diff --git a/index.php b/index.php
index ac4602b130..ff12e43cbf 100755
--- a/index.php
+++ b/index.php
@@ -140,7 +140,11 @@ if ($useCookieValidation === 'true') {
 // When loading a chamilo page do not include the hot courses and news
 if (!isset($_REQUEST['include'])) {
     if (api_get_setting('show_hot_courses') == 'true') {
-        $hotCourses = $controller->return_hot_courses();
+        if (api_get_configuration_value('popular_courses')) {
+            $hotCourses = $controller->return_popular_courses();
+        } else {
+            $hotCourses = $controller->return_hot_courses();
+        }
     }
     $announcements_block = $controller->return_announcements();
 }
diff --git a/main/inc/lib/course.lib.php b/main/inc/lib/course.lib.php
index 2e53f8730a..b8f4d6c634 100755
--- a/main/inc/lib/course.lib.php
+++ b/main/inc/lib/course.lib.php
@@ -4896,6 +4896,77 @@ class CourseManager
         return $courses;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Returns an array with the popular courses.
+     *
+     * @return array
+     */
+    public static function return_popular_courses()
+    {
+        if (api_is_invitee()) {
+            return [];
+        }
+
+        $limit = (int) $limit;
+        $userId = api_get_user_id();
+
+        // Getting my courses
+        $my_course_list = self::get_courses_list_by_user_id($userId);
+
+        $codeList = [];
+        foreach ($my_course_list as $course) {
+            $codeList[$course['real_id']] = $course['real_id'];
+        }
+
+        if (api_is_drh()) {
+            $courses = self::get_courses_followed_by_drh($userId);
+            foreach ($courses as $course) {
+                $codeList[$course['real_id']] = $course['real_id'];
+            }
+        }
+
+        $courseTable = Database::get_main_table(TABLE_MAIN_COURSE);
+        $tbl_course_field = Database::get_main_table(TABLE_EXTRA_FIELD);
+        $tbl_course_field_value = Database::get_main_table(TABLE_EXTRA_FIELD_VALUES);
+
+        //we filter the courses from the URL
+        $join_access_url = $where_access_url = '';
+        if (api_get_multiple_access_url()) {
+            $access_url_id = api_get_current_access_url_id();
+            if ($access_url_id != -1) {
+                $tbl_url_course = Database::get_main_table(TABLE_MAIN_ACCESS_URL_REL_COURSE);
+                $join_access_url = "LEFT JOIN $tbl_url_course url_rel_course
+                ON url_rel_course.c_id = tcfv.item_id ";
+                $where_access_url = " AND access_url_id = $access_url_id ";
+            }
+        }
+
+        $extraFieldType = EntityExtraField::COURSE_FIELD_TYPE;
+
+        // get course list auto-register
+        $sql = "SELECT DISTINCT(c.id) AS c_id
+                FROM $tbl_course_field_value tcfv
+                INNER JOIN $tbl_course_field tcf
+                ON tcfv.field_id =  tcf.id $join_access_url
+                INNER JOIN $courseTable c
+                ON (c.id = tcfv.item_id)
+                WHERE
+                    tcf.extra_field_type = $extraFieldType AND
+                    tcf.variable = 'popular_courses' AND
+                    tcfv.value = 1 AND
+                    visibility <> ".COURSE_VISIBILITY_CLOSED." AND
+                    visibility <> ".COURSE_VISIBILITY_HIDDEN." $where_access_url";
+
+        $result = Database::query($sql);
+        $courses = [];
+        if (Database::num_rows($result)) {
+            $courses = Database::store_result($result, 'ASSOC');
+            $courses = self::processHotCourseItem($courses, $codeList);
+        }
+
+        return $courses;
+    }
+
     /**
      * @param array $courses
      * @param array $codeList
diff --git a/main/inc/lib/userportal.lib.php b/main/inc/lib/userportal.lib.php
index ac5a45f8ec..abc7016211 100755
--- a/main/inc/lib/userportal.lib.php
+++ b/main/inc/lib/userportal.lib.php
@@ -1898,6 +1898,14 @@ class IndexManager
         return CourseManager::return_hot_courses(30, 6);
     }
 
+    /**
+     * @return array
+     */
+    public function return_popular_courses()
+    {
+        return CourseManager::return_popular_courses();
+    }
+
     /**
      * UserPortal view for session, return the HTML of the course list.
      *
diff --git a/main/install/configuration.dist.php b/main/install/configuration.dist.php
index 4dec20f110..b2b7c1c5ef 100755
--- a/main/install/configuration.dist.php
+++ b/main/install/configuration.dist.php
@@ -1388,6 +1388,13 @@ ALTER TABLE notification_event ADD COLUMN event_id INT NULL;
 // In Scorm comunication use the username instead of the user_id
 //$_configuration['scorm_api_username_as_student_id'] = false;
 
+// Popular courses on the home page
+// Create a extra field in course called "popular_courses" (type CHECKBOX) OR
+// INSERT extra_field (extra_field_type, field_type, variable, display_text, visible_to_self, changeable, create_at)
+// VALUES (2, 13, 'popular_courses', 'Popular Courses', 1, 1, 'YYYY-mm-dd HH:mm:ss')
+// Change datetime in SQL
+// $_configuration['popular_courses'] = true;
+
 
 // KEEP THIS AT THE END
 // -------- Custom DB changes