diff --git a/tests/rptest/tests/delete_retention_ms_test.py b/tests/rptest/tests/delete_retention_ms_test.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..c549cfaed49cd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/rptest/tests/delete_retention_ms_test.py
@@ -0,0 +1,248 @@
+# Copyright 2024 Redpanda Data, Inc.
+#
+# Use of this software is governed by the Business Source License
+# included in the file licenses/BSL.md
+#
+# As of the Change Date specified in that file, in accordance with
+# the Business Source License, use of this software will be governed
+# by the Apache License, Version 2.0
+from collections import namedtuple
+from ducktape.mark import matrix, defaults
+from ducktape.utils.util import wait_until
+from rptest.clients.rpk import RpkTool, RpkException
+from rptest.clients.types import TopicSpec
+from rptest.services.cluster import cluster
+from rptest.tests.redpanda_test import RedpandaTest
+from rptest.util import expect_exception
+
+
+class DeleteRetentionMsTest(RedpandaTest):
+    def __init__(self, ctx):
+        self.ctx = ctx
+        super().__init__(ctx)
+
+        self.rpk = RpkTool(self.redpanda)
+
+    @cluster(num_nodes=1)
+    def test_get_cluster_config(self):
+        # Default value
+        cluster_default = self.rpk.cluster_config_get('tombstone_retention_ms')
+        assert cluster_default == 'null'
+
+    @cluster(num_nodes=1)
+    def test_set_cluster_config(self):
+        self.rpk.cluster_config_set('tombstone_retention_ms', 1234567890)
+        cluster_prop = self.rpk.cluster_config_get('tombstone_retention_ms')
+        assert cluster_prop == "1234567890"
+
+        topic_name = "tapioca"
+        topic = TopicSpec(name=topic_name)
+        self.rpk.create_topic(topic_name, partitions=1)
+        topic_desc = self.rpk.describe_topic_configs(topic_name)
+        assert topic_desc['delete.retention.ms'][0] == '1234567890'
+
+    @cluster(num_nodes=1)
+    def test_alter_topic_config(self):
+        topic_name = "tapioca"
+        topic = TopicSpec(name=topic_name)
+        self.rpk.create_topic(topic_name, partitions=1)
+        topic_desc = self.rpk.describe_topic_configs(topic_name)
+
+        # Upon topic construction, this property is actually "disabled" by default.
+        assert topic_desc['delete.retention.ms'][0] == '-1'
+        assert topic_desc['delete.retention.ms'][1] == 'DEFAULT_CONFIG'
+
+        # Set value
+        self.rpk.alter_topic_config(topic_name, 'delete.retention.ms',
+                                    1234567890)
+        topic_desc = self.rpk.describe_topic_configs(topic_name)
+        assert topic_desc['delete.retention.ms'][0] == '1234567890'
+        assert topic_desc['delete.retention.ms'][1] == 'DYNAMIC_TOPIC_CONFIG'
+
+        # Set cluster value
+        self.rpk.cluster_config_set('tombstone_retention_ms', 100)
+
+        # Assert topic property and source haven't changed.
+        topic_desc = self.rpk.describe_topic_configs(topic_name)
+        assert topic_desc['delete.retention.ms'][0] == '1234567890'
+        assert topic_desc['delete.retention.ms'][1] == 'DYNAMIC_TOPIC_CONFIG'
+
+        # Delete topic config
+        self.rpk.delete_topic_config(topic_name, 'delete.retention.ms')
+        topic_desc = self.rpk.describe_topic_configs(topic_name)
+        assert topic_desc['delete.retention.ms'][0] == '100'
+        assert topic_desc['delete.retention.ms'][1] == 'DEFAULT_CONFIG'
+
+        # Disable topic value
+        self.rpk.alter_topic_config(topic_name, 'delete.retention.ms', -1)
+        topic_desc = self.rpk.describe_topic_configs(topic_name)
+        assert topic_desc['delete.retention.ms'][0] == '-1'
+        assert topic_desc['delete.retention.ms'][1] == 'DYNAMIC_TOPIC_CONFIG'
+
+        # Set empty cluster value and delete topic config
+        self.rpk.cluster_config_set('tombstone_retention_ms', "")
+        self.rpk.delete_topic_config(topic_name, 'delete.retention.ms')
+        topic_desc = self.rpk.describe_topic_configs(topic_name)
+        assert topic_desc['delete.retention.ms'][0] == '-1'
+        assert topic_desc['delete.retention.ms'][1] == 'DEFAULT_CONFIG'
+
+        # Disable topic config
+        self.rpk.delete_topic_config(topic_name, 'delete.retention.ms')
+        topic_desc = self.rpk.describe_topic_configs(topic_name)
+        assert topic_desc['delete.retention.ms'][0] == '-1'
+        assert topic_desc['delete.retention.ms'][1] == 'DEFAULT_CONFIG'
+
+    @cluster(num_nodes=1)
+    def test_create_topic_configurations_cluster_defaults(self):
+        topic_name = "tapioca"
+        TopicAndClusterConf = namedtuple('TopicAndClusterConf', [
+            'delete_retention_ms', 'cloud_storage_remote_read',
+            'cloud_storage_remote_write', 'valid'
+        ])
+        # We cannot enable delete.retention.ms if any cloud storage properties are also enabled.
+        test_cases = [
+            TopicAndClusterConf(delete_retention_ms=None,
+                                cloud_storage_remote_read='false',
+                                cloud_storage_remote_write='false',
+                                valid=True),
+            TopicAndClusterConf(delete_retention_ms=None,
+                                cloud_storage_remote_read='true',
+                                cloud_storage_remote_write='false',
+                                valid=True),
+            TopicAndClusterConf(delete_retention_ms=None,
+                                cloud_storage_remote_read='false',
+                                cloud_storage_remote_write='true',
+                                valid=True),
+            TopicAndClusterConf(delete_retention_ms=None,
+                                cloud_storage_remote_read='true',
+                                cloud_storage_remote_write='true',
+                                valid=True),
+            TopicAndClusterConf(delete_retention_ms=1000,
+                                cloud_storage_remote_read='false',
+                                cloud_storage_remote_write='false',
+                                valid=True),
+            TopicAndClusterConf(delete_retention_ms=1000,
+                                cloud_storage_remote_read='true',
+                                cloud_storage_remote_write='false',
+                                valid=False),
+            TopicAndClusterConf(delete_retention_ms=1000,
+                                cloud_storage_remote_read='false',
+                                cloud_storage_remote_write='true',
+                                valid=False),
+            TopicAndClusterConf(delete_retention_ms=1000,
+                                cloud_storage_remote_read='true',
+                                cloud_storage_remote_write='true',
+                                valid=False),
+        ]
+        for test_case in test_cases:
+            self.rpk.cluster_config_set('cloud_storage_enable_remote_read',
+                                        test_case.cloud_storage_remote_read)
+            self.rpk.cluster_config_set('cloud_storage_enable_remote_write',
+                                        test_case.cloud_storage_remote_write)
+
+            # Sanity check cluster defaults after setting them.
+            assert self.rpk.cluster_config_get(
+                'cloud_storage_enable_remote_read'
+            ) == test_case.cloud_storage_remote_read
+
+            assert self.rpk.cluster_config_get(
+                'cloud_storage_enable_remote_write'
+            ) == test_case.cloud_storage_remote_write
+
+            config = {}
+            if test_case.delete_retention_ms is not None:
+                config = {'delete.retention.ms': test_case.delete_retention_ms}
+                expected_delete_retention_ms = str(
+                    test_case.delete_retention_ms)
+            else:
+                expected_delete_retention_ms = '-1'
+
+            if test_case.valid:
+                # Expect a successful topic creation.
+                self.rpk.create_topic(topic_name, partitions=1, config=config)
+                topic_desc = self.rpk.describe_topic_configs(topic_name)
+                assert topic_desc['delete.retention.ms'][
+                    0] == expected_delete_retention_ms
+                # Delete the topic so that we can try again with the next test case.
+                self.rpk.delete_topic(topic_name)
+            else:
+                # Expect a failure due to misconfiguration.
+                with expect_exception(
+                        RpkException, lambda e:
+                        'Unsupported delete.retention.ms configuration, cannot be enabled at the same time as redpanda.remote.read or redpanda.remote.write.'
+                        in str(e)):
+                    self.rpk.create_topic(topic_name,
+                                          partitions=1,
+                                          config=config)
+
+    @cluster(num_nodes=1)
+    def test_create_topic_configurations(self):
+        topic_name = "tapioca"
+        TopicConf = namedtuple(
+            'TopicConf',
+            ['delete_retention_ms', 'remote_read', 'remote_write', 'valid'])
+        # We cannot enable delete.retention.ms if any cloud storage properties are also enabled.
+        test_cases = [
+            TopicConf(delete_retention_ms=None,
+                      remote_read='false',
+                      remote_write='false',
+                      valid=True),
+            TopicConf(delete_retention_ms=None,
+                      remote_read='true',
+                      remote_write='false',
+                      valid=True),
+            TopicConf(delete_retention_ms=None,
+                      remote_read='false',
+                      remote_write='true',
+                      valid=True),
+            TopicConf(delete_retention_ms=None,
+                      remote_read='true',
+                      remote_write='true',
+                      valid=True),
+            TopicConf(delete_retention_ms=1000,
+                      remote_read='false',
+                      remote_write='false',
+                      valid=True),
+            TopicConf(delete_retention_ms=1000,
+                      remote_read='true',
+                      remote_write='false',
+                      valid=False),
+            TopicConf(delete_retention_ms=1000,
+                      remote_read='false',
+                      remote_write='true',
+                      valid=False),
+            TopicConf(delete_retention_ms=1000,
+                      remote_read='true',
+                      remote_write='true',
+                      valid=False),
+        ]
+        for test_case in test_cases:
+            config = {
+                'redpanda.remote.read': test_case.remote_read,
+                'redpanda.remote.write': test_case.remote_write
+            }
+
+            if test_case.delete_retention_ms is not None:
+                config['delete.retention.ms'] = test_case.delete_retention_ms
+                expected_delete_retention_ms = str(
+                    test_case.delete_retention_ms)
+            else:
+                expected_delete_retention_ms = '-1'
+
+            if test_case.valid:
+                # Expect a successful topic creation.
+                self.rpk.create_topic(topic_name, partitions=1, config=config)
+                topic_desc = self.rpk.describe_topic_configs(topic_name)
+                assert topic_desc['delete.retention.ms'][
+                    0] == expected_delete_retention_ms
+                # Delete the topic so that we can try again with the next test case.
+                self.rpk.delete_topic(topic_name)
+            else:
+                # Expect a failure due to misconfiguration.
+                with expect_exception(
+                        RpkException, lambda e:
+                        'Unsupported delete.retention.ms configuration, cannot be enabled at the same time as redpanda.remote.read or redpanda.remote.write.'
+                        in str(e)):
+                    self.rpk.create_topic(topic_name,
+                                          partitions=1,
+                                          config=config)