diff --git a/src/config/defaults.ts b/src/config/defaults.ts
index da7d231715..a5f558c9c5 100644
--- a/src/config/defaults.ts
+++ b/src/config/defaults.ts
@@ -56,4 +56,7 @@ export const defaults: Config = {
   localization: false,
   telemetry: true,
   custom: {},
+  database: {
+    queryDrafts_2_0: false,
+  },
 };
diff --git a/src/config/schema.ts b/src/config/schema.ts
index 91a75275f9..ef7b715235 100644
--- a/src/config/schema.ts
+++ b/src/config/schema.ts
@@ -178,4 +178,7 @@ export default joi.object({
   onInit: joi.func(),
   debug: joi.boolean(),
   custom: joi.object().pattern(joi.string(), joi.any()),
+  database: joi.object().keys({
+    queryDrafts_2_0: joi.boolean(),
+  }),
 });
diff --git a/src/config/types.ts b/src/config/types.ts
index bf5057585e..7609458061 100644
--- a/src/config/types.ts
+++ b/src/config/types.ts
@@ -555,6 +555,15 @@ export type Config = {
   onInit?: (payload: Payload) => Promise<void> | void;
   /** Extension point to add your custom data. */
   custom?: Record<string, any>;
+  /** database specific configurations */
+  database?: {
+    /**
+     * Enable the v2.0 drafts query improvement, before 2.0.
+     *
+     * You must run the migration script for this feature to function properly.
+     */
+    queryDrafts_2_0?: boolean;
+  };
 };
 
 export type SanitizedConfig = Omit<
diff --git a/src/versions/buildCollectionFields.ts b/src/versions/buildCollectionFields.ts
index 9a37453d5a..933e2bc6a2 100644
--- a/src/versions/buildCollectionFields.ts
+++ b/src/versions/buildCollectionFields.ts
@@ -40,7 +40,6 @@ export const buildVersionCollectionFields = (collection: SanitizedCollectionConf
     });
   }
 
-  // TODO: behind feature flag
   if (collection?.versions?.drafts) {
     fields.push({
       name: 'latest',
diff --git a/src/versions/buildGlobalFields.ts b/src/versions/buildGlobalFields.ts
index 3a31aeac1a..cad4a72362 100644
--- a/src/versions/buildGlobalFields.ts
+++ b/src/versions/buildGlobalFields.ts
@@ -32,7 +32,6 @@ export const buildVersionGlobalFields = (global: SanitizedGlobalConfig): Field[]
     });
   }
 
-  // TODO: behind feature flag
   if (global?.versions?.drafts) {
     fields.push({
       name: 'latest',
diff --git a/src/versions/drafts/queryDrafts.ts b/src/versions/drafts/queryDrafts.ts
index 226a8943ef..fedf66378f 100644
--- a/src/versions/drafts/queryDrafts.ts
+++ b/src/versions/drafts/queryDrafts.ts
@@ -5,6 +5,15 @@ import { Payload } from '../../payload';
 import { PaginatedDocs } from '../../mongoose/types';
 import { Collection, CollectionModel, TypeWithID } from '../../collections/config/types';
 import { combineQueries } from '../../database/combineQueries';
+import { hasWhereAccessResult } from '../../auth';
+import { appendVersionToQueryKey } from './appendVersionToQueryKey';
+
+type AggregateVersion<T> = {
+  _id: string
+  version: T
+  updatedAt: string
+  createdAt: string
+}
 
 type Args = {
   accessResult: AccessResult
@@ -16,7 +25,96 @@ type Args = {
   where: Where
 }
 
-export const queryDrafts = async <T extends TypeWithID>({
+export const queryDrafts = async <T extends TypeWithID>(args: Args): Promise<PaginatedDocs<T>> => {
+  if (args.payload.config?.database?.queryDrafts_2_0) {
+    return queryDraftsV2(args);
+  }
+
+  return queryDraftsV1(args);
+};
+
+const queryDraftsV1 = async <T extends TypeWithID>({
+  accessResult,
+  collection,
+  req,
+  overrideAccess,
+  payload,
+  paginationOptions,
+  where: incomingWhere,
+}: Args): Promise<PaginatedDocs<T>> => {
+  const VersionModel = payload.versions[collection.config.slug] as CollectionModel;
+
+  const where = appendVersionToQueryKey(incomingWhere || {});
+
+  let versionAccessResult;
+
+  if (hasWhereAccessResult(accessResult)) {
+    versionAccessResult = appendVersionToQueryKey(accessResult);
+  }
+
+  const versionQuery = await VersionModel.buildQuery({
+    where,
+    access: versionAccessResult,
+    req,
+    overrideAccess,
+  });
+
+  const aggregate = VersionModel.aggregate<AggregateVersion<T>>([
+    // Sort so that newest are first
+    { $sort: { updatedAt: -1 } },
+    // Group by parent ID, and take the first of each
+    {
+      $group: {
+        _id: '$parent',
+        version: { $first: '$version' },
+        updatedAt: { $first: '$updatedAt' },
+        createdAt: { $first: '$createdAt' },
+      },
+    },
+    // Filter based on incoming query
+    { $match: versionQuery },
+  ], {
+    allowDiskUse: true,
+  });
+
+  let result;
+
+  if (paginationOptions) {
+    const aggregatePaginateOptions = {
+      ...paginationOptions,
+      useFacet: payload.mongoOptions?.useFacet,
+      sort: Object.entries(paginationOptions.sort)
+        .reduce((sort, [incomingSortKey, order]) => {
+          let key = incomingSortKey;
+
+          if (!['createdAt', 'updatedAt', '_id'].includes(incomingSortKey)) {
+            key = `version.${incomingSortKey}`;
+          }
+
+          return {
+            ...sort,
+            [key]: order === 'asc' ? 1 : -1,
+          };
+        }, {}),
+    };
+
+    result = await VersionModel.aggregatePaginate(aggregate, aggregatePaginateOptions);
+  } else {
+    result = aggregate.exec();
+  }
+
+  return {
+    ...result,
+    docs: result.docs.map((doc) => ({
+      _id: doc._id,
+      ...doc.version,
+      updatedAt: doc.updatedAt,
+      createdAt: doc.createdAt,
+    })),
+  };
+};
+
+const queryDraftsV2 = async <T extends TypeWithID>({
   accessResult,
   collection,
   req,