diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index fcb8020..4951592 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -121,6 +121,24 @@ const logger = createLogger({
 });
 ```
 
+#### Removal of Default Properties
+
+The library will remove a set of default properties.  
+To bypass this, set `ignoreDefaultRemovePaths` to `true` on the `redact` options.
+
+Example:
+
+```typescript
+const logger = createLogger({
+  name: 'my-app',
+  redact: {
+    paths: ['req.headers["x-redact-this"]'],
+    removePaths: ['req.headers["x-remove-this"]'],
+    ignoreDefaultRemovePaths: true,
+  },
+});
+```
+
 ### Trimming
 
 The following trimming rules apply to all logging data:
diff --git a/src/index.test.ts b/src/index.test.ts
index befea1f..6775c1c 100644
--- a/src/index.test.ts
+++ b/src/index.test.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 import split from 'split2';
 
+import { defaultRemovePaths } from './redact';
+
 import createLogger, { type LoggerOptions } from '.';
 
 const bearerToken =
@@ -472,35 +474,67 @@ testLog(
   ['req.headers.x-remove-me'],
 );
 
+const buildObjectFromPath = (path: string): Record<string, unknown> =>
+  path
+    .split(/[.\[]/)
+    .reverse()
+    .reduce(
+      (previous, current) => {
+        const key = current.replace(/["\[\]]/g, '');
+        if (!previous) {
+          return { [key]: 'Default path property' };
+        }
+
+        return { [key]: previous };
+      },
+      undefined as unknown as Record<string, unknown>,
+    );
+
+const buildObjectFromDefaultRemovePaths = (): Record<string, unknown> =>
+  !defaultRemovePaths?.[0] ? {} : buildObjectFromPath(defaultRemovePaths[0]);
+
 testLog(
-  'should redact or remove specified paths where property names contain dots',
+  'should remove default paths when ignoreDefaultRemovePaths is missing',
   {
-    msg: 'allowed',
-    data: {
-      top: {
-        prop1: 'Should be redacted',
-        prop2: 'Should be removed',
-      },
-      ['top.prop1']: 'Should be removed',
-      ['top.prop2']: 'Should be redacted',
-    },
+    redact: 'Should be redacted',
+    remove: 'Should be removed',
+    ...buildObjectFromDefaultRemovePaths(),
   },
   {
-    msg: 'allowed',
-    data: {
-      top: { prop1: '[Redacted]' },
-      ['top.prop2']: '[Redacted]',
+    redact: '[Redacted]',
+  },
+  'info',
+  {
+    maxObjectDepth: 20,
+    redact: {
+      paths: ['redact'],
+      removePaths: ['remove'],
     },
   },
+  ['remove', ...defaultRemovePaths],
+);
+
+testLog(
+  'should not remove default paths when ignoreDefaultRemovePaths is true',
+  {
+    redact: 'Should be redacted',
+    remove: 'Should be removed',
+    ...buildObjectFromDefaultRemovePaths(),
+  },
+  {
+    redact: '[Redacted]',
+    ...buildObjectFromDefaultRemovePaths(),
+  },
   'info',
   {
     maxObjectDepth: 20,
     redact: {
-      paths: ['data.top.prop1', 'data["top.prop2"]'],
-      removePaths: ['data.top.prop2', 'data["top.prop1"]'],
+      paths: ['redact'],
+      removePaths: ['remove'],
+      ignoreDefaultRemovePaths: true,
     },
   },
-  ['data.top.prop2', ['data', 'top.prop1']],
+  ['remove'],
 );
 
 testLog(
diff --git a/src/index.ts b/src/index.ts
index 4e548fe..0474612 100644
--- a/src/index.ts
+++ b/src/index.ts
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ import serializers from './serializers';
 export { pino };
 
 export type LoggerOptions = Omit<pino.LoggerOptions, 'redact'> &
-  FormatterOptions & { redact?: redact.ExtendedRedactOptions };
+  FormatterOptions & { redact?: redact.ExtendedRedact };
 export type Logger = pino.Logger;
 
 /**
diff --git a/src/redact/index.ts b/src/redact/index.ts
index 69534bb..344c022 100644
--- a/src/redact/index.ts
+++ b/src/redact/index.ts
@@ -3,26 +3,42 @@ import type * as pino from 'pino';
 // TODO: Redact cookies?
 export const defaultRedact = [];
 
-export type ExtendedRedactOptions = pino.LoggerOptions['redact'] & {
+export const defaultRemovePaths: string[] = [];
+
+type redactOptions = Extract<pino.LoggerOptions['redact'], { paths: string[] }>;
+
+type extendedRedactOptions = redactOptions & {
   /**
    * A list of paths to remove from the logged object instead of redacting them.
    * Note that if you are only removing, rather use the `paths` property and set `remove` to `true`.
    */
   removePaths?: string[];
+
+  /**
+   * When `true`, the `defaultRemovePaths` will not be appended to the `removePaths` list.
+   */
+  ignoreDefaultRemovePaths?: true;
 };
 
-type ExtendedRedact = string[] | ExtendedRedactOptions | undefined;
+export type ExtendedRedact = string[] | extendedRedactOptions | undefined;
 
-const addDefaultRedactPathStrings = (
+const appendDefaultRedactAndRemove = (
   redact: ExtendedRedact,
-): ExtendedRedact => {
-  if (!redact) {
-    return defaultRedact;
-  }
-  if (Array.isArray(redact)) {
-    return redact.concat(defaultRedact);
-  }
-  return redact;
+): extendedRedactOptions | undefined => {
+  const inputRedact =
+    typeof redact !== 'undefined' && !Array.isArray(redact)
+      ? redact
+      : { paths: redact ?? [] };
+
+  const paths = inputRedact.paths.concat(defaultRedact);
+  const inputRemovePaths = inputRedact.removePaths ?? [];
+  const removePaths = inputRedact.ignoreDefaultRemovePaths
+    ? inputRemovePaths
+    : inputRemovePaths.concat(defaultRemovePaths);
+
+  return paths.length === 0 && removePaths.length === 0
+    ? undefined
+    : { ...inputRedact, paths, removePaths };
 };
 
 const STARTS_WITH_INVALID_CHARS = '^[^$_a-zA-Z]';
@@ -66,4 +82,4 @@ const configureRedactCensor = (redact: ExtendedRedact): ExtendedRedact => {
 };
 
 export const configureRedact = (redact: ExtendedRedact): ExtendedRedact =>
-  configureRedactCensor(addDefaultRedactPathStrings(redact));
+  configureRedactCensor(appendDefaultRedactAndRemove(redact));