diff --git a/jicofo/src/main/java/org/jitsi/jicofo/conference/JitsiMeetConferenceImpl.java b/jicofo/src/main/java/org/jitsi/jicofo/conference/JitsiMeetConferenceImpl.java
index 4939627a61..1681879934 100644
--- a/jicofo/src/main/java/org/jitsi/jicofo/conference/JitsiMeetConferenceImpl.java
+++ b/jicofo/src/main/java/org/jitsi/jicofo/conference/JitsiMeetConferenceImpl.java
@@ -37,7 +37,6 @@
 import org.jitsi.xmpp.extensions.jingle.*;
 
 import org.jitsi.xmpp.extensions.jitsimeet.*;
-import org.jitsi.jicofo.jigasi.*;
 import org.jitsi.jicofo.jibri.*;
 
 import org.jitsi.xmpp.extensions.visitors.*;
@@ -72,6 +71,12 @@
 public class JitsiMeetConferenceImpl
     implements JitsiMeetConference, XmppProvider.Listener
 {
+
+    /**
+     * Status used by participants when they are switching from a room to a breakout room.
+     */
+    private static final String BREAKOUT_SWITCHING_STATUS = "switch_room";
+
     /**
      * Name of MUC room that is hosting Jitsi Meet conference.
      */
@@ -164,7 +169,9 @@ public class JitsiMeetConferenceImpl
     private Future<?> singleParticipantTout;
 
     /**
-     * A task to stop the conference if no participants join after an initial timeout.
+     * A task to stop the conference if no participants or breakout rooms are present after a timeout.
+     * It's triggered when the conference is first created, or when the last participant leaves with an indication
+     * that it will join a breakout room.
      */
     private Future<?> conferenceStartTimeout;
 
@@ -276,18 +283,7 @@ public JitsiMeetConferenceImpl(
         this.jicofoServices = jicofoServices;
         this.jvbVersion = jvbVersion;
 
-        conferenceStartTimeout = TaskPools.getScheduledPool().schedule(
-                () ->
-                {
-                    if (includeInStatistics)
-                    {
-                        logger.info("Expiring due to initial timeout.");
-                    }
-                    stop();
-                },
-                ConferenceConfig.config.getConferenceStartTimeout().toMillis(),
-                TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS);
-
+        rescheduleConferenceStartTimeout();
 
         visitorCodecs = new PreferenceAggregator(
             logger,
@@ -971,13 +967,14 @@ else if (participants.size() == 0)
             }
         }
 
-        maybeStop();
+        maybeStop(chatRoomMember);
     }
 
     /**
      * Stop the conference if there are no members and there are no associated breakout room.
+     * @param chatRoomMember The participant leaving if any.
      */
-    private void maybeStop()
+    private void maybeStop(ChatRoomMember chatRoomMember)
     {
         ChatRoom chatRoom = this.chatRoom;
         if (chatRoom == null || chatRoom.getMemberCount() == 0)
@@ -986,6 +983,13 @@ private void maybeStop()
             {
                 logger.info("Breakout rooms still present, will not stop.");
             }
+            else if (chatRoomMember != null
+                    && chatRoomMember.getPresence() != null
+                    && BREAKOUT_SWITCHING_STATUS.equals(chatRoomMember.getPresence().getStatus()))
+            {
+                logger.info("Member moving to breakout room, will not stop.");
+                rescheduleConferenceStartTimeout();
+            }
             else
             {
                 logger.info("Last member left, stopping.");
@@ -999,7 +1003,7 @@ private void maybeStop()
      */
     public void breakoutConferenceEnded()
     {
-        maybeStop();
+        maybeStop(null);
     }
 
     @Override
@@ -2072,6 +2076,32 @@ private void rescheduleSingleParticipantTimeout()
         logger.info("Scheduled single person timeout.");
     }
 
+    /**
+     * (Re)schedules conference start timeout.
+     */
+    private void rescheduleConferenceStartTimeout()
+    {
+        conferenceStartTimeout = TaskPools.getScheduledPool().schedule(
+                () ->
+                {
+                    if (includeInStatistics)
+                    {
+                        logger.info("Expiring due to initial timeout.");
+                    }
+
+                    // in case of last participant leaving to join a breakout room, we want to skip destroy
+                    if (jicofoServices.getFocusManager().hasBreakoutRooms(roomName))
+                    {
+                        logger.info("Breakout rooms present, will not stop.");
+                        return;
+                    }
+
+                    stop();
+                },
+                ConferenceConfig.config.getConferenceStartTimeout().toMillis(),
+                TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS);
+    }
+
     /** Called when a new visitor has been added to the conference. */
     private void visitorAdded(List<String> codecs)
     {
diff --git a/jicofo/src/test/kotlin/org/jitsi/jicofo/mock/MockChatRoom.kt b/jicofo/src/test/kotlin/org/jitsi/jicofo/mock/MockChatRoom.kt
index e0fedc12a9..d869830cf2 100644
--- a/jicofo/src/test/kotlin/org/jitsi/jicofo/mock/MockChatRoom.kt
+++ b/jicofo/src/test/kotlin/org/jitsi/jicofo/mock/MockChatRoom.kt
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ class MockChatRoom(val xmppProvider: XmppProvider) {
             every { features } returns Features.defaultFeatures
             every { debugState } returns OrderedJsonObject()
             every { presence } returns mockk {
+                every { status } returns null
                 every { getExtension(any<String>()) } returns null
                 every { getExtension(any<QName>()) } returns null
                 every { getExtension(any<Class<out ExtensionElement>>()) } returns null