diff --git a/components/com_content/models/archive.php b/components/com_content/models/archive.php
index 9772a466af78e..594c5569e8731 100644
--- a/components/com_content/models/archive.php
+++ b/components/com_content/models/archive.php
@@ -180,4 +180,30 @@ protected function _getList($query, $limitstart=0, $limit=0)
 
 		return $result;
 	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Gets the archived articles years
+	 *
+	 * @return   array
+	 * 
+	 * @since    3.5.2
+	 */
+	public function getYears()
+	{
+		$db = $this->getDbo();
+		$nullDate = $db->quote($db->getNullDate());
+		$nowDate  = $db->quote(JFactory::getDate()->toSql());
+
+		$query = $db->getQuery(true);
+		$years = $query->year($db->qn('created'));
+		$query->select('DISTINCT (' . $years . ')')
+			->from($db->qn('#__content'))
+			->where($db->qn('state') . '= 2')
+			->where('(publish_up = ' . $nullDate . ' OR publish_up <= ' . $nowDate . ')')
+			->where('(publish_down = ' . $nullDate . ' OR publish_down >= ' . $nowDate . ')')
+			->order('1 ASC');
+
+		$db->setQuery($query);
+		return $db->loadColumn();
+	}
 }
diff --git a/components/com_content/views/archive/view.html.php b/components/com_content/views/archive/view.html.php
index 8e0907c6ffb24..72ac0b72983fd 100644
--- a/components/com_content/views/archive/view.html.php
+++ b/components/com_content/views/archive/view.html.php
@@ -24,6 +24,8 @@ class ContentViewArchive extends JViewLegacy
 
 	protected $pagination = null;
 
+	protected $years = null;
+
 	/**
 	 * Execute and display a template script.
 	 *
@@ -108,12 +110,13 @@ public function display($tpl = null)
 		);
 
 		// Year Field
+		$this->years = $this->getModel()->getYears();
 		$years = array();
 		$years[] = JHtml::_('select.option', null, JText::_('JYEAR'));
 
-		for ($year = date('Y'), $i = $year - 10; $i <= $year; $i++)
+		for ($i = 0; $i < count($this->years); $i++)
 		{
-			$years[] = JHtml::_('select.option', $i, $i);
+			$years[] = JHtml::_('select.option', $this->years[$i], $this->years[$i]);
 		}
 
 		$form->yearField = JHtml::_(