diff --git a/app/src/processing/app/Base.java b/app/src/processing/app/Base.java
index a1b6fc7c7..c4829b2ed 100644
--- a/app/src/processing/app/Base.java
+++ b/app/src/processing/app/Base.java
@@ -1549,9 +1549,13 @@ public class Base {
     recentBoardsButtonGroup = new ButtonGroup();
     buttonGroupsMap = new HashMap<>();
 
-    JMenuItem recentLabel = new JMenuItem(tr("Recently used boards"));
-    recentLabel.setEnabled(false);
-    boardMenu.add(recentLabel);
+    boolean hasRecentBoardsMenu =  (PreferencesData.getInteger("editor.recent_boards.size", 4) != 0);
+
+    if (hasRecentBoardsMenu) {
+      JMenuItem recentLabel = new JMenuItem(tr("Recently used boards"));
+      recentLabel.setEnabled(false);
+      boardMenu.add(recentLabel);
+    }
 
     List<JMenu> platformMenus = new ArrayList<>();
 
diff --git a/arduino-core/src/processing/app/BaseNoGui.java b/arduino-core/src/processing/app/BaseNoGui.java
index 1a45d599f..c454c0f1e 100644
--- a/arduino-core/src/processing/app/BaseNoGui.java
+++ b/arduino-core/src/processing/app/BaseNoGui.java
@@ -937,7 +937,7 @@ public class BaseNoGui {
     if (!recentlyUsedBoards.contains(targetBoard)) {
       recentlyUsedBoards.add(targetBoard);
     }
-    if (recentlyUsedBoards.size() > 4) {
+    if (recentlyUsedBoards.size() > PreferencesData.getInteger("editor.recent_boards.size", 4)) {
       recentlyUsedBoards.remove();
     }
   }