diff --git a/runtime/src/accounts.rs b/runtime/src/accounts.rs
index 881e96f2b7..747c577287 100644
--- a/runtime/src/accounts.rs
+++ b/runtime/src/accounts.rs
@@ -265,6 +265,8 @@ impl Accounts {
             let mut accounts = Vec::with_capacity(account_keys.len());
             let mut account_deps = Vec::with_capacity(account_keys.len());
             let mut rent_debits = RentDebits::default();
+            let preserve_rent_epoch_for_rent_exempt_accounts = feature_set
+                .is_active(&feature_set::preserve_rent_epoch_for_rent_exempt_accounts::id());
             for (i, key) in account_keys.iter().enumerate() {
                 let account = if !message.is_non_loader_key(i) {
                     // Fill in an empty account for the program slots.
@@ -292,6 +294,7 @@ impl Accounts {
                                                 key,
                                                 &mut account,
                                                 self.accounts_db.filler_account_suffix.as_ref(),
+                                                preserve_rent_epoch_for_rent_exempt_accounts,
                                             )
                                             .rent_amount;
                                         (account, rent_due)
@@ -1182,15 +1185,16 @@ impl Accounts {
     /// Store the accounts into the DB
     // allow(clippy) needed for various gating flags
     #[allow(clippy::too_many_arguments)]
-    pub fn store_cached<'a>(
+    pub(crate) fn store_cached(
         &self,
         slot: Slot,
-        txs: &'a [SanitizedTransaction],
-        res: &'a [TransactionExecutionResult],
-        loaded: &'a mut [TransactionLoadResult],
+        txs: &[SanitizedTransaction],
+        res: &[TransactionExecutionResult],
+        loaded: &mut [TransactionLoadResult],
         rent_collector: &RentCollector,
         durable_nonce: &DurableNonce,
         lamports_per_signature: u64,
+        preserve_rent_epoch_for_rent_exempt_accounts: bool,
     ) {
         let (accounts_to_store, txn_signatures) = self.collect_accounts_to_store(
             txs,
@@ -1199,6 +1203,7 @@ impl Accounts {
             rent_collector,
             durable_nonce,
             lamports_per_signature,
+            preserve_rent_epoch_for_rent_exempt_accounts,
         );
         self.accounts_db
             .store_cached((slot, &accounts_to_store[..]), Some(&txn_signatures));
@@ -1225,6 +1230,7 @@ impl Accounts {
         rent_collector: &RentCollector,
         durable_nonce: &DurableNonce,
         lamports_per_signature: u64,
+        preserve_rent_epoch_for_rent_exempt_accounts: bool,
     ) -> (
         Vec<(&'a Pubkey, &'a AccountSharedData)>,
         Vec<Option<&'a Signature>>,
@@ -1280,7 +1286,11 @@ impl Accounts {
                     if execution_status.is_ok() || is_nonce_account || is_fee_payer {
                         if account.rent_epoch() == INITIAL_RENT_EPOCH {
                             let rent = rent_collector
-                                .collect_from_created_account(address, account)
+                                .collect_from_created_account(
+                                    address,
+                                    account,
+                                    preserve_rent_epoch_for_rent_exempt_accounts,
+                                )
                                 .rent_amount;
                             loaded_transaction.rent += rent;
                             loaded_transaction.rent_debits.insert(
@@ -2995,6 +3005,7 @@ mod tests {
             &rent_collector,
             &DurableNonce::default(),
             0,
+            true, // preserve_rent_epoch_for_rent_exempt_accounts
         );
         assert_eq!(collected_accounts.len(), 2);
         assert!(collected_accounts
@@ -3478,6 +3489,7 @@ mod tests {
             &rent_collector,
             &durable_nonce,
             0,
+            true, // preserve_rent_epoch_for_rent_exempt_accounts
         );
         assert_eq!(collected_accounts.len(), 2);
         assert_eq!(
@@ -3592,6 +3604,7 @@ mod tests {
             &rent_collector,
             &durable_nonce,
             0,
+            true, // preserve_rent_epoch_for_rent_exempt_accounts
         );
         assert_eq!(collected_accounts.len(), 1);
         let collected_nonce_account = collected_accounts
diff --git a/runtime/src/bank.rs b/runtime/src/bank.rs
index d0d0f2479e..738c590375 100644
--- a/runtime/src/bank.rs
+++ b/runtime/src/bank.rs
@@ -4929,6 +4929,7 @@ impl Bank {
             &self.rent_collector,
             &durable_nonce,
             lamports_per_signature,
+            self.preserve_rent_epoch_for_rent_exempt_accounts(),
         );
         let rent_debits = self.collect_rent(&execution_results, loaded_txs);
 
@@ -5336,6 +5337,7 @@ impl Bank {
                     pubkey,
                     account,
                     self.rc.accounts.accounts_db.filler_account_suffix.as_ref(),
+                    self.preserve_rent_epoch_for_rent_exempt_accounts(),
                 ));
             time_collecting_rent_us += measure.as_us();
 
@@ -7274,6 +7276,11 @@ impl Bank {
             .is_active(&feature_set::send_to_tpu_vote_port::id())
     }
 
+    fn preserve_rent_epoch_for_rent_exempt_accounts(&self) -> bool {
+        self.feature_set
+            .is_active(&feature_set::preserve_rent_epoch_for_rent_exempt_accounts::id())
+    }
+
     pub fn read_cost_tracker(&self) -> LockResult<RwLockReadGuard<CostTracker>> {
         self.cost_tracker.read()
     }
@@ -8202,6 +8209,7 @@ pub(crate) mod tests {
                 &keypairs[4].pubkey(),
                 &mut account_copy,
                 None,
+                true, // preserve_rent_epoch_for_rent_exempt_accounts
             );
             assert_eq!(expected_rent.rent_amount, too_few_lamports);
             assert_eq!(account_copy.lamports(), 0);
@@ -9720,21 +9728,19 @@ pub(crate) mod tests {
         bank.collect_rent_in_partition((0, 0, 1), true, &RentMetrics::default());
         {
             let rewrites_skipped = bank.rewrites_skipped_this_slot.read().unwrap();
-            // `rewrites_skipped.len()` is the number of non-rent paying accounts in the slot. This
-            // is always at least the number of features in the Bank, due to
-            // `activate_all_features`. These accounts will stop being written to the append vec
-            // when we start skipping rewrites.
+            // `rewrites_skipped.len()` is the number of non-rent paying accounts in the slot.
             // 'collect_rent_in_partition' fills 'rewrites_skipped_this_slot' with rewrites that
             // were skipped during rent collection but should still be considered in the slot's
             // bank hash. If the slot is also written in the append vec, then the bank hash calc
             // code ignores the contents of this list. This assert is confirming that the expected #
             // of accounts were included in 'rewrites_skipped' by the call to
             // 'collect_rent_in_partition(..., true)' above.
-            let num_features = bank.feature_set.inactive.len() + bank.feature_set.active.len();
-            assert!(rewrites_skipped.len() >= num_features);
-            // should have skipped 'rent_exempt_pubkey'
-            assert!(rewrites_skipped.contains_key(&rent_exempt_pubkey));
-            // should NOT have skipped 'rent_exempt_pubkey'
+            assert_eq!(rewrites_skipped.len(), 1);
+            // should not have skipped 'rent_exempt_pubkey'
+            // Once preserve_rent_epoch_for_rent_exempt_accounts is activated,
+            // rewrite-skip is irrelevant to rent-exempt accounts.
+            assert!(!rewrites_skipped.contains_key(&rent_exempt_pubkey));
+            // should NOT have skipped 'rent_due_pubkey'
             assert!(!rewrites_skipped.contains_key(&rent_due_pubkey));
         }
 
@@ -9754,9 +9760,11 @@ pub(crate) mod tests {
             bank.get_account(&rent_exempt_pubkey).unwrap().lamports(),
             large_lamports
         );
+        // Once preserve_rent_epoch_for_rent_exempt_accounts is activated,
+        // rent_epoch of rent-exempt accounts will no longer advance.
         assert_eq!(
             bank.get_account(&rent_exempt_pubkey).unwrap().rent_epoch(),
-            current_epoch
+            0
         );
         assert_eq!(
             bank.slots_by_pubkey(&rent_due_pubkey, &ancestors),
@@ -19213,6 +19221,7 @@ pub(crate) mod tests {
                 &keypair.pubkey(),
                 &mut account,
                 None,
+                true, // preserve_rent_epoch_for_rent_exempt_accounts
             );
             assert_eq!(info.account_data_len_reclaimed, data_size as u64);
         }
diff --git a/runtime/src/expected_rent_collection.rs b/runtime/src/expected_rent_collection.rs
index 92ad974511..d049430933 100644
--- a/runtime/src/expected_rent_collection.rs
+++ b/runtime/src/expected_rent_collection.rs
@@ -302,7 +302,12 @@ impl ExpectedRentCollection {
         pubkey: &Pubkey,
         rewrites_skipped_this_slot: &Rewrites,
     ) -> Option<Epoch> {
-        let next_epoch = match rent_collector.calculate_rent_result(pubkey, account, None) {
+        let next_epoch = match rent_collector.calculate_rent_result(
+            pubkey, account, None, // filler_account_suffix
+            // Skipping rewrites is not compatible with the below feature.
+            // We will not skip rewrites until the feature is activated.
+            false, // preserve_rent_epoch_for_rent_exempt_accounts
+        ) {
             RentResult::LeaveAloneNoRent => return None,
             RentResult::CollectRent {
                 new_rent_epoch,
@@ -532,8 +537,14 @@ impl ExpectedRentCollection {
 
         // ask the rent collector what rent should be collected.
         // Rent collector knows the current epoch.
-        let rent_result =
-            rent_collector.calculate_rent_result(pubkey, loaded_account, filler_account_suffix);
+        let rent_result = rent_collector.calculate_rent_result(
+            pubkey,
+            loaded_account,
+            filler_account_suffix,
+            // Skipping rewrites is not compatible with the below feature.
+            // We will not skip rewrites until the feature is activated.
+            false, // preserve_rent_epoch_for_rent_exempt_accounts
+        );
         let current_rent_epoch = loaded_account.rent_epoch();
         let new_rent_epoch = match rent_result {
             RentResult::CollectRent {
diff --git a/runtime/src/rent_collector.rs b/runtime/src/rent_collector.rs
index 6ae978a9a5..bbcf8379cd 100644
--- a/runtime/src/rent_collector.rs
+++ b/runtime/src/rent_collector.rs
@@ -67,7 +67,11 @@ impl RentCollector {
     }
 
     /// true if it is easy to determine this account should consider having rent collected from it
-    pub fn should_collect_rent(&self, address: &Pubkey, account: &impl ReadableAccount) -> bool {
+    pub(crate) fn should_collect_rent(
+        &self,
+        address: &Pubkey,
+        account: &impl ReadableAccount,
+    ) -> bool {
         !(account.executable() // executable accounts must be rent-exempt balance
             || *address == incinerator::id())
     }
@@ -121,8 +125,14 @@ impl RentCollector {
         address: &Pubkey,
         account: &mut AccountSharedData,
         filler_account_suffix: Option<&Pubkey>,
+        preserve_rent_epoch_for_rent_exempt_accounts: bool,
     ) -> CollectedInfo {
-        match self.calculate_rent_result(address, account, filler_account_suffix) {
+        match self.calculate_rent_result(
+            address,
+            account,
+            filler_account_suffix,
+            preserve_rent_epoch_for_rent_exempt_accounts,
+        ) {
             RentResult::LeaveAloneNoRent => CollectedInfo::default(),
             RentResult::CollectRent {
                 new_rent_epoch,
@@ -154,6 +164,7 @@ impl RentCollector {
         address: &Pubkey,
         account: &impl ReadableAccount,
         filler_account_suffix: Option<&Pubkey>,
+        preserve_rent_epoch_for_rent_exempt_accounts: bool,
     ) -> RentResult {
         if self.can_skip_rent_collection(address, account, filler_account_suffix) {
             return RentResult::LeaveAloneNoRent;
@@ -161,10 +172,16 @@ impl RentCollector {
         match self.get_rent_due(account) {
             // Rent isn't collected for the next epoch.
             // Make sure to check exempt status again later in current epoch.
-            RentDue::Exempt => RentResult::CollectRent {
-                new_rent_epoch: self.epoch,
-                rent_due: 0,
-            },
+            RentDue::Exempt => {
+                if preserve_rent_epoch_for_rent_exempt_accounts {
+                    RentResult::LeaveAloneNoRent
+                } else {
+                    RentResult::CollectRent {
+                        new_rent_epoch: self.epoch,
+                        rent_due: 0,
+                    }
+                }
+            }
             // Maybe collect rent later, leave account alone.
             RentDue::Paying(0) => RentResult::LeaveAloneNoRent,
             // Rent is collected for next epoch.
@@ -180,10 +197,16 @@ impl RentCollector {
         &self,
         address: &Pubkey,
         account: &mut AccountSharedData,
+        preserve_rent_epoch_for_rent_exempt_accounts: bool,
     ) -> CollectedInfo {
         // initialize rent_epoch as created at this epoch
         account.set_rent_epoch(self.epoch);
-        self.collect_from_existing_account(address, account, None)
+        self.collect_from_existing_account(
+            address,
+            account,
+            None, // filler_account_suffix
+            preserve_rent_epoch_for_rent_exempt_accounts,
+        )
     }
 
     /// Performs easy checks to see if rent collection can be skipped
@@ -204,11 +227,11 @@ impl RentCollector {
 
 /// Information computed during rent collection
 #[derive(Debug, Default, Copy, Clone, Eq, PartialEq)]
-pub struct CollectedInfo {
+pub(crate) struct CollectedInfo {
     /// Amount of rent collected from account
-    pub rent_amount: u64,
+    pub(crate) rent_amount: u64,
     /// Size of data reclaimed from account (happens when account's lamports go to zero)
-    pub account_data_len_reclaimed: u64,
+    pub(crate) account_data_len_reclaimed: u64,
 }
 
 impl std::ops::Add for CollectedInfo {
@@ -258,8 +281,11 @@ mod tests {
         let rent_collector = default_rent_collector_clone_with_epoch(new_epoch);
 
         // collect rent on a newly-created account
-        let collected = rent_collector
-            .collect_from_created_account(&solana_sdk::pubkey::new_rand(), &mut created_account);
+        let collected = rent_collector.collect_from_created_account(
+            &solana_sdk::pubkey::new_rand(),
+            &mut created_account,
+            true, // preserve_rent_epoch_for_rent_exempt_accounts
+        );
         assert!(created_account.lamports() < old_lamports);
         assert_eq!(
             created_account.lamports() + collected.rent_amount,
@@ -272,7 +298,8 @@ mod tests {
         let collected = rent_collector.collect_from_existing_account(
             &solana_sdk::pubkey::new_rand(),
             &mut existing_account,
-            None,
+            None, // filler_account_suffix
+            true, // preserve_rent_epoch_for_rent_exempt_accounts
         );
         assert!(existing_account.lamports() < old_lamports);
         assert_eq!(
@@ -302,7 +329,12 @@ mod tests {
         let rent_collector = default_rent_collector_clone_with_epoch(epoch);
 
         // first mark account as being collected while being rent-exempt
-        let collected = rent_collector.collect_from_existing_account(&pubkey, &mut account, None);
+        let collected = rent_collector.collect_from_existing_account(
+            &pubkey,
+            &mut account,
+            None, // filler_account_suffix
+            true, // preserve_rent_epoch_for_rent_exempt_accounts
+        );
         assert_eq!(account.lamports(), huge_lamports);
         assert_eq!(collected, CollectedInfo::default());
 
@@ -310,7 +342,12 @@ mod tests {
         account.set_lamports(tiny_lamports);
 
         // ... and trigger another rent collection on the same epoch and check that rent is working
-        let collected = rent_collector.collect_from_existing_account(&pubkey, &mut account, None);
+        let collected = rent_collector.collect_from_existing_account(
+            &pubkey,
+            &mut account,
+            None, // filler_account_suffix
+            true, // preserve_rent_epoch_for_rent_exempt_accounts
+        );
         assert_eq!(account.lamports(), tiny_lamports - collected.rent_amount);
         assert_ne!(collected, CollectedInfo::default());
     }
@@ -329,7 +366,12 @@ mod tests {
         let epoch = 3;
         let rent_collector = default_rent_collector_clone_with_epoch(epoch);
 
-        let collected = rent_collector.collect_from_existing_account(&pubkey, &mut account, None);
+        let collected = rent_collector.collect_from_existing_account(
+            &pubkey,
+            &mut account,
+            None, // filler_account_suffix
+            true, // preserve_rent_epoch_for_rent_exempt_accounts
+        );
         assert_eq!(account.lamports(), 0);
         assert_eq!(collected.rent_amount, 1);
     }
@@ -349,8 +391,12 @@ mod tests {
         });
         let rent_collector = default_rent_collector_clone_with_epoch(account_rent_epoch + 1);
 
-        let collected =
-            rent_collector.collect_from_existing_account(&Pubkey::new_unique(), &mut account, None);
+        let collected = rent_collector.collect_from_existing_account(
+            &Pubkey::new_unique(),
+            &mut account,
+            None, // filler_account_suffix
+            true, // preserve_rent_epoch_for_rent_exempt_accounts
+        );
 
         assert_eq!(collected.rent_amount, account_lamports);
         assert_eq!(
diff --git a/sdk/src/feature_set.rs b/sdk/src/feature_set.rs
index a40180a696..df52abd407 100644
--- a/sdk/src/feature_set.rs
+++ b/sdk/src/feature_set.rs
@@ -448,6 +448,10 @@ pub mod cap_accounts_data_size_per_block {
     solana_sdk::declare_id!("qywiJyZmqTKspFg2LeuUHqcA5nNvBgobqb9UprywS9N");
 }
 
+pub mod preserve_rent_epoch_for_rent_exempt_accounts {
+    solana_sdk::declare_id!("HH3MUYReL2BvqqA3oEcAa7txju5GY6G4nxJ51zvsEjEZ");
+}
+
 lazy_static! {
     /// Map of feature identifiers to user-visible description
     pub static ref FEATURE_NAMES: HashMap<Pubkey, &'static str> = [
@@ -554,6 +558,7 @@ lazy_static! {
         (nonce_must_be_advanceable::id(), "durable nonces must be advanceable"),
         (vote_authorize_with_seed::id(), "An instruction you can use to change a vote accounts authority when the current authority is a derived key #25860"),
         (cap_accounts_data_size_per_block::id(), "cap the accounts data size per block #25517"),
+        (preserve_rent_epoch_for_rent_exempt_accounts::id(), "preserve rent epoch for rent exempt accounts #26479"),
         /*************** ADD NEW FEATURES HERE ***************/
     ]
     .iter()