diff --git a/awx/main/management/commands/cleanup_host_metrics.py b/awx/main/management/commands/cleanup_host_metrics.py
index a250af98528c..c390c074ad61 100644
--- a/awx/main/management/commands/cleanup_host_metrics.py
+++ b/awx/main/management/commands/cleanup_host_metrics.py
@@ -1,22 +1,22 @@
-from awx.main.models import HostMetric
 from django.core.management.base import BaseCommand
 from django.conf import settings
+from awx.main.tasks.host_metrics import HostMetricTask
 
 
 class Command(BaseCommand):
     """
-    Run soft-deleting of HostMetrics
+    This command provides cleanup task for HostMetric model.
+    There are two modes, which run in following order:
+    - soft cleanup
+    - - Perform soft-deletion of all host metrics last automated 12 months ago or before.
+        This is the same as issuing a DELETE request to /api/v2/host_metrics/N/ for all host metrics that match the criteria.
+    - - updates columns delete, deleted_counter and last_deleted
+    - hard cleanup
+    - - Permanently erase from the database all host metrics last automated 36 months ago or before.
+        This operation happens after the soft deletion has finished.
     """
 
-    help = 'Run soft-deleting of HostMetrics'
-
-    def add_arguments(self, parser):
-        parser.add_argument('--months-ago', type=int, dest='months-ago', action='store', help='Threshold in months for soft-deleting')
+    help = 'Run soft and hard-deletion of HostMetrics'
 
     def handle(self, *args, **options):
-        months_ago = options.get('months-ago') or None
-
-        if not months_ago:
-            months_ago = getattr(settings, 'CLEANUP_HOST_METRICS_SOFT_THRESHOLD', 12)
-
-        HostMetric.cleanup_task(months_ago)
+        HostMetricTask().cleanup(soft_threshold=settings.CLEANUP_HOST_METRICS_SOFT_THRESHOLD, hard_threshold=settings.CLEANUP_HOST_METRICS_HARD_THRESHOLD)
diff --git a/awx/main/models/inventory.py b/awx/main/models/inventory.py
index 0310d3b1a2c0..7cf7f0710e7f 100644
--- a/awx/main/models/inventory.py
+++ b/awx/main/models/inventory.py
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@
 import os.path
 from urllib.parse import urljoin
 
-import dateutil.relativedelta
 import yaml
 
 # Django
@@ -890,23 +889,6 @@ def soft_restore(self):
             self.deleted = False
             self.save(update_fields=['deleted'])
 
-    @classmethod
-    def cleanup_task(cls, months_ago):
-        try:
-            months_ago = int(months_ago)
-            if months_ago <= 0:
-                raise ValueError()
-
-            last_automation_before = now() - dateutil.relativedelta.relativedelta(months=months_ago)
-
-            logger.info(f'cleanup_host_metrics: soft-deleting records last automated before {last_automation_before}')
-            HostMetric.active_objects.filter(last_automation__lt=last_automation_before).update(
-                deleted=True, deleted_counter=models.F('deleted_counter') + 1, last_deleted=now()
-            )
-            settings.CLEANUP_HOST_METRICS_LAST_TS = now()
-        except (TypeError, ValueError):
-            logger.error(f"cleanup_host_metrics: months_ago({months_ago}) has to be a positive integer value")
-
 
 class HostMetricSummaryMonthly(models.Model):
     """
diff --git a/awx/main/tasks/helpers.py b/awx/main/tasks/helpers.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..ae91e941437f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/awx/main/tasks/helpers.py
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+from django.utils.timezone import now
+from rest_framework.fields import DateTimeField
+
+
+def is_run_threshold_reached(setting, threshold_seconds):
+    last_time = DateTimeField().to_internal_value(setting) if setting else None
+    if not last_time:
+        return True
+    else:
+        return (now() - last_time).total_seconds() > threshold_seconds
diff --git a/awx/main/tasks/host_metrics.py b/awx/main/tasks/host_metrics.py
index abf658ef8398..750cd199c515 100644
--- a/awx/main/tasks/host_metrics.py
+++ b/awx/main/tasks/host_metrics.py
@@ -3,33 +3,90 @@
 import logging
 
 from django.conf import settings
-from django.db.models import Count
+from django.db.models import Count, F
 from django.db.models.functions import TruncMonth
 from django.utils.timezone import now
-from rest_framework.fields import DateTimeField
 from awx.main.dispatch import get_task_queuename
 from awx.main.dispatch.publish import task
 from awx.main.models.inventory import HostMetric, HostMetricSummaryMonthly
+from awx.main.tasks.helpers import is_run_threshold_reached
 from awx.conf.license import get_license
 
-logger = logging.getLogger('awx.main.tasks.host_metric_summary_monthly')
+logger = logging.getLogger('awx.main.tasks.host_metrics')
+
+
+@task(queue=get_task_queuename)
+def cleanup_host_metrics():
+    if is_run_threshold_reached(getattr(settings, 'CLEANUP_HOST_METRICS_LAST_TS', None), getattr(settings, 'CLEANUP_HOST_METRICS_INTERVAL', 30) * 86400):
+        logger.info(f"Executing cleanup_host_metrics, last ran at {getattr(settings, 'CLEANUP_HOST_METRICS_LAST_TS', '---')}")
+        HostMetricTask().cleanup(
+            soft_threshold=getattr(settings, 'CLEANUP_HOST_METRICS_SOFT_THRESHOLD', 12),
+            hard_threshold=getattr(settings, 'CLEANUP_HOST_METRICS_HARD_THRESHOLD', 36),
+        )
+        logger.info("Finished cleanup_host_metrics")
 
 
 @task(queue=get_task_queuename)
 def host_metric_summary_monthly():
     """Run cleanup host metrics summary monthly task each week"""
-    if _is_run_threshold_reached(
-        getattr(settings, 'HOST_METRIC_SUMMARY_TASK_LAST_TS', None), getattr(settings, 'HOST_METRIC_SUMMARY_TASK_INTERVAL', 7) * 86400
-    ):
+    if is_run_threshold_reached(getattr(settings, 'HOST_METRIC_SUMMARY_TASK_LAST_TS', None), getattr(settings, 'HOST_METRIC_SUMMARY_TASK_INTERVAL', 7) * 86400):
         logger.info(f"Executing host_metric_summary_monthly, last ran at {getattr(settings, 'HOST_METRIC_SUMMARY_TASK_LAST_TS', '---')}")
         HostMetricSummaryMonthlyTask().execute()
         logger.info("Finished host_metric_summary_monthly")
 
 
-def _is_run_threshold_reached(setting, threshold_seconds):
-    last_time = DateTimeField().to_internal_value(setting) if setting else DateTimeField().to_internal_value('1970-01-01')
+class HostMetricTask:
+    """
+    This class provides cleanup task for HostMetric model.
+    There are two modes:
+    - soft cleanup (updates columns delete, deleted_counter and last_deleted)
+    - hard cleanup (deletes from the db)
+    """
+
+    def cleanup(self, soft_threshold=None, hard_threshold=None):
+        """
+        Main entrypoint, runs either soft cleanup, hard cleanup or both
+
+        :param soft_threshold: (int)
+        :param hard_threshold: (int)
+        """
+        if hard_threshold is not None:
+            self.hard_cleanup(hard_threshold)
+        if soft_threshold is not None:
+            self.soft_cleanup(soft_threshold)
+
+        settings.CLEANUP_HOST_METRICS_LAST_TS = now()
+
+    @staticmethod
+    def soft_cleanup(threshold=None):
+        if threshold is None:
+            threshold = getattr(settings, 'CLEANUP_HOST_METRICS_SOFT_THRESHOLD', 12)
+
+        try:
+            threshold = int(threshold)
+        except (ValueError, TypeError) as e:
+            raise type(e)("soft_threshold has to be convertible to number") from e
+
+        last_automation_before = now() - relativedelta(months=threshold)
+        rows = HostMetric.active_objects.filter(last_automation__lt=last_automation_before).update(
+            deleted=True, deleted_counter=F('deleted_counter') + 1, last_deleted=now()
+        )
+        logger.info(f'cleanup_host_metrics: soft-deleted records last automated before {last_automation_before}, affected rows: {rows}')
+
+    @staticmethod
+    def hard_cleanup(threshold=None):
+        if threshold is None:
+            threshold = getattr(settings, 'CLEANUP_HOST_METRICS_HARD_THRESHOLD', 36)
+
+        try:
+            threshold = int(threshold)
+        except (ValueError, TypeError) as e:
+            raise type(e)("hard_threshold has to be convertible to number") from e
 
-    return (now() - last_time).total_seconds() > threshold_seconds
+        last_deleted_before = now() - relativedelta(months=threshold)
+        queryset = HostMetric.objects.filter(deleted=True, last_deleted__lt=last_deleted_before)
+        rows = queryset.delete()
+        logger.info(f'cleanup_host_metrics: hard-deleted records which were soft deleted before {last_deleted_before}, affected rows: {rows[0]}')
 
 
 class HostMetricSummaryMonthlyTask:
diff --git a/awx/main/tasks/system.py b/awx/main/tasks/system.py
index 9e834f273e5e..d15cde6e7f75 100644
--- a/awx/main/tasks/system.py
+++ b/awx/main/tasks/system.py
@@ -48,7 +48,6 @@
     Inventory,
     SmartInventoryMembership,
     Job,
-    HostMetric,
     convert_jsonfields,
 )
 from awx.main.constants import ACTIVE_STATES
@@ -64,6 +63,7 @@
 
 from awx.main.utils.reload import stop_local_services
 from awx.main.utils.pglock import advisory_lock
+from awx.main.tasks.helpers import is_run_threshold_reached
 from awx.main.tasks.receptor import get_receptor_ctl, worker_info, worker_cleanup, administrative_workunit_reaper, write_receptor_config
 from awx.main.consumers import emit_channel_notification
 from awx.main import analytics
@@ -368,9 +368,7 @@ def send_notifications(notification_list, job_id=None):
 
 @task(queue=get_task_queuename)
 def gather_analytics():
-    from awx.conf.models import Setting
-
-    if is_run_threshold_reached(Setting.objects.filter(key='AUTOMATION_ANALYTICS_LAST_GATHER').first(), settings.AUTOMATION_ANALYTICS_GATHER_INTERVAL):
+    if is_run_threshold_reached(getattr(settings, 'AUTOMATION_ANALYTICS_LAST_GATHER', None), settings.AUTOMATION_ANALYTICS_GATHER_INTERVAL):
         analytics.gather()
 
 
@@ -427,29 +425,6 @@ def cleanup_images_and_files():
     _cleanup_images_and_files()
 
 
-@task(queue=get_task_queuename)
-def cleanup_host_metrics():
-    """Run cleanup host metrics ~each month"""
-    # TODO: move whole method to host_metrics in follow-up PR
-    from awx.conf.models import Setting
-
-    if is_run_threshold_reached(
-        Setting.objects.filter(key='CLEANUP_HOST_METRICS_LAST_TS').first(), getattr(settings, 'CLEANUP_HOST_METRICS_INTERVAL', 30) * 86400
-    ):
-        months_ago = getattr(settings, 'CLEANUP_HOST_METRICS_SOFT_THRESHOLD', 12)
-        logger.info("Executing cleanup_host_metrics")
-        HostMetric.cleanup_task(months_ago)
-        logger.info("Finished cleanup_host_metrics")
-
-
-def is_run_threshold_reached(setting, threshold_seconds):
-    from rest_framework.fields import DateTimeField
-
-    last_time = DateTimeField().to_internal_value(setting.value) if setting and setting.value else DateTimeField().to_internal_value('1970-01-01')
-
-    return (now() - last_time).total_seconds() > threshold_seconds
-
-
 @task(queue=get_task_queuename)
 def cluster_node_health_check(node):
     """
diff --git a/awx/main/tests/functional/commands/test_cleanup_host_metrics.py b/awx/main/tests/functional/commands/test_cleanup_host_metrics.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..ac6d0bde3243
--- /dev/null
+++ b/awx/main/tests/functional/commands/test_cleanup_host_metrics.py
@@ -0,0 +1,78 @@
+import pytest
+
+from awx.main.tasks.host_metrics import HostMetricTask
+from awx.main.models.inventory import HostMetric
+from awx.main.tests.factories.fixtures import mk_host_metric
+from dateutil.relativedelta import relativedelta
+from django.conf import settings
+from django.utils import timezone
+
+
+@pytest.mark.django_db
+def test_no_host_metrics():
+    """No-crash test"""
+    assert HostMetric.objects.count() == 0
+    HostMetricTask().cleanup(soft_threshold=0, hard_threshold=0)
+    HostMetricTask().cleanup(soft_threshold=24, hard_threshold=42)
+    assert HostMetric.objects.count() == 0
+
+
+@pytest.mark.django_db
+def test_delete_exception():
+    """Crash test"""
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError):
+        HostMetricTask().soft_cleanup("")
+    with pytest.raises(TypeError):
+        HostMetricTask().hard_cleanup(set())
+
+
+@pytest.mark.django_db
+@pytest.mark.parametrize('threshold', [settings.CLEANUP_HOST_METRICS_SOFT_THRESHOLD, 20])
+def test_soft_delete(threshold):
+    """Metrics with last_automation < threshold are updated to deleted=True"""
+    mk_host_metric('host_1', first_automation=ago(months=1), last_automation=ago(months=1), deleted=False)
+    mk_host_metric('host_2', first_automation=ago(months=1), last_automation=ago(months=1), deleted=True)
+    mk_host_metric('host_3', first_automation=ago(months=1), last_automation=ago(months=threshold, hours=-1), deleted=False)
+    mk_host_metric('host_4', first_automation=ago(months=1), last_automation=ago(months=threshold, hours=-1), deleted=True)
+    mk_host_metric('host_5', first_automation=ago(months=1), last_automation=ago(months=threshold, hours=1), deleted=False)
+    mk_host_metric('host_6', first_automation=ago(months=1), last_automation=ago(months=threshold, hours=1), deleted=True)
+    mk_host_metric('host_7', first_automation=ago(months=1), last_automation=ago(months=42), deleted=False)
+    mk_host_metric('host_8', first_automation=ago(months=1), last_automation=ago(months=42), deleted=True)
+
+    assert HostMetric.objects.count() == 8
+    assert HostMetric.active_objects.count() == 4
+
+    for i in range(2):
+        HostMetricTask().cleanup(soft_threshold=threshold)
+        assert HostMetric.objects.count() == 8
+
+        hostnames = set(HostMetric.objects.filter(deleted=False).order_by('hostname').values_list('hostname', flat=True))
+        assert hostnames == {'host_1', 'host_3'}
+
+
+@pytest.mark.django_db
+@pytest.mark.parametrize('threshold', [settings.CLEANUP_HOST_METRICS_HARD_THRESHOLD, 20])
+def test_hard_delete(threshold):
+    """Metrics with last_deleted < threshold and deleted=True are deleted from the db"""
+    mk_host_metric('host_1', first_automation=ago(months=1), last_deleted=ago(months=1), deleted=False)
+    mk_host_metric('host_2', first_automation=ago(months=1), last_deleted=ago(months=1), deleted=True)
+    mk_host_metric('host_3', first_automation=ago(months=1), last_deleted=ago(months=threshold, hours=-1), deleted=False)
+    mk_host_metric('host_4', first_automation=ago(months=1), last_deleted=ago(months=threshold, hours=-1), deleted=True)
+    mk_host_metric('host_5', first_automation=ago(months=1), last_deleted=ago(months=threshold, hours=1), deleted=False)
+    mk_host_metric('host_6', first_automation=ago(months=1), last_deleted=ago(months=threshold, hours=1), deleted=True)
+    mk_host_metric('host_7', first_automation=ago(months=1), last_deleted=ago(months=42), deleted=False)
+    mk_host_metric('host_8', first_automation=ago(months=1), last_deleted=ago(months=42), deleted=True)
+
+    assert HostMetric.objects.count() == 8
+    assert HostMetric.active_objects.count() == 4
+
+    for i in range(2):
+        HostMetricTask().cleanup(hard_threshold=threshold)
+        assert HostMetric.objects.count() == 6
+
+        hostnames = set(HostMetric.objects.order_by('hostname').values_list('hostname', flat=True))
+        assert hostnames == {'host_1', 'host_2', 'host_3', 'host_4', 'host_5', 'host_7'}
+
+
+def ago(months=0, hours=0):
+    return timezone.now() - relativedelta(months=months, hours=hours)
diff --git a/awx/settings/defaults.py b/awx/settings/defaults.py
index 59ea79f1128e..19a83cdbccf6 100644
--- a/awx/settings/defaults.py
+++ b/awx/settings/defaults.py
@@ -470,7 +470,7 @@
     'receptor_reaper': {'task': 'awx.main.tasks.system.awx_receptor_workunit_reaper', 'schedule': timedelta(seconds=60)},
     'send_subsystem_metrics': {'task': 'awx.main.analytics.analytics_tasks.send_subsystem_metrics', 'schedule': timedelta(seconds=20)},
     'cleanup_images': {'task': 'awx.main.tasks.system.cleanup_images_and_files', 'schedule': timedelta(hours=3)},
-    'cleanup_host_metrics': {'task': 'awx.main.tasks.system.cleanup_host_metrics', 'schedule': timedelta(hours=3, minutes=30)},
+    'cleanup_host_metrics': {'task': 'awx.main.tasks.host_metrics.cleanup_host_metrics', 'schedule': timedelta(hours=3, minutes=30)},
     'host_metric_summary_monthly': {'task': 'awx.main.tasks.host_metrics.host_metric_summary_monthly', 'schedule': timedelta(hours=4)},
 }
 
@@ -1049,7 +1049,7 @@
 # - 'unique_managed_hosts': Compliant = automated - deleted hosts (using /api/v2/host_metrics/)
 SUBSCRIPTION_USAGE_MODEL = ''
 
-# Host metrics cleanup - last time of the cleanup run (soft-deleting records)
+# Host metrics cleanup - last time of the task/command run
 CLEANUP_HOST_METRICS_LAST_TS = None
 # Host metrics cleanup - minimal interval between two cleanups in days
 CLEANUP_HOST_METRICS_INTERVAL = 30  # days