diff --git a/pkg/cmd/streamplace.go b/pkg/cmd/streamplace.go
index 6e1cf4ba..88c6e04b 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/streamplace.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/streamplace.go
@@ -399,9 +399,11 @@ func runMain(ctx context.Context, build *config.BuildFlags, platformJobs []jobFu
 		return storage.StartSegmentCleaner(ctx, ldb, cli)
 	})
 
-	group.Go(func() error {
-		return ldb.StartSegmentCleaner(ctx)
-	})
+	if cli.LegacySegmentCleaner {
+		group.Go(func() error {
+			return ldb.StartSegmentCleaner(ctx)
+		})
+	}
 
 	group.Go(func() error {
 		return replicator.Start(ctx, cli)
diff --git a/pkg/config/config.go b/pkg/config/config.go
index 6a37d957..3df0d7ce 100644
--- a/pkg/config/config.go
+++ b/pkg/config/config.go
@@ -137,6 +137,8 @@ type CLI struct {
 	DisableIrohRelay            bool
 	DevAccountCreds             map[string]string
 	StreamSessionTimeout        time.Duration
+	LegacySegmentCleaner        bool
+	SegmentArchiveRetention     time.Duration
 	Replicators                 []string
 	WebsocketURL                string
 	BehindHTTPSProxy            bool
@@ -735,6 +737,20 @@ func (cli *CLI) NewCommand(name string) *urfavecli.Command {
 				Destination: &cli.StreamSessionTimeout,
 				Sources:     urfavecli.EnvVars("SP_STREAM_SESSION_TIMEOUT"),
 			},
+			&urfavecli.BoolFlag{
+				Name:        "legacy-segment-cleaner",
+				Usage:       "re-enable the legacy segment cleaner. shouldn't be needed but can be useful in cases where localdb is too big.",
+				Value:       false,
+				Destination: &cli.LegacySegmentCleaner,
+				Sources:     urfavecli.EnvVars("SP_LEGACY_SEGMENT_CLEANER"),
+			},
+			&urfavecli.DurationFlag{
+				Name:        "segment-archive-retention",
+				Usage:       "for users who don't specify a distribution policy, how long to keep segments around?",
+				Value:       24 * time.Hour,
+				Destination: &cli.SegmentArchiveRetention,
+				Sources:     urfavecli.EnvVars("SP_SEGMENT_ARCHIVE_RETENTION"),
+			},
 			&urfavecli.StringFlag{
 				Name:    "replicators",
 				Usage:   "comma-separated list of replication protocols to use (websocket, iroh)",
@@ -850,6 +866,7 @@ func (cli *CLI) NewCommand(name string) *urfavecli.Command {
 			Destination: &cli.MistHTTPPort,
 			Sources:     urfavecli.EnvVars("SP_MIST_HTTP_PORT"),
 		})
+
 	}
 
 	LivepeerFlagSet = flag.NewFlagSet("livepeer", flag.ContinueOnError)
diff --git a/pkg/media/validate.go b/pkg/media/validate.go
index 871ab4ed..909606f7 100644
--- a/pkg/media/validate.go
+++ b/pkg/media/validate.go
@@ -114,8 +114,18 @@ func (mm *MediaManager) ValidateMP4(ctx context.Context, input io.Reader, local
 	}
 	var deleteAfter *time.Time
 	if meta.DistributionPolicy != nil && meta.DistributionPolicy.DeleteAfterSeconds != nil {
-		expiryTime := meta.StartTime.Time().Add(time.Duration(*meta.DistributionPolicy.DeleteAfterSeconds) * time.Second)
-		deleteAfter = &expiryTime
+		secs := *meta.DistributionPolicy.DeleteAfterSeconds
+		if secs == -1 {
+			deleteAfter = nil
+		} else {
+			expiryTime := meta.StartTime.Time().Add(time.Duration(secs) * time.Second)
+			deleteAfter = &expiryTime
+		}
+	} else {
+		if mm.cli.SegmentArchiveRetention.Seconds() != 0 {
+			tomorrow := time.Now().Add(mm.cli.SegmentArchiveRetention).UTC()
+			deleteAfter = &tomorrow
+		}
 	}
 	seg := &localdb.Segment{
 		ID:                 *label,
diff --git a/pkg/storage/storage.go b/pkg/storage/storage.go
index fe28ec8b..15535071 100644
--- a/pkg/storage/storage.go
+++ b/pkg/storage/storage.go
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ func StartSegmentCleaner(ctx context.Context, localDB localdb.LocalDB, cli *conf
 
 func deleteSegment(ctx context.Context, localDB localdb.LocalDB, cli *config.CLI, seg localdb.Segment) error {
 	if time.Since(seg.StartTime) < moderationRetention {
-		log.Debug(ctx, "Skipping deletion of segment", "id", seg.ID, "time since start", time.Since(seg.StartTime))
+		log.Debug(ctx, "Skipping deletion of segment for moderation retention", "id", seg.ID, "time since start", time.Since(seg.StartTime))
 		return nil
 	}
 	aqt := aqtime.FromTime(seg.StartTime)