diff --git a/custom/conf/app.example.ini b/custom/conf/app.example.ini
index 8e64c834d7..efd34f939d 100644
--- a/custom/conf/app.example.ini
+++ b/custom/conf/app.example.ini
@@ -2624,6 +2624,9 @@ LEVEL = Info
 ;LIMIT_SIZE_VAGRANT = -1
 ;; Enable RPM re-signing by default. (It will overwrite the old signature ,using v4 format, not compatible with CentOS 6 or older)
 ;DEFAULT_RPM_SIGN_ENABLED  = false
+;; Keep only the latest version in Arch DB.
+;METADATA_ARCH_LATEST_VERSION = false
+
 ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
 ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
 ;; default storage for attachments, lfs and avatars
diff --git a/modules/setting/packages.go b/modules/setting/packages.go
index 3f618cfd64..12f7a45950 100644
--- a/modules/setting/packages.go
+++ b/modules/setting/packages.go
@@ -45,6 +45,8 @@ var (
 		LimitSizeVagrant     int64
 
 		DefaultRPMSignEnabled bool
+
+		DefaultMetaArchLatestVersion bool
 	}{
 		Enabled:              true,
 		LimitTotalOwnerCount: -1,
@@ -102,6 +104,7 @@ func loadPackagesFrom(rootCfg ConfigProvider) (err error) {
 	Packages.LimitSizeSwift = mustBytes(sec, "LIMIT_SIZE_SWIFT")
 	Packages.LimitSizeVagrant = mustBytes(sec, "LIMIT_SIZE_VAGRANT")
 	Packages.DefaultRPMSignEnabled = sec.Key("DEFAULT_RPM_SIGN_ENABLED").MustBool(false)
+	Packages.DefaultMetaArchLatestVersion = sec.Key("METADATA_ARCH_LATEST_VERSION").MustBool(false)
 	return nil
 }
 
diff --git a/services/packages/arch/repository.go b/services/packages/arch/repository.go
index 6731d9a1ac..302ff8d520 100644
--- a/services/packages/arch/repository.go
+++ b/services/packages/arch/repository.go
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import (
 	"code.gitea.io/gitea/modules/json"
 	packages_module "code.gitea.io/gitea/modules/packages"
 	arch_module "code.gitea.io/gitea/modules/packages/arch"
+	"code.gitea.io/gitea/modules/setting"
 	"code.gitea.io/gitea/modules/util"
 	packages_service "code.gitea.io/gitea/services/packages"
 
@@ -235,6 +236,30 @@ func buildPackagesIndex(ctx context.Context, ownerID int64, repoVersion *package
 		return packages_service.DeletePackageFile(ctx, pf)
 	}
 
+	vpfs := make(map[string]*entryOptions)
+	for _, pf := range pfs {
+		current := &entryOptions{
+			File: pf,
+		}
+		current.Version, err = packages_model.GetVersionByID(ctx, pf.VersionID)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+
+		if setting.Packages.DefaultMetaArchLatestVersion {
+			old := vpfs[pf.Name]
+			if old != nil {
+				if compareVersions(old.Version.Version, current.Version.Version) == -1 {
+					vpfs[pf.Name] = current
+				}
+			} else {
+				vpfs[pf.Name] = current
+			}
+		} else {
+			vpfs[pf.Name] = current
+		}
+	}
+
 	indexContent, _ := packages_module.NewHashedBuffer()
 	defer indexContent.Close()
 
@@ -243,15 +268,7 @@ func buildPackagesIndex(ctx context.Context, ownerID int64, repoVersion *package
 
 	cache := make(map[int64]*packages_model.Package)
 
-	for _, pf := range pfs {
-		opts := &entryOptions{
-			File: pf,
-		}
-
-		opts.Version, err = packages_model.GetVersionByID(ctx, pf.VersionID)
-		if err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
+	for _, opts := range vpfs {
 		if err := json.Unmarshal([]byte(opts.Version.MetadataJSON), &opts.VersionMetadata); err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
@@ -263,12 +280,12 @@ func buildPackagesIndex(ctx context.Context, ownerID int64, repoVersion *package
 			}
 			cache[opts.Package.ID] = opts.Package
 		}
-		opts.Blob, err = packages_model.GetBlobByID(ctx, pf.BlobID)
+		opts.Blob, err = packages_model.GetBlobByID(ctx, opts.File.BlobID)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
 
-		sig, err := packages_model.GetPropertiesByName(ctx, packages_model.PropertyTypeFile, pf.ID, arch_module.PropertySignature)
+		sig, err := packages_model.GetPropertiesByName(ctx, packages_model.PropertyTypeFile, opts.File.ID, arch_module.PropertySignature)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
@@ -277,7 +294,7 @@ func buildPackagesIndex(ctx context.Context, ownerID int64, repoVersion *package
 		}
 		opts.Signature = sig[0].Value
 
-		meta, err := packages_model.GetPropertiesByName(ctx, packages_model.PropertyTypeFile, pf.ID, arch_module.PropertyMetadata)
+		meta, err := packages_model.GetPropertiesByName(ctx, packages_model.PropertyTypeFile, opts.File.ID, arch_module.PropertyMetadata)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
diff --git a/services/packages/arch/vercmp.go b/services/packages/arch/vercmp.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..682f2cf1de
--- /dev/null
+++ b/services/packages/arch/vercmp.go
@@ -0,0 +1,112 @@
+package arch
+
+import (
+	"strings"
+	"unicode"
+)
+
+// https://gitlab.archlinux.org/pacman/pacman/-/blob/d55b47e5512808b67bc944feb20c2bcc6c1a4c45/lib/libalpm/version.c
+// generated by chatgpt
+
+import (
+	"strconv"
+)
+
+func parseEVR(evr string) (epoch, version, release string) {
+	if before, after, f := strings.Cut(evr, ":"); f {
+		epoch = before
+		evr = after
+	} else {
+		epoch = "0"
+	}
+
+	if before, after, f := strings.Cut(evr, "-"); f {
+		version = before
+		release = after
+	} else {
+		version = evr
+		release = "1"
+	}
+	return epoch, version, release
+}
+
+func compareSegments(a, b []string) int {
+	lenA, lenB := len(a), len(b)
+	var l int
+	if lenA > lenB {
+		l = lenB
+	} else {
+		l = lenA
+	}
+	for i := 0; i < l; i++ {
+		if r := compare(a[i], b[i]); r != 0 {
+			return r
+		}
+	}
+	if lenA == lenB {
+		return 0
+	} else if l == lenA {
+		return -1
+	} else {
+		return 1
+	}
+}
+
+func compare(a, b string) int {
+	if a == b {
+		return 0
+	}
+
+	aNumeric := isNumeric(a)
+	bNumeric := isNumeric(b)
+
+	if aNumeric && bNumeric {
+		aInt, _ := strconv.Atoi(a)
+		bInt, _ := strconv.Atoi(b)
+		switch {
+		case aInt < bInt:
+			return -1
+		case aInt > bInt:
+			return 1
+		default:
+			return 0
+		}
+	}
+
+	if aNumeric {
+		return 1
+	}
+	if bNumeric {
+		return -1
+	}
+
+	return strings.Compare(a, b)
+}
+
+func isNumeric(s string) bool {
+	for _, c := range s {
+		if !unicode.IsDigit(c) {
+			return false
+		}
+	}
+	return true
+}
+
+func compareVersions(a, b string) int {
+	if a == b {
+		return 0
+	}
+
+	epochA, versionA, releaseA := parseEVR(a)
+	epochB, versionB, releaseB := parseEVR(b)
+
+	if res := compareSegments([]string{epochA}, []string{epochB}); res != 0 {
+		return res
+	}
+
+	if res := compareSegments(strings.Split(versionA, "."), strings.Split(versionB, ".")); res != 0 {
+		return res
+	}
+
+	return compareSegments([]string{releaseA}, []string{releaseB})
+}
diff --git a/services/packages/arch/vercmp_test.go b/services/packages/arch/vercmp_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..8f055855fc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/services/packages/arch/vercmp_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+package arch
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+)
+
+func TestCompareVersions(t *testing.T) {
+	// https://man.archlinux.org/man/vercmp.8.en
+	checks := [][]string{
+		{"1.0a", "1.0b", "1.0beta", "1.0p", "1.0pre", "1.0rc", "1.0", "1.0.a", "1.0.1"},
+		{"1", "1.0", "1.1", "1.1.1", "1.2", "2.0", "3.0.0"},
+	}
+	for _, check := range checks {
+		for i := 0; i < len(check)-1; i++ {
+			require.Equal(t, -1, compareVersions(check[i], check[i+1]), fmt.Sprintf("%s > %s", check[i], check[i+1]))
+			require.Equal(t, 1, compareVersions(check[i+1], check[i]), fmt.Sprintf("%s > %s", check[i], check[i+1]))
+		}
+	}
+	require.Equal(t, 1, compareVersions("1.0-2", "1.0"))
+	require.Equal(t, 0, compareVersions("0:1.0-1", "1.0"))
+	require.Equal(t, 1, compareVersions("1:1.0-1", "2.0"))
+}