diff --git a/api/admin_remote_buckets.go b/api/admin_remote_buckets.go
index d0fba7306..f05ec7368 100644
--- a/api/admin_remote_buckets.go
+++ b/api/admin_remote_buckets.go
@@ -292,7 +292,7 @@ func addRemoteBucket(ctx context.Context, client MinioAdmin, params models.Creat
 	return bucketARN, err
 }
 
-func addBucketReplicationItem(ctx context.Context, session *models.Principal, minClient minioClient, bucketName, prefix, destinationARN string, repDelMark, repDels, repMeta bool, tags string, priority int32, storageClass string) error {
+func addBucketReplicationItem(ctx context.Context, session *models.Principal, minClient minioClient, bucketName, prefix, destinationARN string, repExistingObj, repDelMark, repDels, repMeta bool, tags string, priority int32, storageClass string) error {
 	// we will tolerate this call failing
 	cfg, err := minClient.getBucketReplication(ctx, bucketName)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -337,13 +337,18 @@ func addBucketReplicationItem(ctx context.Context, session *models.Principal, mi
 		repMetaStatus = "enable"
 	}
 
+	existingRepStatus := "disable"
+	if repExistingObj {
+		existingRepStatus = "enable"
+	}
+
 	opts := replication.Options{
 		Priority:                fmt.Sprintf("%d", maxPrio),
 		RuleStatus:              "enable",
 		DestBucket:              destinationARN,
 		Op:                      replication.AddOption,
 		TagString:               tags,
-		ExistingObjectReplicate: "enable", // enabled by default
+		ExistingObjectReplicate: existingRepStatus,
 		ReplicateDeleteMarkers:  repDelMarkStatus,
 		ReplicateDeletes:        repDelsStatus,
 		ReplicaSync:             repMetaStatus,
@@ -459,6 +464,7 @@ func setMultiBucketReplication(ctx context.Context, session *models.Principal, c
 					sourceBucket,
 					params.Body.Prefix,
 					arn,
+					params.Body.ReplicateExistingObjects,
 					params.Body.ReplicateDeleteMarkers,
 					params.Body.ReplicateDeletes,
 					params.Body.ReplicateMetadata,
diff --git a/api/embedded_spec.go b/api/embedded_spec.go
index 245a943ca..0f74a1ecf 100644
--- a/api/embedded_spec.go
+++ b/api/embedded_spec.go
@@ -7230,6 +7230,9 @@ func init() {
         "replicateDeletes": {
           "type": "boolean"
         },
+        "replicateExistingObjects": {
+          "type": "boolean"
+        },
         "replicateMetadata": {
           "type": "boolean"
         },
@@ -16636,6 +16639,9 @@ func init() {
         "replicateDeletes": {
           "type": "boolean"
         },
+        "replicateExistingObjects": {
+          "type": "boolean"
+        },
         "replicateMetadata": {
           "type": "boolean"
         },
diff --git a/models/multi_bucket_replication.go b/models/multi_bucket_replication.go
index 2b39153d0..728e66b61 100644
--- a/models/multi_bucket_replication.go
+++ b/models/multi_bucket_replication.go
@@ -68,6 +68,9 @@ type MultiBucketReplication struct {
 	// replicate deletes
 	ReplicateDeletes bool `json:"replicateDeletes,omitempty"`
 
+	// replicate existing objects
+	ReplicateExistingObjects bool `json:"replicateExistingObjects,omitempty"`
+
 	// replicate metadata
 	ReplicateMetadata bool `json:"replicateMetadata,omitempty"`
 
diff --git a/swagger.yml b/swagger.yml
index f217a1e26..11182ef53 100644
--- a/swagger.yml
+++ b/swagger.yml
@@ -4222,6 +4222,8 @@ definitions:
         type: string
       tags:
         type: string
+      replicateExistingObjects:
+        type: boolean
       replicateDeleteMarkers:
         type: boolean
       replicateDeletes:
diff --git a/web-app/src/api/consoleApi.ts b/web-app/src/api/consoleApi.ts
index b1f705e6f..49f733874 100644
--- a/web-app/src/api/consoleApi.ts
+++ b/web-app/src/api/consoleApi.ts
@@ -385,6 +385,7 @@ export interface MultiBucketReplication {
   healthCheckPeriod?: number;
   prefix?: string;
   tags?: string;
+  replicateExistingObjects?: boolean;
   replicateDeleteMarkers?: boolean;
   replicateDeletes?: boolean;
   replicateMetadata?: boolean;
diff --git a/web-app/src/screens/Console/Buckets/BucketDetails/AddBucketReplication.tsx b/web-app/src/screens/Console/Buckets/BucketDetails/AddBucketReplication.tsx
index 4753ba5de..12ca08541 100644
--- a/web-app/src/screens/Console/Buckets/BucketDetails/AddBucketReplication.tsx
+++ b/web-app/src/screens/Console/Buckets/BucketDetails/AddBucketReplication.tsx
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ const AddBucketReplication = () => {
   const [repDeleteMarker, setRepDeleteMarker] = useState<boolean>(true);
   const [repDelete, setRepDelete] = useState<boolean>(true);
   const [metadataSync, setMetadataSync] = useState<boolean>(true);
-  const [repExisting, setRepExisting] = useState<boolean>(false);
+  const [repExisting, setRepExisting] = useState<boolean>(true);
   const [tags, setTags] = useState<string>("");
   const [replicationMode, setReplicationMode] = useState<"async" | "sync">(
     "async",
@@ -124,8 +124,8 @@ const AddBucketReplication = () => {
           if (itemVal.errorString && itemVal.errorString !== "") {
             dispatch(
               setErrorSnackMessage({
-                errorMessage: itemVal.errorString,
-                detailedError: "There was an error",
+                errorMessage: "There was an error",
+                detailedError: itemVal.errorString,
               }),
             );
             // navigate(backLink);
@@ -201,11 +201,10 @@ const AddBucketReplication = () => {
                   </Box>
                   <Box sx={{ paddingTop: "10px" }}>
                     MinIO supports automatically replicating existing objects in
-                    a bucket, however it does not enable existing object
-                    replication by default. Objects created before replication
-                    was configured or while replication is disabled are not
-                    synchronized to the target deployment unless replication of
-                    existing objects is enabled.
+                    a bucket; this setting is enabled by default. Please note
+                    that objects created before replication was configured or
+                    while replication is disabled are not synchronized to the
+                    target deployment in case this setting is not enabled.
                   </Box>
                   <Box sx={{ paddingTop: "10px" }}>
                     MinIO supports replicating delete operations, where MinIO