diff --git a/config/config.exs b/config/config.exs
index d0d53a64a..8b42a5351 100644
--- a/config/config.exs
+++ b/config/config.exs
@@ -227,7 +227,9 @@ config :pleroma, :mrf_rejectnonpublic,
   allow_followersonly: false,
   allow_direct: false
 
-config :pleroma, :mrf_hellthread, threshold: 10
+config :pleroma, :mrf_hellthread,
+  delist_threshold: 5,
+  reject_threshold: 10
 
 config :pleroma, :mrf_simple,
   media_removal: [],
diff --git a/docs/config.md b/docs/config.md
index ce37084b9..e042d216f 100644
--- a/docs/config.md
+++ b/docs/config.md
@@ -148,7 +148,8 @@ This section is used to configure Pleroma-FE, unless ``:managed_config`` in ``:i
 * `allow_direct`: whether to allow direct messages
 
 ## :mrf_hellthread
-* `threshold`: Number of mentioned users after which the message gets discarded as spam
+* `delist_threshold`: Number of mentioned users after which the message gets delisted (the message can still be seen, but it will not show up in public timelines and mentioned users won't get notifications about it). Set to 0 to disable.
+* `reject_threshold`: Number of mentioned users after which the messaged gets rejected. Set to 0 to disable.
 
 ## :media_proxy
 * `enabled`: Enables proxying of remote media to the instance’s proxy
diff --git a/lib/pleroma/config/deprecation_warnings.ex b/lib/pleroma/config/deprecation_warnings.ex
index dc50682ee..0eb1833aa 100644
--- a/lib/pleroma/config/deprecation_warnings.ex
+++ b/lib/pleroma/config/deprecation_warnings.ex
@@ -12,6 +12,13 @@ defmodule Pleroma.Config.DeprecationWarnings do
       You are using the old configuration mechanism for the frontend. Please check config.md.
       """)
     end
+
+    if Pleroma.Config.get(:mrf_hellthread, :threshold) do
+      Logger.warn("""
+      !!!DEPRECATION WARNING!!!
+      You are using the old configuration mechanism for the hellthread filter. Please check config.md.
+      """)
+    end
   end
 
   def warn do
diff --git a/lib/pleroma/web/activity_pub/mrf/hellthread_policy.ex b/lib/pleroma/web/activity_pub/mrf/hellthread_policy.ex
index a3f516ae7..4c6e612b2 100644
--- a/lib/pleroma/web/activity_pub/mrf/hellthread_policy.ex
+++ b/lib/pleroma/web/activity_pub/mrf/hellthread_policy.ex
@@ -3,20 +3,46 @@
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: AGPL-3.0-only
 
 defmodule Pleroma.Web.ActivityPub.MRF.HellthreadPolicy do
+  alias Pleroma.User
   @behaviour Pleroma.Web.ActivityPub.MRF
 
-  @impl true
-  def filter(%{"type" => "Create"} = object) do
-    threshold = Pleroma.Config.get([:mrf_hellthread, :threshold])
-    recipients = (object["to"] || []) ++ (object["cc"] || [])
+  defp delist_message(message) do
+    follower_collection = User.get_cached_by_ap_id(message["actor"]).follower_address
 
-    if length(recipients) > threshold do
-      {:reject, nil}
-    else
-      {:ok, object}
+    message
+    |> Map.put("to", [follower_collection])
+    |> Map.put("cc", ["https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams#Public"])
+  end
+
+  @impl true
+  def filter(%{"type" => "Create"} = message) do
+    delist_threshold = Pleroma.Config.get([:mrf_hellthread, :delist_threshold])
+
+    reject_threshold =
+      Pleroma.Config.get(
+        [:mrf_hellthread, :reject_threshold],
+        Pleroma.Config.get([:mrf_hellthread, :threshold])
+      )
+
+    recipients = (message["to"] || []) ++ (message["cc"] || [])
+
+    cond do
+      length(recipients) > reject_threshold and reject_threshold > 0 ->
+        {:reject, nil}
+
+      length(recipients) > delist_threshold and delist_threshold > 0 ->
+        if Enum.member?(message["to"], "https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams#Public") or
+             Enum.member?(message["cc"], "https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams#Public") do
+          {:ok, delist_message(message)}
+        else
+          {:ok, message}
+        end
+
+      true ->
+        {:ok, message}
     end
   end
 
   @impl true
-  def filter(object), do: {:ok, object}
+  def filter(message), do: {:ok, message}
 end