diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 5952706..f0e6cd6 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -1,77 +1,113 @@
 # DigitalOcean Registry Cleanup Action
 
-This action deletes tags older than a specified number of days from a
-DigitalOcean container registry, excluding the "latest" tag. Before using this
-action, ensure you've set up `doctl` and authenticated with DigitalOcean.
+This action helps manage tags in a DigitalOcean container registry by providing flexible cleanup options. It can delete tags based on age and/or keep a specific number of recent tags. The action always preserves the "latest" tag.
+
+## Features
+
+- Delete tags older than a specified number of days
+- Keep a specified number of most recent tags
+- Safety check to prevent accidental deletion of all images
+- Dry run mode to preview changes
+- Preserves the "latest" tag
 
 ## Inputs
 
 ### `repository_name`
+**Required**. Name of the DigitalOcean container registry repository.
 
-Name of the DigitalOcean container registry repository. Required.
-
-### `dry_run`
+### `days`
+Number of days. Tags older than these many days will be deleted.
+- Default: "2"
+- Optional
 
-If set to true, it will display tags to be deleted without actually deleting
-them. Default is "false".
+### `keep_last`
+Number of most recent tags to keep, regardless of age.
+- Optional
+- Example: "3" will keep the three most recent tags
 
-### `days`
+### `dry_run`
+If set to true, shows what would be deleted without making any changes.
+- Default: "false"
+- Optional
 
-Number of days. Tags older than these many days will be deleted. Default is "2".
+### `bypass_safety`
+Bypass the safety check that prevents deletion when no recent images exist.
+- Default: "false"
+- Optional
 
-## Example usage
+## Usage Examples
 
-```yml
+### Basic Usage
+```yaml
 - name: Install doctl
   uses: digitalocean/action-doctl@v2
   with:
     token: ${{ secrets.DIGITALOCEAN_ACCESS_TOKEN }}
 
-- name: Log in to DigitalOcean Container Registry with short-lived credentials
+- name: Log in to DigitalOcean Container Registry
   run: doctl registry login --expiry-seconds 1200
 
-- uses: raisedadead/action-docr-cleanup@v1
+- name: Cleanup Registry
+  uses: raisedadead/action-docr-cleanup@v1
   with:
     repository_name: 'your-repository-name'
-    dry_run: 'true'
     days: '7'
 ```
 
-## Manual run:
+### Keep Recent Tags
+```yaml
+- uses: raisedadead/action-docr-cleanup@v1
+  with:
+    repository_name: 'your-repository-name'
+    days: '7'
+    keep_last: '3'  # Keep 3 most recent tags
+```
 
-Assuming you have
-[doctl installed](https://docs.digitalocean.com/reference/doctl/) and
-authenticated with your user, you can run the following commands:
+### Dry Run Mode
+```yaml
+- uses: raisedadead/action-docr-cleanup@v1
+  with:
+    repository_name: 'your-repository-name'
+    days: '7'
+    dry_run: 'true'  # Preview changes without deleting
+```
 
-```bash
-doctl registry login --expiry-seconds 1200
+### Bypass Safety Check
+```yaml
+- uses: raisedadead/action-docr-cleanup@v1
+  with:
+    repository_name: 'your-repository-name'
+    days: '7'
+    bypass_safety: 'true'  # Disable safety checks
 ```
 
-For help on the script:
+## Manual Usage
+
+You can also run the script directly after installing [doctl](https://docs.digitalocean.com/reference/doctl/) and authenticating:
 
 ```bash
-./entrypoint.sh -h
-```
+# Login to registry
+doctl registry login --expiry-seconds 1200
 
-To run the script in dry-run mode:
+# View help
+./entrypoint.sh -h
 
-```bash
-./entrypoint.sh -d -n <number of days> <repository-name>
-```
+# Dry run with 7-day threshold
+./entrypoint.sh -d -n 7 your-repository-name
 
-To run the script:
+# Keep 3 most recent tags, delete others older than 7 days
+./entrypoint.sh -n 7 --keep-last 3 your-repository-name
 
-```bash
-./entrypoint.sh -n <number of days> <repository-name>
+# Bypass safety check
+./entrypoint.sh -n 7 -b your-repository-name
 ```
 
-example:
+## Safety Features
 
-```bash
-./entrypoint.sh -n 1 myapp
-```
+1. The "latest" tag is always preserved
+2. By default, the action won't delete tags if no images newer than the threshold exist
+3. Dry run mode allows previewing changes before actual deletion
 
 ## License
 
-Software: The software as it is licensed under the [MIT](LICENSE) License,
-please feel free to extend, re-use, share the code.
+Licensed under the [MIT](LICENSE) License. Feel free to extend, reuse, and share.
diff --git a/action.yml b/action.yml
index f2e0309..79f9d34 100644
--- a/action.yml
+++ b/action.yml
@@ -1,24 +1,37 @@
-name: 'DigitalOcean Registry Cleanup Action'
-description: 'Deletes tags older than a specified number of days from a DigitalOcean container registry'
-author: 'Mrugesh Mohapatra'
+name: "DigitalOcean Registry Cleanup Action"
+description: "Deletes tags from a DigitalOcean container registry based on age and count criteria"
+author: "Mrugesh Mohapatra"
 branding:
-  icon: 'trash'
-  color: 'red'
+  icon: "trash"
+  color: "red"
 inputs:
   repository_name:
-    description: 'Name of the DigitalOcean container registry repository'
+    description: "Name of the DigitalOcean container registry repository"
     required: true
   dry_run:
-    description: 'If set to true, it will display tags to be deleted without actually deleting them'
+    description: "If true, shows what would be deleted without making any changes"
     required: false
-    default: 'false'
+    default: "false"
   days:
-    description: 'Number of days. Tags older than these many days will be deleted'
+    description: "Delete tags older than these many days"
+    required: false
+    default: "2"
+  bypass_safety:
+    description: "Bypass the safety check that prevents deletion when no recent images exist"
+    required: false
+    default: "false"
+  keep_last:
+    description: "Number of most recent tags to keep, regardless of age"
     required: false
-    default: '2'
 
 runs:
-  using: 'composite'
+  using: "composite"
   steps:
-    - run:  $GITHUB_ACTION_PATH/entrypoint.sh ${{ inputs.dry_run == 'true' && '-d' || '' }} -n ${{ inputs.days }} ${{ inputs.repository_name }} 
+    - run: |
+        $GITHUB_ACTION_PATH/entrypoint.sh \
+        ${{ inputs.dry_run == 'true' && '-d' || '' }} \
+        -n ${{ inputs.days }} \
+        ${{ inputs.bypass_safety == 'true' && '-b' || '' }} \
+        ${{ inputs.keep_last && format('--keep-last {0}', inputs.keep_last) || '' }} \
+        ${{ inputs.repository_name }}
       shell: bash
diff --git a/entrypoint.sh b/entrypoint.sh
index 676354d..ad1da26 100755
--- a/entrypoint.sh
+++ b/entrypoint.sh
@@ -1,12 +1,13 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 
 usage() {
-  echo "Usage: $0 [-d] [-n days] [-b] repository_name"
-  echo "   -d         Dry run. Show tags to be deleted without actually deleting them."
-  echo "   -n days    Number of days. Tags older than these many days will be deleted."
-  echo "   -b         Bypass the check for the number of images within the threshold."
-  echo "   -h         Display this help message."
-  echo "   DEBUG=true Enable debug mode."
+  echo "Usage: $0 [-d] [-n days] [-b] [--keep-last count] repository_name"
+  echo "   -d              Dry run. Show tags to be deleted without actually deleting them."
+  echo "   -n days         Number of days. Tags older than these many days will be deleted."
+  echo "   -b              Bypass the check for the number of images within the threshold."
+  echo "   --keep-last n   Keep the n most recent images, regardless of age."
+  echo "   -h              Display this help message."
+  echo "   DEBUG=true      Enable debug mode."
 }
 
 check_dependencies() {
@@ -58,7 +59,13 @@ count_images_within_threshold() {
 
 # Function to delete tags
 delete_tags() {
+  local count=0
   for tag in "${toDelete[@]}"; do
+    if [ -n "$MAX_DELETE" ] && [ $count -ge "$MAX_DELETE" ]; then
+      echo "Reached maximum deletion count of $MAX_DELETE"
+      break
+    fi
+
     if [ "$DRY_RUN" = true ]; then
       echo "Would delete tag (dry run): $tag"
     else
@@ -67,40 +74,60 @@ delete_tags() {
         echo "Failed to delete tag: $tag"
       fi
     fi
+    count=$((count + 1))
   done
+
+  if [ -n "$MAX_DELETE" ]; then
+    echo "Deleted/Would delete $count out of maximum $MAX_DELETE requested tags"
+  fi
 }
 
 DRY_RUN=false
 DAYS=2
 BYPASS_CHECK=false
-
-while getopts ":dh:n:b" opt; do
-  case $opt in
-  d) DRY_RUN=true ;;
-  n) DAYS=$OPTARG ;;
-  b) BYPASS_CHECK=true ;;
-  h)
+KEEP_LAST=""
+
+# Modified to handle long options
+while [[ $# -gt 0 ]]; do
+  case $1 in
+  -d)
+    DRY_RUN=true
+    shift
+    ;;
+  -n)
+    DAYS="$2"
+    shift 2
+    ;;
+  -b)
+    BYPASS_CHECK=true
+    shift
+    ;;
+  --keep-last)
+    KEEP_LAST="$2"
+    shift 2
+    ;;
+  -h)
     usage
     exit 0
     ;;
-  \?)
-    echo "Invalid option: -$OPTARG" >&2
+  -*)
+    echo "Invalid option: $1" >&2
     usage
     exit 1
     ;;
+  *)
+    REPOSITORY="$1"
+    shift
+    ;;
   esac
 done
 
-shift $((OPTIND - 1))
-
-if [ "$#" -lt 1 ]; then
+if [ -z "$REPOSITORY" ]; then
   echo "Error: Repository name is required."
   usage
   exit 1
 fi
 
-REPOSITORY="$1"
-
 check_dependencies
 
 rawResponse=$(doctl registry repository list-tags "$REPOSITORY" --output=json)
@@ -109,43 +136,141 @@ rawResponse=$(doctl registry repository list-tags "$REPOSITORY" --output=json)
 
 check_for_errors "$rawResponse"
 
-tags=$(jq '[.[] | {updated_at, tag}]' <<<"$rawResponse")
+# Get all non-latest tags immediately
+tags=$(jq '[.[] | select(.tag != "latest") | {updated_at, tag}]' <<<"$rawResponse")
 
 toDelete=()
 
 len=$(jq length <<<"$tags")
-echo "Found $len tags."
+echo "Repository: $REPOSITORY"
+echo "Total tags found: $len (excluding 'latest')"
+echo "Parameters:"
+echo "  • Days threshold: $DAYS"
+if [ -n "$KEEP_LAST" ]; then
+  echo "  • Keep last: $KEEP_LAST"
+fi
+echo "  • Dry run: $DRY_RUN"
+echo "  • Safety check: $([ "$BYPASS_CHECK" = true ] && echo "bypassed" || echo "enabled")"
+echo ""
 
 # Check the number of images within the threshold
 if [ "$BYPASS_CHECK" = false ]; then
   image_count_within_threshold=$(count_images_within_threshold)
 
   if [ "$image_count_within_threshold" -le 1 ]; then
-    echo "Warning: Only $image_count_within_threshold image(s) found within the threshold of $DAYS days. Aborting deletion."
+    echo "WARNING: Safety check failed"
+    echo "  • No images found newer than $DAYS day(s)"
     exit 1
   fi
 fi
 
-for i in $(seq 0 $((len - 1))); do
-  tag=$(jq -r --argjson index "$i" '.[$index].tag' <<<"$tags")
-  updated=$(jq -r --argjson index "$i" '.[$index].updated_at' <<<"$tags")
-
-  if [[ "$OSTYPE" == "darwin"* ]]; then
-    updated=${updated/Z/+0000}
-    updatedDate=$(date -jf "%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%S%z" "$updated" +%s)
-  else
-    updatedDate=$(date -d "$updated" +%s)
+# Sort tags by date (newest first) and apply keep-last logic
+if [ -n "$KEEP_LAST" ]; then
+  # Convert to integer and validate
+  if ! [[ "$KEEP_LAST" =~ ^[0-9]+$ ]]; then
+    echo "Error: --keep-last value must be a positive integer"
+    exit 1
   fi
 
-  now=$(date +%s)
-  diff=$((now - updatedDate))
-  diff_days=$((diff / 86400))
+  # Create a temporary array of all tags with timestamps
+  sorted_tags=()
+
+  for i in $(seq 0 $((len - 1))); do
+    tag=$(jq -r --argjson index "$i" '.[$index].tag' <<<"$tags")
+    updated=$(jq -r --argjson index "$i" '.[$index].updated_at' <<<"$tags")
+
+    # Convert date to timestamp for reliable sorting
+    if [[ "$OSTYPE" == "darwin"* ]]; then
+      updated=${updated/Z/+0000}
+      timestamp=$(date -jf "%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%S%z" "$updated" +%s)
+    else
+      timestamp=$(date -d "$updated" +%s)
+    fi
+
+    # Store timestamp and tag together
+    sorted_tags+=("$timestamp:$tag")
+  done
 
-  if [ "$tag" != "latest" ] && [ $diff_days -ge $DAYS ]; then
-    toDelete+=("$tag")
+  # Sort timestamps in descending order
+  IFS=$'\n' sorted_tags=($(sort -t: -k1,1nr <<<"${sorted_tags[*]}"))
+  unset IFS
+
+  echo "Operation:"
+  echo "  • Strategy: Keep $KEEP_LAST most recent tags"
+  echo "  • Total tags found: ${#sorted_tags[@]}"
+
+  # Debug: Show which tags we're keeping
+  if [ "$DEBUG" = true ]; then
+    echo "  • Tags to keep:"
+    for i in $(seq 0 $((KEEP_LAST - 1))); do
+      if [ "$i" -lt "${#sorted_tags[@]}" ]; then
+        tag="${sorted_tags[$i]#*:}"
+        echo "    - $tag"
+      fi
+    done
   fi
-done
 
-echo "Found ${#toDelete[@]} tags to delete."
+  # Process tags for deletion
+  toDelete=()
+  for i in "${!sorted_tags[@]}"; do
+    timestamp="${sorted_tags[$i]%%:*}"
+    tag="${sorted_tags[$i]#*:}"
 
-delete_tags
+    # Skip the most recent KEEP_LAST tags
+    if [ "$i" -lt "$KEEP_LAST" ]; then
+      continue
+    fi
+
+    # For remaining tags, check if they're old enough to delete
+    now=$(date +%s)
+    diff=$((now - timestamp))
+    diff_days=$((diff / 86400))
+
+    if [ $diff_days -ge $DAYS ]; then
+      toDelete+=("$tag")
+    fi
+  done
+else
+  echo "Operation:"
+  echo "  • Strategy: Remove tags older than $DAYS days"
+  # Original logic for when --keep-last is not specified
+  for i in $(seq 0 $((len - 1))); do
+    tag=$(jq -r --argjson index "$i" '.[$index].tag' <<<"$tags")
+    updated=$(jq -r --argjson index "$i" '.[$index].updated_at' <<<"$tags")
+
+    if [[ "$OSTYPE" == "darwin"* ]]; then
+      updated=${updated/Z/+0000}
+      updatedDate=$(date -jf "%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%S%z" "$updated" +%s)
+    else
+      updatedDate=$(date -d "$updated" +%s)
+    fi
+
+    now=$(date +%s)
+    diff=$((now - updatedDate))
+    diff_days=$((diff / 86400))
+
+    if [ $diff_days -ge $DAYS ]; then
+      toDelete+=("$tag")
+    fi
+  done
+fi
+
+if [ ${#toDelete[@]} -eq 0 ]; then
+  echo "Result: No tags to delete"
+else
+  echo "Result: Found ${#toDelete[@]} tag(s) to delete"
+  if [ "$DRY_RUN" = true ]; then
+    echo "  [DRY RUN - No changes will be made]"
+    for tag in "${toDelete[@]}"; do
+      echo "  • Would delete: $tag"
+    done
+  else
+    for tag in "${toDelete[@]}"; do
+      echo "  • Deleting: $tag"
+      if ! doctl registry repository delete-tag "$REPOSITORY" "$tag" --force; then
+        echo "    ERROR: Failed to delete tag: $tag"
+      fi
+    done
+    echo "Operation completed successfully"
+  fi
+fi