diff --git a/exposed-dao/src/main/kotlin/org/jetbrains/exposed/dao/EntityClass.kt b/exposed-dao/src/main/kotlin/org/jetbrains/exposed/dao/EntityClass.kt
index c90af22142..c0b8c79900 100644
--- a/exposed-dao/src/main/kotlin/org/jetbrains/exposed/dao/EntityClass.kt
+++ b/exposed-dao/src/main/kotlin/org/jetbrains/exposed/dao/EntityClass.kt
@@ -273,7 +273,7 @@ abstract class EntityClass<ID : Comparable<ID>, out T : Entity<ID>>(
      *
      * @sample org.jetbrains.exposed.sql.tests.shared.entities.EntityTests.testNonEntityIdReference
      */
-    open fun all(): SizedIterable<T> = wrapRows(table.selectAll().notForUpdate())
+    open fun all(): SizedIterable<T> = wrapRows(table.selectAll().addRestriction().notForUpdate())
 
     /**
      * Gets all the [Entity] instances that conform to the [op] conditional expression.
@@ -313,12 +313,32 @@ abstract class EntityClass<ID : Comparable<ID>, out T : Entity<ID>>(
     /** The columns that this [EntityClass] depends on when maintaining relations with managed [Entity] instances. */
     open val dependsOnColumns: List<Column<out Any?>> get() = dependsOnTables.columns
 
+    /**
+     * Base SQL predicate automatically applied to all fetch queries. If implemented, it will
+     * behave as an automatic `AND <restriction>` addition to any queries in this EntityClass.
+     *
+     * Can be overridden to, for instance, broadly filter out soft-deleted columns.
+     *
+     * @sample org.jetbrains.exposed.sql.tests.shared.entities.EntityTests.Request
+     */
+    open val restriction: Op<Boolean>? get() = null
+
+    private fun Query.addRestriction(): Query = restriction?.let { filter ->
+        adjustWhere {
+            where?.let { wh ->
+                wh and filter
+            } ?: filter
+        }
+    } ?: this
+
+    private fun Op<Boolean>.andRestriction(): Op<Boolean> = restriction?.let { this and it } ?: this
+
     /**
      * Returns a [Query] to select all columns in [dependsOnTables] with a WHERE clause that includes
      * the provided [op] conditional expression.
      */
     open fun searchQuery(op: Op<Boolean>): Query =
-        dependsOnTables.select(dependsOnColumns).where { op }.setForUpdateStatus()
+        dependsOnTables.select(dependsOnColumns).where { op.andRestriction() }.setForUpdateStatus()
 
     /**
      * Counts the amount of [Entity] instances that conform to the [op] conditional expression.
@@ -331,6 +351,7 @@ abstract class EntityClass<ID : Comparable<ID>, out T : Entity<ID>>(
         val countExpression = table.id.count()
         val query = table.select(countExpression).notForUpdate()
         op?.let { query.adjustWhere { op } }
+        query.addRestriction()
         return query.first()[countExpression]
     }
 
diff --git a/exposed-tests/src/test/kotlin/org/jetbrains/exposed/sql/tests/shared/entities/EntityTests.kt b/exposed-tests/src/test/kotlin/org/jetbrains/exposed/sql/tests/shared/entities/EntityTests.kt
index 9dd1ac99d0..d2ef8615e7 100644
--- a/exposed-tests/src/test/kotlin/org/jetbrains/exposed/sql/tests/shared/entities/EntityTests.kt
+++ b/exposed-tests/src/test/kotlin/org/jetbrains/exposed/sql/tests/shared/entities/EntityTests.kt
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 package org.jetbrains.exposed.sql.tests.shared.entities
 
+import kotlinx.datetime.Clock
 import org.jetbrains.exposed.dao.*
 import org.jetbrains.exposed.dao.exceptions.EntityNotFoundException
 import org.jetbrains.exposed.dao.id.EntityID
@@ -8,6 +9,8 @@ import org.jetbrains.exposed.dao.id.IntIdTable
 import org.jetbrains.exposed.dao.id.LongIdTable
 import org.jetbrains.exposed.sql.*
 import org.jetbrains.exposed.sql.SqlExpressionBuilder.eq
+import org.jetbrains.exposed.sql.SqlExpressionBuilder.isNull
+import org.jetbrains.exposed.sql.kotlin.datetime.timestamp
 import org.jetbrains.exposed.sql.tests.DatabaseTestsBase
 import org.jetbrains.exposed.sql.tests.TestDB
 import org.jetbrains.exposed.sql.tests.currentDialectTest
@@ -16,6 +19,7 @@ import org.jetbrains.exposed.sql.transactions.TransactionManager
 import org.jetbrains.exposed.sql.transactions.inTopLevelTransaction
 import org.jetbrains.exposed.sql.transactions.transaction
 import org.jetbrains.exposed.sql.vendors.OracleDialect
+import org.junit.Assert.assertThrows
 import org.junit.Test
 import java.sql.Connection
 import java.util.*
@@ -1512,14 +1516,23 @@ class EntityTests : DatabaseTestsBase() {
 
     object RequestsTable : IdTable<String>() {
         val requestId: Column<String> = varchar("requestId", 256)
+        val deletedAt = timestamp("deleted_at").nullable()
         override val primaryKey = PrimaryKey(requestId)
         override val id: Column<EntityID<String>> = requestId.entityId()
     }
 
     class Request(id: EntityID<String>) : Entity<String>(id) {
-        companion object : EntityClass<String, Request>(RequestsTable)
+        companion object : EntityClass<String, Request>(RequestsTable) {
+            override val restriction: Op<Boolean> = RequestsTable.deletedAt.isNull()
+        }
 
         var requestId by RequestsTable.requestId
+
+        override fun delete() {
+            RequestsTable.update({ RequestsTable.id eq id }) {
+                it[deletedAt] = Clock.System.now()
+            }
+        }
     }
 
     @Test
@@ -1534,6 +1547,32 @@ class EntityTests : DatabaseTestsBase() {
         }
     }
 
+    @Test
+    fun testRestrictionThroughSoftDeletePattern() {
+        withTables(RequestsTable) {
+            val request = Request.new {
+                requestId = "123"
+            }
+
+            request.delete()
+
+            // gone from the DAO
+            assertEquals(0, Request.all().count())
+            assertEquals(0, Request.count())
+            assertEquals(0, Request.count(RequestsTable.requestId eq "123"))
+            assertNull(Request.findById(request.id))
+            assertThrows(EntityNotFoundException::class.java) {
+                Request[request.id]
+            }
+
+            // but can be seen in the database
+            val actual = RequestsTable.selectAll().single()
+            assertEquals(request.id, actual[RequestsTable.id])
+            assertEquals("123", actual[RequestsTable.requestId])
+            assertNotNull(actual[RequestsTable.deletedAt])
+        }
+    }
+
     object CreditCards : IntIdTable("CreditCards") {
         val number = varchar("number", 16)
         val spendingLimit = ulong("spendingLimit").databaseGenerated()