diff --git a/deps/rabbitmq_cli/lib/rabbitmq/cli/core/users.ex b/deps/rabbitmq_cli/lib/rabbitmq/cli/core/users.ex
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..7c584df0fb2c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/deps/rabbitmq_cli/lib/rabbitmq/cli/core/users.ex
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+## This Source Code Form is subject to the terms of the Mozilla Public
+## License, v. 2.0. If a copy of the MPL was not distributed with this
+## file, You can obtain one at https://mozilla.org/MPL/2.0/.
+##
+## Copyright (c) 2007-2025 Broadcom. All Rights Reserved. The term “Broadcom” refers to Broadcom Inc. and/or its subsidiaries. All rights reserved.
+
+defmodule RabbitMQ.CLI.Core.Users do
+  # Defined here to not drag in rabbit.hrl and Erlang compilation in an Elixir
+  # sub-project
+  @internal_user "rmq-internal"
+  @cli_user "cli-user"
+
+  def internal_user do
+    @internal_user
+  end
+
+  def cli_user do
+    @cli_user
+  end
+end
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/deps/rabbitmq_cli/lib/rabbitmq/cli/ctl/commands/delete_queue_command.ex b/deps/rabbitmq_cli/lib/rabbitmq/cli/ctl/commands/delete_queue_command.ex
index f8cdb87603a4..05807d774bd9 100644
--- a/deps/rabbitmq_cli/lib/rabbitmq/cli/ctl/commands/delete_queue_command.ex
+++ b/deps/rabbitmq_cli/lib/rabbitmq/cli/ctl/commands/delete_queue_command.ex
@@ -5,17 +5,17 @@
 ## Copyright (c) 2007-2025 Broadcom. All Rights Reserved. The term “Broadcom” refers to Broadcom Inc. and/or its subsidiaries.  All rights reserved.
 
 defmodule RabbitMQ.CLI.Ctl.Commands.DeleteQueueCommand do
-  alias RabbitMQ.CLI.Core.DocGuide
+  alias RabbitMQ.CLI.Core.{DocGuide, Users}
 
   @behaviour RabbitMQ.CLI.CommandBehaviour
 
-  def switches(), do: [if_empty: :boolean, if_unused: :boolean, timeout: :integer]
+  def switches(), do: [if_empty: :boolean, if_unused: :boolean, force: :boolean, timeout: :integer]
   def aliases(), do: [e: :if_empty, u: :if_unused, t: :timeout]
 
   def merge_defaults(args, opts) do
     {
       args,
-      Map.merge(%{if_empty: false, if_unused: false, vhost: "/"}, opts)
+      Map.merge(%{if_empty: false, if_unused: false, force: false, vhost: "/"}, opts)
     }
   end
 
@@ -46,37 +46,49 @@ defmodule RabbitMQ.CLI.Ctl.Commands.DeleteQueueCommand do
         vhost: vhost,
         if_empty: if_empty,
         if_unused: if_unused,
+        force: force,
         timeout: timeout
       }) do
     ## Generate queue resource name from queue name and vhost
     queue_resource = :rabbit_misc.r(vhost, :queue, qname)
+    user = if force, do: Users.internal_user, else: Users.cli_user
     ## Lookup a queue on broker node using resource name
     case :rabbit_misc.rpc_call(node, :rabbit_amqqueue, :lookup, [queue_resource]) do
       {:ok, queue} ->
         ## Delete queue
-        :rabbit_misc.rpc_call(
-          node,
-          :rabbit_amqqueue,
-          :delete_with,
-          [queue, if_unused, if_empty, "cli_user"],
-          timeout
-        )
+        case :rabbit_misc.rpc_call(node,
+              :rabbit_amqqueue,
+              :delete_with,
+              [queue, if_unused, if_empty, user],
+              timeout
+            ) do
+          {:ok, _} = ok -> ok
+
+          {:badrpc, {:EXIT, {:amqp_error, :resource_locked, _, :none}}} ->
+              {:error, :protected}
+
+          other_error -> other_error
+        end
 
       {:error, _} = error ->
         error
     end
   end
 
+  def output({:error, :protected}, _options) do
+    {:error, RabbitMQ.CLI.Core.ExitCodes.exit_usage(), "The queue is locked or protected from deletion"}
+  end
+
   def output({:error, :not_found}, _options) do
-    {:error, RabbitMQ.CLI.Core.ExitCodes.exit_usage(), "Queue not found"}
+    {:error, RabbitMQ.CLI.Core.ExitCodes.exit_usage(), "No such queue was found"}
   end
 
   def output({:error, :not_empty}, _options) do
-    {:error, RabbitMQ.CLI.Core.ExitCodes.exit_usage(), "Queue is not empty"}
+    {:error, RabbitMQ.CLI.Core.ExitCodes.exit_usage(), "The queue is not empty"}
   end
 
   def output({:error, :in_use}, _options) do
-    {:error, RabbitMQ.CLI.Core.ExitCodes.exit_usage(), "Queue is in use"}
+    {:error, RabbitMQ.CLI.Core.ExitCodes.exit_usage(), "The queue is in use"}
   end
 
   def output({:ok, qlen}, _options) do
@@ -103,14 +115,15 @@ defmodule RabbitMQ.CLI.Ctl.Commands.DeleteQueueCommand do
       Enum.join(Enum.concat([if_empty_str, if_unused_str]), "and ") <> "..."
   end
 
-  def usage(), do: "delete_queue [--vhost <vhost>] <queue_name> [--if-empty|-e] [--if-unused|-u]"
+  def usage(), do: "delete_queue [--vhost <vhost>] <queue_name> [--if-empty|-e] [--if-unused|-u] [--force]"
 
   def usage_additional() do
     [
       ["--vhost", "Virtual host name"],
       ["<queue_name>", "name of the queue to delete"],
       ["--if-empty", "delete the queue if it is empty (has no messages ready for delivery)"],
-      ["--if-unused", "delete the queue only if it has no consumers"]
+      ["--if-unused", "delete the queue only if it has no consumers"],
+      ["--force", "delete the queue even if it is protected"]
     ]
   end
 
diff --git a/deps/rabbitmq_cli/test/ctl/delete_queue_command_test.exs b/deps/rabbitmq_cli/test/ctl/delete_queue_command_test.exs
index 6ff38e0d1a51..9c153e28eba1 100644
--- a/deps/rabbitmq_cli/test/ctl/delete_queue_command_test.exs
+++ b/deps/rabbitmq_cli/test/ctl/delete_queue_command_test.exs
@@ -25,16 +25,17 @@ defmodule DeleteQueueCommandTest do
        vhost: @vhost,
        timeout: context[:test_timeout],
        if_empty: false,
-       if_unused: false
+       if_unused: false,
+       force: false
      }}
   end
 
   test "merge_defaults: defaults can be overridden" do
     assert @command.merge_defaults([], %{}) ==
-             {[], %{vhost: "/", if_empty: false, if_unused: false}}
+             {[], %{vhost: "/", if_empty: false, if_unused: false, force: false}}
 
     assert @command.merge_defaults([], %{vhost: "non_default", if_empty: true}) ==
-             {[], %{vhost: "non_default", if_empty: true, if_unused: false}}
+             {[], %{vhost: "non_default", if_empty: true, if_unused: false, force: false}}
   end
 
   test "validate: providing no queue name fails validation", context do
@@ -76,6 +77,25 @@ defmodule DeleteQueueCommandTest do
     {:error, :not_found} = lookup_queue(q, @vhost)
   end
 
+  @tag test_timeout: 30000
+  test "run: protected queue can be deleted only with --force", context do
+    add_vhost(@vhost)
+    set_permissions(@user, @vhost, [".*", ".*", ".*"])
+    on_exit(context, fn -> delete_vhost(@vhost) end)
+
+    q = "foo"
+    n = 20
+
+    declare_internal_queue(q, @vhost)
+    publish_messages(@vhost, q, n)
+
+    assert @command.run([q], context[:opts]) == {:error, :protected}
+    {:ok, _queue} = lookup_queue(q, @vhost)
+
+    assert @command.run([q], %{context[:opts] | force: true}) == {:ok, n}
+    {:error, :not_found} = lookup_queue(q, @vhost)
+  end
+
   @tag test_timeout: 30000
   test "run: request to an existing crashed queue on active node succeeds", context do
     add_vhost(@vhost)
@@ -135,7 +155,7 @@ defmodule DeleteQueueCommandTest do
 
   test "defaults to vhost /" do
     assert @command.merge_defaults(["foo"], %{bar: "baz"}) ==
-             {["foo"], %{bar: "baz", vhost: "/", if_unused: false, if_empty: false}}
+             {["foo"], %{bar: "baz", vhost: "/", if_unused: false, if_empty: false, force: false}}
   end
 
   test "validate: with extra arguments returns an arg count error" do
@@ -152,13 +172,13 @@ defmodule DeleteQueueCommandTest do
   end
 
   test "banner informs that vhost's queue is deleted" do
-    assert @command.banner(["my-q"], %{vhost: "/foo", if_empty: false, if_unused: false}) ==
+    assert @command.banner(["my-q"], %{vhost: "/foo", if_empty: false, if_unused: false, force: false}) ==
              "Deleting queue 'my-q' on vhost '/foo' ..."
 
-    assert @command.banner(["my-q"], %{vhost: "/foo", if_empty: true, if_unused: false}) ==
+    assert @command.banner(["my-q"], %{vhost: "/foo", if_empty: true, if_unused: false, force: false}) ==
              "Deleting queue 'my-q' on vhost '/foo' if queue is empty ..."
 
-    assert @command.banner(["my-q"], %{vhost: "/foo", if_empty: true, if_unused: true}) ==
+    assert @command.banner(["my-q"], %{vhost: "/foo", if_empty: true, if_unused: true, force: false}) ==
              "Deleting queue 'my-q' on vhost '/foo' if queue is empty and if queue is unused ..."
   end
 end
diff --git a/deps/rabbitmq_cli/test/test_helper.exs b/deps/rabbitmq_cli/test/test_helper.exs
index d36d6746b87f..5bebf4d98e4d 100644
--- a/deps/rabbitmq_cli/test/test_helper.exs
+++ b/deps/rabbitmq_cli/test/test_helper.exs
@@ -302,6 +302,34 @@ defmodule TestHelper do
     ])
   end
 
+  def declare_internal_queue(
+        name,
+        vhost,
+        durable \\ false,
+        auto_delete \\ false,
+        args \\ [],
+        owner \\ :none
+      ) do
+    queue_name = :rabbit_misc.r(vhost, :queue, name)
+
+    amqqueue = :amqqueue.new(
+      queue_name,
+      :none,
+      durable,
+      auto_delete,
+      owner,
+      args,
+      vhost,
+      %{})
+
+    internal_amqqueue = :amqqueue.make_internal(amqqueue)
+
+    :rpc.call(get_rabbit_hostname(), :rabbit_queue_type, :declare, [
+      internal_amqqueue,
+      get_rabbit_hostname()
+    ])
+  end
+
   def declare_stream(name, vhost) do
     declare_queue(name, vhost, true, false, [{"x-queue-type", :longstr, "stream"}])
   end