diff --git a/0039-autoremove-warn-and-skip-dangling-protected-dependen.patch b/0039-autoremove-warn-and-skip-dangling-protected-dependen.patch
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..93cb1ee
--- /dev/null
+++ b/0039-autoremove-warn-and-skip-dangling-protected-dependen.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+From 93a1bdc09ad6ef345cf8cecc059b649ee2ccbf40 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
+From: =?UTF-8?q?Ale=C5=A1=20Mat=C4=9Bj?= <amatej@redhat.com>
+Date: Mon, 26 Jan 2026 12:29:11 +0100
+Subject: [PATCH 1/2] autoremove: warn and skip dangling protected dependencies
+
+Requires new libdnf 0.76.0 API.
+---
+ dnf/base.py | 18 ++++++++++++++++--
+ 1 file changed, 16 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)
+
+diff --git a/dnf/base.py b/dnf/base.py
+index 7117dbe3..1d6ae6e2 100644
+--- a/dnf/base.py
++++ b/dnf/base.py
+@@ -2311,9 +2311,23 @@ class Base(object):
+                 logger.warning(_('No packages marked for removal.'))
+ 
+         else:
+-            pkgs = self.sack.query()._unneeded(self.history.swdb,
++            unneeded_pkgs = self.sack.query()._unneeded(self.history.swdb,
+                                                debug_solver=self.conf.debug_solver)
+-            for pkg in pkgs:
++
++            protected = self.sack.query().installed().filterm(name=self.conf.protected_packages)
++            protected_found = False
++            for pkg in protected:
++                if pkg in unneeded_pkgs:
++                    msg = _('Unneeded protected package: %s (and its dependencies) cannot be removed, '
++                            'either mark it as user-installed or change protected_packages configuration option.')
++                    logger.warning(msg, pkg)
++                    protected_found = True
++
++            if protected_found:
++                unneeded_pkgs = self.sack.query()._unneeded_extra_userinstalled(self.history.swdb, protected,
++                                                   debug_solver=self.conf.debug_solver)
++
++            for pkg in unneeded_pkgs:
+                 self.package_remove(pkg)
+ 
+     def remove(self, pkg_spec, reponame=None, forms=None):
+-- 
+2.53.0
+
diff --git a/dnf.spec b/dnf.spec
index bc40e40..94bf358 100644
--- a/dnf.spec
+++ b/dnf.spec
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
 %endif
 
 %if 0%{?rhel} == 10
-    %global hawkey_version 0.73.1-11
+    %global hawkey_version 0.73.1-14
 %endif
 
 # override dependencies for fedora 26
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ It supports RPMs, modules and comps groups & environments.
 
 Name:           dnf
 Version:        4.20.0
-Release:        20%{?dist}.alma.1
+Release:        21%{?dist}.alma.1
 Summary:        %{pkg_summary}
 # For a breakdown of the licensing, see PACKAGE-LICENSING
 License:        GPL-2.0-or-later AND GPL-1.0-only
@@ -116,6 +116,7 @@ Patch35:        0035-Add-modularity-deprecation-warning-to-doc-pages.patch
 Patch36:        0036-automatic-Fix-detecting-releasever_minor.patch
 Patch37:        0037-automatic-Expand-email_to-in-command_email-emitter-t.patch
 Patch38:        0038-rpmkeys-Ignore-untrusted-signatures-if-there-is-trus.patch
+Patch39:        0039-autoremove-warn-and-skip-dangling-protected-dependen.patch
 
 # AlmaLinux Patch
 Patch1001: 0001-Add-link-to-AlmaLinux-bugtracker.patch
@@ -481,10 +482,14 @@ popd
 # bootc subpackage does not include any files
 
 %changelog
-* Sat Feb 14 2026 Eduard Abdullin <eabdullin@almalinux.org> - 4.20.0-20.alma.1
+* Tue Feb 17 2026 Eduard Abdullin <eabdullin@almalinux.org> - 4.20.0-21.alma.1
 - Add x86_64_v2 to _BASEARCH_MAP
 - Add link to AlmaLinux bugtracker
 
+* Mon Feb 16 2026 Ales Matej <amatej@redhat.com> - 4.20.0-21
+- autoremove: when a dangling protected dependency is found produce a warning
+  and skip it (RHEL-128445)
+
 * Fri Jan 23 2026 Petr Pisar <ppisar@redhat.com> - 4.20.0-20
 - Ignore untrusted signatures if there is trusted one (RHEL-112730)