diff --git a/registry/remote/registry_test.go b/registry/remote/registry_test.go
index 0cbfbacb..994e8db3 100644
--- a/registry/remote/registry_test.go
+++ b/registry/remote/registry_test.go
@@ -178,6 +178,7 @@ func TestRegistry_Repository(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("NewRegistry() error = %v", err)
 	}
 	reg.PlainHTTP = true
+	reg.SkipReferrersGC = true
 	reg.RepositoryListPageSize = 50
 	reg.TagListPageSize = 100
 	reg.ReferrerListPageSize = 10
@@ -265,7 +266,7 @@ func TestRegistry_Repositories_WithLastParam(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
-//indexOf returns the index of an element within a slice
+// indexOf returns the index of an element within a slice
 func indexOf(element string, data []string) int {
 	for ind, val := range data {
 		if element == val {
diff --git a/registry/remote/repository.go b/registry/remote/repository.go
index 32ac347d..c8c45baa 100644
--- a/registry/remote/repository.go
+++ b/registry/remote/repository.go
@@ -102,6 +102,17 @@ type Repository struct {
 	// If less than or equal to zero, a default (currently 4MiB) is used.
 	MaxMetadataBytes int64
 
+	// SkipReferrersGC specifies whether to delete the dangling referrers
+	// index when referrers tag schema is utilized.
+	//  - If false, the old referrers index will be deleted after the new one
+	//    is successfully uploaded.
+	//  - If true, the old referrers index is kept.
+	// By default, it is disabled (set to false). See also:
+	//  - https://github.com/opencontainers/distribution-spec/blob/v1.1.0-rc1/spec.md#referrers-tag-schema
+	//  - https://github.com/opencontainers/distribution-spec/blob/v1.1.0-rc1/spec.md#pushing-manifests-with-subject
+	//  - https://github.com/opencontainers/distribution-spec/blob/v1.1.0-rc1/spec.md#deleting-manifests
+	SkipReferrersGC bool
+
 	// NOTE: Must keep fields in sync with newRepositoryWithOptions function.
 
 	// referrersState represents that if the repository supports Referrers API.
@@ -145,6 +156,7 @@ func newRepositoryWithOptions(ref registry.Reference, opts *RepositoryOptions) (
 		Client:               opts.Client,
 		Reference:            ref,
 		PlainHTTP:            opts.PlainHTTP,
+		SkipReferrersGC:      opts.SkipReferrersGC,
 		ManifestMediaTypes:   slices.Clone(opts.ManifestMediaTypes),
 		TagListPageSize:      opts.TagListPageSize,
 		ReferrerListPageSize: opts.ReferrerListPageSize,
@@ -1316,7 +1328,7 @@ func (s *manifestStore) indexReferrersForPush(ctx context.Context, desc ocispec.
 func (s *manifestStore) updateReferrersIndex(ctx context.Context, subject ocispec.Descriptor, change referrerChange) (err error) {
 	referrersTag := buildReferrersTag(subject)
 
-	var skipDelete bool
+	skipDelete := s.repo.SkipReferrersGC
 	var oldIndexDesc ocispec.Descriptor
 	var referrers []ocispec.Descriptor
 	prepare := func() error {
diff --git a/registry/remote/repository_test.go b/registry/remote/repository_test.go
index f062509d..deb894cb 100644
--- a/registry/remote/repository_test.go
+++ b/registry/remote/repository_test.go
@@ -3424,6 +3424,80 @@ func Test_ManifestStore_Push_ReferrersAPIUnavailable(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("Repository.loadReferrersState() = %v, want %v", state, referrersStateUnsupported)
 	}
 
+	// test push image manifest with subject without cleaning dangling referrers
+	ts = httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		switch {
+		case r.Method == http.MethodPut && r.URL.Path == "/v2/test/manifests/"+manifestDesc.Digest.String():
+			if contentType := r.Header.Get("Content-Type"); contentType != manifestDesc.MediaType {
+				w.WriteHeader(http.StatusBadRequest)
+				break
+			}
+			buf := bytes.NewBuffer(nil)
+			if _, err := buf.ReadFrom(r.Body); err != nil {
+				t.Errorf("fail to read: %v", err)
+			}
+			gotManifest = buf.Bytes()
+			w.Header().Set("Docker-Content-Digest", manifestDesc.Digest.String())
+			w.WriteHeader(http.StatusCreated)
+		case r.Method == http.MethodGet && r.URL.Path == "/v2/test/referrers/"+zeroDigest:
+			w.WriteHeader(http.StatusNotFound)
+		case r.Method == http.MethodGet && r.URL.Path == "/v2/test/manifests/"+referrersTag:
+			w.Write(indexJSON_1)
+		case r.Method == http.MethodPut && r.URL.Path == "/v2/test/manifests/"+referrersTag:
+			if contentType := r.Header.Get("Content-Type"); contentType != ocispec.MediaTypeImageIndex {
+				w.WriteHeader(http.StatusBadRequest)
+				break
+			}
+			buf := bytes.NewBuffer(nil)
+			if _, err := buf.ReadFrom(r.Body); err != nil {
+				t.Errorf("fail to read: %v", err)
+			}
+			gotReferrerIndex = buf.Bytes()
+			w.Header().Set("Docker-Content-Digest", indexDesc_2.Digest.String())
+			w.WriteHeader(http.StatusCreated)
+		case r.Method == http.MethodDelete && r.URL.Path == "/v2/test/manifests/"+indexDesc_1.Digest.String():
+			manifestDeleted = true
+			// no "Docker-Content-Digest" header for manifest deletion
+			w.WriteHeader(http.StatusAccepted)
+		default:
+			t.Errorf("unexpected access: %s %s", r.Method, r.URL)
+			w.WriteHeader(http.StatusNotFound)
+		}
+	}))
+	defer ts.Close()
+	uri, err = url.Parse(ts.URL)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("invalid test http server: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	ctx = context.Background()
+	repo, err = NewRepository(uri.Host + "/test")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("NewRepository() error = %v", err)
+	}
+	repo.PlainHTTP = true
+	repo.SkipReferrersGC = true
+	if state := repo.loadReferrersState(); state != referrersStateUnknown {
+		t.Errorf("Repository.loadReferrersState() = %v, want %v", state, referrersStateUnknown)
+	}
+	manifestDeleted = false
+	err = repo.Push(ctx, manifestDesc, bytes.NewReader(manifestJSON))
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Manifests.Push() error = %v", err)
+	}
+	if !bytes.Equal(gotManifest, manifestJSON) {
+		t.Errorf("Manifests.Push() = %v, want %v", string(gotManifest), string(manifestJSON))
+	}
+	if !bytes.Equal(gotReferrerIndex, indexJSON_2) {
+		t.Errorf("got referrers index = %v, want %v", string(gotReferrerIndex), string(indexJSON_2))
+	}
+	if manifestDeleted {
+		t.Errorf("manifestDeleted = %v, want %v", manifestDeleted, false)
+	}
+	if state := repo.loadReferrersState(); state != referrersStateUnsupported {
+		t.Errorf("Repository.loadReferrersState() = %v, want %v", state, referrersStateUnsupported)
+	}
+
 	// test push image manifest with subject again, referrers list should not be changed
 	ts = httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		switch {