diff --git a/pkg/rtc/mediatrackreceiver.go b/pkg/rtc/mediatrackreceiver.go
index f3e7cd1eb..badd0fc6b 100644
--- a/pkg/rtc/mediatrackreceiver.go
+++ b/pkg/rtc/mediatrackreceiver.go
@@ -179,8 +179,8 @@ func (t *MediaTrackReceiver) AddOnClose(f func()) {
 
 // AddSubscriber subscribes sub to current mediaTrack
 func (t *MediaTrackReceiver) AddSubscriber(sub types.LocalParticipant) error {
-	t.lock.Lock()
-	defer t.lock.Unlock()
+	t.lock.RLock()
+	defer t.lock.RUnlock()
 
 	if t.receiver == nil {
 		// cannot add, no receiver
diff --git a/pkg/rtc/mediatracksubscriptions.go b/pkg/rtc/mediatracksubscriptions.go
index 9f74c18e9..34237aaf9 100644
--- a/pkg/rtc/mediatracksubscriptions.go
+++ b/pkg/rtc/mediatracksubscriptions.go
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@ func NewMediaTrackSubscriptions(params MediaTrackSubscriptionsParams) *MediaTrac
 		subscribedTracks:         make(map[livekit.ParticipantID]types.SubscribedTrack),
 		maxSubscriberQuality:     make(map[livekit.ParticipantID]livekit.VideoQuality),
 		maxSubscriberNodeQuality: make(map[livekit.NodeID]livekit.VideoQuality),
+		maxSubscribedQuality:     livekit.VideoQuality_LOW,
 	}
 
 	return t
@@ -256,10 +257,9 @@ func (t *MediaTrackSubscriptions) AddSubscriber(sub types.LocalParticipant, code
 		sub.Negotiate()
 	}()
 
-	t.maxQualityLock.Lock()
 	// initialize to default layer
-	t.maxSubscriberQuality[sub.ID()] = livekit.VideoQuality_HIGH
-	t.maxQualityLock.Unlock()
+	t.notifySubscriberMaxQuality(subscriberID, livekit.VideoQuality_HIGH)
+
 	t.params.Telemetry.TrackSubscribed(context.Background(), subscriberID, t.params.MediaTrack.ToProto())
 	return downTrack, nil
 }
diff --git a/pkg/sfu/downtrack.go b/pkg/sfu/downtrack.go
index 9b0d7fc4d..53c759b57 100644
--- a/pkg/sfu/downtrack.go
+++ b/pkg/sfu/downtrack.go
@@ -633,11 +633,6 @@ func (d *DownTrack) OnRttUpdate(fn func(dt *DownTrack, rtt uint32)) {
 
 func (d *DownTrack) OnMaxLayerChanged(fn func(dt *DownTrack, layer int32)) {
 	d.onMaxLayerChanged = fn
-
-	// have to send this immediately to set initial values
-	if fn != nil && d.kind == webrtc.RTPCodecTypeVideo {
-		go fn(d, d.forwarder.MaxLayers().spatial)
-	}
 }
 
 func (d *DownTrack) IsDeficient() bool {