diff --git a/changelog.d/20250204_145210_athornton_DM_48682_config.md b/changelog.d/20250204_145210_athornton_DM_48682_config.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8263ca5b7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog.d/20250204_145210_athornton_DM_48682_config.md
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+<!-- Delete the sections that don't apply -->
+### Backwards-incompatible changes
+
+- Changed `num_*` in config to image policy object.
diff --git a/controller/src/controller/config.py b/controller/src/controller/config.py
index b32ea9504..f307fe902 100644
--- a/controller/src/controller/config.py
+++ b/controller/src/controller/config.py
@@ -34,17 +34,20 @@
     RESERVED_ENV,
     RESERVED_PATHS,
 )
+from .models.domain.imagepolicy import (
+    RSPImagePolicy,
+)
 from .models.domain.kubernetes import (
     Affinity,
     PullPolicy,
     Toleration,
     VolumeAccessMode,
 )
+from .models.domain.menu import ImageDisplayPolicy, SpawnerMenuOptions
 from .models.v1.lab import LabResources, LabSize, ResourceQuantity
 from .models.v1.prepuller import (
     DockerSourceOptions,
     GARSourceOptions,
-    PrepullerOptions,
 )
 from .units import memory_to_bytes
 
@@ -64,6 +67,7 @@
     "NFSVolumeSource",
     "PVCVolumeResources",
     "PVCVolumeSource",
+    "SpawnerMenuConfig",
     "TmpSource",
     "UserHomeDirectorySchema",
     "VolumeConfig",
@@ -505,7 +509,8 @@ class GARSourceConfig(GARSourceOptions):
     """Configuration for a Google Artifact Registry source.
 
     This is identical to the API model used to return the prepuller
-    configuration to an API client except that camel-case aliases are enabled.
+    configuration to an API client except that camel-case aliases are
+    enabled.
     """
 
     model_config = ConfigDict(
@@ -513,11 +518,40 @@ class GARSourceConfig(GARSourceOptions):
     )
 
 
-class PrepullerConfig(PrepullerOptions):
-    """Configuration for the prepuller.
+class ImageDisplayPolicyConfig(ImageDisplayPolicy):
+    """Configuration for ImageDisplayPolicy.
 
-    This is identical to the API model used to return the prepuller
-    configuration to an API client except that camel-case aliases are enabled.
+    This is identical to the model used for image display policy, except
+    that camel-case aliases are enabled.
+    """
+
+    model_config = ConfigDict(
+        alias_generator=to_camel, extra="forbid", populate_by_name=True
+    )
+
+    main: RSPImagePolicyConfig | None = None
+    dropdown: RSPImagePolicyConfig | None = None
+
+
+class RSPImagePolicyConfig(RSPImagePolicy):
+    """Configuration for RSPImagePolicy.
+
+    This is identical to the model used for RSP image policy, except
+    that camel-case aliases are enabled.
+    """
+
+    model_config = ConfigDict(
+        alias_generator=to_camel, extra="forbid", populate_by_name=True
+    )
+
+
+class SpawnerMenuConfig(SpawnerMenuOptions):
+    """Configuration for how images are presented on the spawner page.
+
+    It controls both the main menu and the dropdown menu.
+
+    This is identical to the model used for menu control, except that
+    camel-case aliases are enabled.
     """
 
     model_config = ConfigDict(
@@ -525,6 +559,7 @@ class PrepullerConfig(PrepullerOptions):
     )
 
     source: DockerSourceConfig | GARSourceConfig
+    display_policy: ImageDisplayPolicyConfig
 
 
 class LabSizeDefinition(BaseModel):
@@ -1202,13 +1237,13 @@ class Config(BaseSettings):
     ] = DisabledFileserverConfig()
 
     images: Annotated[
-        PrepullerConfig,
+        SpawnerMenuConfig,
         Field(
             title="Available lab images",
             description=(
                 "Configuration for which images to prepull and which images to"
-                " display in the spawner menu for users to choose from when"
-                " spawning labs"
+                " display in the spawner menu and dropdown for users to choose"
+                " from when spawning labs"
             ),
         ),
     ]
diff --git a/controller/src/controller/exceptions.py b/controller/src/controller/exceptions.py
index 14d5eec5e..1be183c65 100644
--- a/controller/src/controller/exceptions.py
+++ b/controller/src/controller/exceptions.py
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@
     "KubernetesError",
     "LabDeletionError",
     "LabExistsError",
+    "MissingImageCountError",
     "MissingObjectError",
     "MissingSecretError",
     "NoOperationError",
@@ -437,6 +438,14 @@ class LabDeletionError(SlackException):
     """
 
 
+class MissingImageCountError(SlackException):
+    """Image count is not specified.
+
+    When constructing the spawner menu, we need to know how many daily,
+    weekly, and release images to display.
+    """
+
+
 class MissingObjectError(SlackException):
     """An expected Kubernetes object is missing.
 
diff --git a/controller/src/controller/factory.py b/controller/src/controller/factory.py
index f4b658cc6..715dbfe41 100644
--- a/controller/src/controller/factory.py
+++ b/controller/src/controller/factory.py
@@ -18,7 +18,10 @@
 from .config import Config
 from .events import LabEvents
 from .exceptions import NotConfiguredError
-from .models.v1.prepuller import DockerSourceOptions, GARSourceOptions
+from .models.v1.prepuller import (
+    DockerSourceOptions,
+    GARSourceOptions,
+)
 from .services.builder.fileserver import FileserverBuilder
 from .services.builder.lab import LabBuilder
 from .services.builder.prepuller import PrepullerBuilder
@@ -145,7 +148,7 @@ async def from_config(cls, config: Config) -> Self:
 
         metadata_storage = MetadataStorage(config.metadata_path)
         image_service = ImageService(
-            config=config.images,
+            config=config.images.to_prepuller_options(),
             node_selector=config.lab.node_selector,
             tolerations=config.lab.tolerations,
             source=source,
diff --git a/controller/src/controller/models/domain/imagepolicy.py b/controller/src/controller/models/domain/imagepolicy.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..51784d76f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/controller/src/controller/models/domain/imagepolicy.py
@@ -0,0 +1,106 @@
+"""Models for image display policy."""
+
+import datetime
+from typing import Annotated, Any
+
+from pydantic import BaseModel, BeforeValidator, Field, model_validator
+from safir.pydantic import validate_exactly_one_of
+
+
+def _empty_str_is_none(inp: Any) -> Any:
+    if isinstance(inp, str) and inp == "":
+        return None
+    return inp
+
+
+class IndividualImageClassPolicy(BaseModel):
+    """Policy for images to display within a given class.
+
+    The policy has both a 'number' and an 'age' field.
+
+    'number' means: display that many of whatever image class this is
+    attached to.  `-1` or `None` are interpreted as "do not filter
+    (i.e. show all of this image class)" and `0` means "display no
+    images of this class."  This has historically been the only filter
+    option.
+
+    'age' means: display any items of the class whose age is the
+    specified age or less.  This age is a duration, specified by a
+    string as accepted by Safir's HumanTimeDelta.  The empty string
+    means "do not filter this class at all."
+
+    Exactly one of these must be specified.
+    """
+
+    age: Annotated[
+        datetime.timedelta | None,
+        Field(
+            BeforeValidator(_empty_str_is_none),
+            title="Age",
+            description="Maximum age of image to retain.",
+        ),
+    ] = None
+
+    number: Annotated[
+        int | None,
+        Field(
+            BeforeValidator(_empty_str_is_none),
+            title="Number",
+            description="Number of images to retain.",
+        ),
+    ] = None
+
+    _validate_options = model_validator(mode="after")(
+        validate_exactly_one_of("number", "age")
+    )
+
+
+class RSPImagePolicy(BaseModel):
+    """Aliases are never filtered.  Default for everything else is "do not
+    filter".
+    """
+
+    release: Annotated[
+        IndividualImageClassPolicy | None,
+        Field(title="Release", description="Policy for releases to display."),
+    ] = None
+
+    weekly: Annotated[
+        IndividualImageClassPolicy | None,
+        Field(
+            title="Weekly", description="Policy for weekly builds to display."
+        ),
+    ] = None
+
+    daily: Annotated[
+        IndividualImageClassPolicy | None,
+        Field(
+            title="Daily", description="Policy for daily builds to display."
+        ),
+    ] = None
+
+    release_candidate: Annotated[
+        IndividualImageClassPolicy | None,
+        Field(
+            title="Release Candidate",
+            description="Policy for release candidate builds to display.",
+        ),
+    ] = None
+
+    experimental: Annotated[
+        IndividualImageClassPolicy | None,
+        Field(
+            title="Experimental",
+            description="Policy for experimental builds to display.",
+        ),
+    ] = None
+
+    unknown: Annotated[
+        IndividualImageClassPolicy | None,
+        Field(
+            title="Unknown",
+            description=(
+                "Policy for builds without parseable RSP tags to display."
+            ),
+        ),
+    ] = None
diff --git a/controller/src/controller/models/domain/menu.py b/controller/src/controller/models/domain/menu.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e2ecf7290
--- /dev/null
+++ b/controller/src/controller/models/domain/menu.py
@@ -0,0 +1,139 @@
+"""Model for spawner menu."""
+
+from typing import Annotated
+
+from pydantic import BaseModel, Field
+
+from ...exceptions import MissingImageCountError
+from ..v1.prepuller import (
+    DockerSourceOptions,
+    GARSourceOptions,
+    PrepullerOptions,
+)
+from .imagepolicy import RSPImagePolicy
+
+__all__ = ["ImageDisplayPolicy", "SpawnerMenuOptions"]
+
+
+class ImageDisplayPolicy(BaseModel):
+    """Holds image display policies for spawner main and dropdown menus."""
+
+    main: Annotated[
+        RSPImagePolicy | None,
+        Field(title="Image display policy for spawner main menu"),
+    ] = None
+
+    dropdown: Annotated[
+        RSPImagePolicy | None,
+        Field(title="Image display policy for spawner dropdown menu"),
+    ] = None
+
+
+class SpawnerMenuOptions(BaseModel):
+    """Options needed to construct the spawner menu.
+
+    This class and PrepullerOptions are largely the same.  If we prefer we
+    could change the API and get rid of PrepullerOptions.
+    """
+
+    source: Annotated[
+        DockerSourceOptions | GARSourceOptions, Field(title="Source of images")
+    ]
+
+    display_policy: Annotated[
+        ImageDisplayPolicy | None,
+        Field(title="Display policy for spawner images"),
+    ] = None
+
+    recommended_tag: Annotated[
+        str,
+        Field(
+            title="Tag of recommended image",
+            description=(
+                "This image will be shown first on the menu as the default"
+                " choice."
+            ),
+            examples=["recommended"],
+        ),
+    ] = "recommended"
+
+    cycle: Annotated[
+        int | None,
+        Field(
+            title="Limit to this cycle number (XML schema version)",
+            description=(
+                "Telescope and Site images contain software implementing a"
+                " specific XML schema version, and it is not safe to use"
+                " software using a different XML schema version. If this is"
+                " set, only images with a matching cycle will be shown in the"
+                " spawner menu."
+            ),
+            examples=[27],
+        ),
+    ] = None
+
+    pin: Annotated[
+        list[str],
+        Field(
+            title="List of image tags to prepull and pin to the menu",
+            description=(
+                "Forces images to be cached and pinned to the menu even when"
+                " they would not normally be prepulled (not recommended or"
+                " within the latest dailies, weeklies, or releases). This can"
+                " be used to add additional images to the menu or to force"
+                " resolution of the image underlying the recommended tag when"
+                " Docker is used as the image source so that we can give it a"
+                " proper display name."
+            ),
+            examples=[["d_2077_10_23"]],
+        ),
+    ] = []
+
+    alias_tags: Annotated[
+        list[str],
+        Field(
+            title="Additional alias tags",
+            description=(
+                "These tags will automatically be recognized as alias tags"
+                " rather than unknown tags, which results in different sorting"
+                " and better human-readable descriptions."
+            ),
+            examples=[["recommended_cycle0027"]],
+        ),
+    ] = []
+
+    def to_prepuller_options(self) -> PrepullerOptions:
+        """Construct PrepullerOptions from SpawnerMenuOptions.
+
+        The underlying presumption, that may not be obvious at first glance,
+        is that the main menu on the Spawner Menu contains definitionally
+        exactly those images that should be prepulled.
+        """
+        if self.display_policy is None or self.display_policy.main is None:
+            raise MissingImageCountError(
+                "Display policy for 'main' in spawner menu options must"
+                " be defined"
+            )
+        pol = self.display_policy.main
+        if (
+            pol.release is None
+            or pol.release.number is None
+            or pol.weekly is None
+            or pol.weekly.number is None
+            or pol.daily is None
+            or pol.daily.number is None
+        ):
+            raise MissingImageCountError(
+                "All of 'daily', 'weekly', and 'release' must be defined and"
+                " numeric in display policy to generate prepuller options"
+            )
+        return PrepullerOptions(
+            source=self.source,
+            recommended_tag=self.recommended_tag,
+            cycle=self.cycle,
+            pin=self.pin,
+            alias_tags=self.alias_tags,
+            num_releases=pol.release.number,
+            num_weeklies=pol.weekly.number,
+            num_dailies=pol.daily.number,
+        )
diff --git a/controller/src/controller/models/v1/prepuller.py b/controller/src/controller/models/v1/prepuller.py
index 50e7ad7c8..c3dd1390d 100644
--- a/controller/src/controller/models/v1/prepuller.py
+++ b/controller/src/controller/models/v1/prepuller.py
@@ -148,11 +148,8 @@ def path(self) -> str:
 class PrepullerOptions(BaseModel):
     """Options for the prepuller.
 
-    The information here comes from the YAML configuration for the Nublado
-    controller and is a component of the model returned by the
-    ``/spawner/v1/prepulls`` route. The model for the YAML configuration also
-    enables camel-case aliases, but those are not enabled here since we want
-    the API to return snake-case.
+    The information here is a component of the model returned by the
+    ``/spawner/v1/prepulls`` route.
     """
 
     source: Annotated[
diff --git a/controller/tests/data/changed-path/input/config.yaml b/controller/tests/data/changed-path/input/config.yaml
index 0e798153d..d3b5b424d 100644
--- a/controller/tests/data/changed-path/input/config.yaml
+++ b/controller/tests/data/changed-path/input/config.yaml
@@ -23,3 +23,11 @@ images:
     type: docker
     registry: lighthouse.ceres
     repository: library/sketchbook
+  displayPolicy:
+    main:
+      release:
+        number: 1
+      weekly:
+        number: 2
+      daily:
+        number: 3
diff --git a/controller/tests/data/cycle/input/config.yaml b/controller/tests/data/cycle/input/config.yaml
index 5c9abad11..51da2ef43 100644
--- a/controller/tests/data/cycle/input/config.yaml
+++ b/controller/tests/data/cycle/input/config.yaml
@@ -12,9 +12,14 @@ images:
     registry: lighthouse.ceres
     repository: library/sketchbook
   recommendedTag: recommended_c0050
-  numReleases: 0
-  numWeeklies: 3
-  numDailies: 0
   cycle: 50
   aliasTags:
     - latest_c0050
+  displayPolicy:
+    main:
+      release:
+        number: 0
+      weekly:
+        number: 3
+      daily:
+        number: 0
diff --git a/controller/tests/data/extra-annotations/input/config.yaml b/controller/tests/data/extra-annotations/input/config.yaml
index 5351e15d1..781f10ad3 100644
--- a/controller/tests/data/extra-annotations/input/config.yaml
+++ b/controller/tests/data/extra-annotations/input/config.yaml
@@ -23,3 +23,11 @@ images:
     type: docker
     registry: lighthouse.ceres
     repository: library/sketchbook
+  displayPolicy:
+    main:
+      release:
+        number: 1
+      weekly:
+        number: 2
+      daily:
+        number: 3
diff --git a/controller/tests/data/fileserver/input/config.yaml b/controller/tests/data/fileserver/input/config.yaml
index b75c642ba..a08be90fc 100644
--- a/controller/tests/data/fileserver/input/config.yaml
+++ b/controller/tests/data/fileserver/input/config.yaml
@@ -45,6 +45,14 @@ images:
     type: docker
     registry: lighthouse.ceres
     repository: library/sketchbook
+  displayPolicy:
+    main:
+      release:
+        number: 1
+      weekly:
+        number: 2
+      daily:
+        number: 3
 fileserver:
   enabled: true
   affinity:
diff --git a/controller/tests/data/gar-cycle/input/config.yaml b/controller/tests/data/gar-cycle/input/config.yaml
index 2cc9b7f67..4639b92dc 100644
--- a/controller/tests/data/gar-cycle/input/config.yaml
+++ b/controller/tests/data/gar-cycle/input/config.yaml
@@ -14,7 +14,12 @@ images:
     repository: library
     image: sketchbook
   recommendedTag: recommended_c0050
-  numReleases: 0
-  numWeeklies: 3
-  numDailies: 0
   cycle: 50
+  displayPolicy:
+    main:
+      release:
+        number: 0
+      weekly:
+        number: 3
+      daily:
+        number: 0
diff --git a/controller/tests/data/gar/input/config.yaml b/controller/tests/data/gar/input/config.yaml
index d71d25059..bdecaa85e 100644
--- a/controller/tests/data/gar/input/config.yaml
+++ b/controller/tests/data/gar/input/config.yaml
@@ -14,6 +14,11 @@ images:
     repository: sciplat
     image: sciplat-lab
   recommendedTag: recommended
-  numReleases: 1
-  numWeeklies: 2
-  numDailies: 3
+  displayPolicy:
+    main:
+      release:
+        number: 1
+      weekly:
+        number: 2
+      daily:
+        number: 3
diff --git a/controller/tests/data/homedir-schema/input/config.yaml b/controller/tests/data/homedir-schema/input/config.yaml
index f7b5aed01..66dff9628 100644
--- a/controller/tests/data/homedir-schema/input/config.yaml
+++ b/controller/tests/data/homedir-schema/input/config.yaml
@@ -26,3 +26,11 @@ images:
     type: docker
     registry: lighthouse.ceres
     repository: library/sketchbook
+  displayPolicy:
+    main:
+      release:
+        number: 1
+      weekly:
+        number: 2
+      daily:
+        number: 3
diff --git a/controller/tests/data/prepuller/input/config.yaml b/controller/tests/data/prepuller/input/config.yaml
index 36a5afee2..5c67261db 100644
--- a/controller/tests/data/prepuller/input/config.yaml
+++ b/controller/tests/data/prepuller/input/config.yaml
@@ -17,3 +17,11 @@ images:
     type: docker
     registry: lighthouse.ceres
     repository: library/sketchbook
+  displayPolicy:
+    main:
+      release:
+        number: 1
+      weekly:
+        number: 2
+      daily:
+        number: 3
diff --git a/controller/tests/data/standard/input/config.yaml b/controller/tests/data/standard/input/config.yaml
index 443cd9bad..fe9d07ff6 100644
--- a/controller/tests/data/standard/input/config.yaml
+++ b/controller/tests/data/standard/input/config.yaml
@@ -231,6 +231,11 @@ images:
     registry: lighthouse.ceres
     repository: library/sketchbook
   recommendedTag: recommended
-  numReleases: 1
-  numWeeklies: 2
-  numDailies: 3
+  displayPolicy:
+    main:
+      release:
+        number: 1
+      weekly:
+        number: 2
+      daily:
+        number: 3
diff --git a/controller/tests/data/tmp-disk/input/config.yaml b/controller/tests/data/tmp-disk/input/config.yaml
index d7e6c92db..25afd63cc 100644
--- a/controller/tests/data/tmp-disk/input/config.yaml
+++ b/controller/tests/data/tmp-disk/input/config.yaml
@@ -21,3 +21,11 @@ images:
     type: docker
     registry: lighthouse.ceres
     repository: library/sketchbook
+  displayPolicy:
+    main:
+      release:
+        number: 1
+      weekly:
+        number: 2
+      daily:
+        number: 3
diff --git a/docs/dev/api/controller.rst b/docs/dev/api/controller.rst
index 19a4a76e1..d8a75dcc3 100644
--- a/docs/dev/api/controller.rst
+++ b/docs/dev/api/controller.rst
@@ -48,12 +48,18 @@ This documentation therefore exists only to assist developers and code analysis
 .. automodapi:: controller.models.domain.image
    :include-all-objects:
 
+.. automodapi:: controller.models.domain.imagepolicy
+   :include-all-objects:
+
 .. automodapi:: controller.models.domain.kubernetes
    :include-all-objects:
 
 .. automodapi:: controller.models.domain.lab
    :include-all-objects:
 
+.. automodapi:: controller.models.domain.menu
+   :include-all-objects:
+
 .. automodapi:: controller.models.domain.rspimage
    :include-all-objects: