</string>