diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index 6a3fbf6be..657207fa6 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ require (
 	github.com/jxskiss/base62 v1.1.0
 	github.com/livekit/mageutil v0.0.0-20230125210925-54e8a70427c1
 	github.com/livekit/mediatransportutil v0.0.0-20230326055817-ed569ca13d26
-	github.com/livekit/protocol v1.5.3
+	github.com/livekit/protocol v1.5.4-0.20230413111958-5fea69067bbc
 	github.com/livekit/psrpc v0.2.11-0.20230405191830-d76f71512630
 	github.com/mackerelio/go-osstat v0.2.4
 	github.com/magefile/mage v1.14.0
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index c1ae9002f..69bad2832 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -241,8 +241,8 @@ github.com/livekit/mageutil v0.0.0-20230125210925-54e8a70427c1 h1:jm09419p0lqTkD
 github.com/livekit/mageutil v0.0.0-20230125210925-54e8a70427c1/go.mod h1:Rs3MhFwutWhGwmY1VQsygw28z5bWcnEYmS1OG9OxjOQ=
 github.com/livekit/mediatransportutil v0.0.0-20230326055817-ed569ca13d26 h1:QlQFyMwCDgjyySsrgmrMcVbEBA6KZcyTzvK+z346tUA=
 github.com/livekit/mediatransportutil v0.0.0-20230326055817-ed569ca13d26/go.mod h1:eDA41kiySZoG+wy4Etsjb3w0jjLx69i/vAmSjG4bteA=
-github.com/livekit/protocol v1.5.3 h1:xCzKeQss4Fp3tYW21q4E2mvJ2vwQqxxfnymBHmvt9Gg=
-github.com/livekit/protocol v1.5.3/go.mod h1:YPmFvsD0cr7KlC7wsoLTLwCAAJun/ovCDBCvUnWvdwo=
+github.com/livekit/protocol v1.5.4-0.20230413111958-5fea69067bbc h1:15IrYsN4PRgrH2MldkYgnTqqNxgRgjVGLjEtwurphCQ=
+github.com/livekit/protocol v1.5.4-0.20230413111958-5fea69067bbc/go.mod h1:YPmFvsD0cr7KlC7wsoLTLwCAAJun/ovCDBCvUnWvdwo=
 github.com/livekit/psrpc v0.2.11-0.20230405191830-d76f71512630 h1:Rm5KLZgQxWnTidY+H8MsAV6sk1iiFxeXqPFgSLkMing=
 github.com/livekit/psrpc v0.2.11-0.20230405191830-d76f71512630/go.mod h1:K0j8f1PgLShR7Lx80KbmwFkDH2BvOnycXGV0OSRURKc=
 github.com/mackerelio/go-osstat v0.2.4 h1:qxGbdPkFo65PXOb/F/nhDKpF2nGmGaCFDLXoZjJTtUs=
diff --git a/pkg/routing/interfaces.go b/pkg/routing/interfaces.go
index 20c090809..566d2a2b4 100644
--- a/pkg/routing/interfaces.go
+++ b/pkg/routing/interfaces.go
@@ -34,16 +34,17 @@ type MessageSource interface {
 }
 
 type ParticipantInit struct {
-	Identity        livekit.ParticipantIdentity
-	Name            livekit.ParticipantName
-	Reconnect       bool
-	ReconnectReason livekit.ReconnectReason
-	AutoSubscribe   bool
-	Client          *livekit.ClientInfo
-	Grants          *auth.ClaimGrants
-	Region          string
-	AdaptiveStream  bool
-	ID              livekit.ParticipantID
+	Identity             livekit.ParticipantIdentity
+	Name                 livekit.ParticipantName
+	Reconnect            bool
+	ReconnectReason      livekit.ReconnectReason
+	AutoSubscribe        bool
+	Client               *livekit.ClientInfo
+	Grants               *auth.ClaimGrants
+	Region               string
+	AdaptiveStream       bool
+	ID                   livekit.ParticipantID
+	SubscriberAllowPause *bool
 }
 
 type NewParticipantCallback func(
@@ -117,7 +118,7 @@ func (pi *ParticipantInit) ToStartSession(roomName livekit.RoomName, connectionI
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	return &livekit.StartSession{
+	ss := &livekit.StartSession{
 		RoomName: string(roomName),
 		Identity: string(pi.Identity),
 		Name:     string(pi.Name),
@@ -130,7 +131,13 @@ func (pi *ParticipantInit) ToStartSession(roomName livekit.RoomName, connectionI
 		GrantsJson:      string(claims),
 		AdaptiveStream:  pi.AdaptiveStream,
 		ParticipantId:   string(pi.ID),
-	}, nil
+	}
+	if pi.SubscriberAllowPause != nil {
+		subscriberAllowPause := *pi.SubscriberAllowPause
+		ss.SubscriberAllowPause = &subscriberAllowPause
+	}
+
+	return ss, nil
 }
 
 func ParticipantInitFromStartSession(ss *livekit.StartSession, region string) (*ParticipantInit, error) {
@@ -139,7 +146,7 @@ func ParticipantInitFromStartSession(ss *livekit.StartSession, region string) (*
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	return &ParticipantInit{
+	pi := &ParticipantInit{
 		Identity:        livekit.ParticipantIdentity(ss.Identity),
 		Name:            livekit.ParticipantName(ss.Name),
 		Reconnect:       ss.Reconnect,
@@ -150,5 +157,11 @@ func ParticipantInitFromStartSession(ss *livekit.StartSession, region string) (*
 		Region:          region,
 		AdaptiveStream:  ss.AdaptiveStream,
 		ID:              livekit.ParticipantID(ss.ParticipantId),
-	}, nil
+	}
+	if ss.SubscriberAllowPause != nil {
+		subscriberAllowPause := *ss.SubscriberAllowPause
+		pi.SubscriberAllowPause = &subscriberAllowPause
+	}
+
+	return pi, nil
 }
diff --git a/pkg/service/roommanager.go b/pkg/service/roommanager.go
index 52778c916..9f4df01fb 100644
--- a/pkg/service/roommanager.go
+++ b/pkg/service/roommanager.go
@@ -305,6 +305,10 @@ func (r *RoomManager) StartSession(
 	if r.config.RTC.ReconnectOnSubscriptionError != nil {
 		reconnectOnSubscriptionError = *r.config.RTC.ReconnectOnSubscriptionError
 	}
+	subscriberAllowPause := r.config.RTC.CongestionControl.AllowPause
+	if pi.SubscriberAllowPause != nil {
+		subscriberAllowPause = *pi.SubscriberAllowPause
+	}
 	participant, err = rtc.NewParticipant(rtc.ParticipantParams{
 		Identity:                pi.Identity,
 		Name:                    pi.Name,
@@ -336,7 +340,7 @@ func (r *RoomManager) StartSession(
 		ReconnectOnSubscriptionError: reconnectOnSubscriptionError,
 		VersionGenerator:             r.versionGenerator,
 		TrackResolver:                room.ResolveMediaTrackForSubscriber,
-		SubscriberAllowPause:         r.config.RTC.CongestionControl.AllowPause,
+		SubscriberAllowPause:         subscriberAllowPause,
 	})
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
diff --git a/pkg/service/rtcservice.go b/pkg/service/rtcservice.go
index b28d480ac..d6f622239 100644
--- a/pkg/service/rtcservice.go
+++ b/pkg/service/rtcservice.go
@@ -103,6 +103,7 @@ func (s *RTCService) validate(r *http.Request) (livekit.RoomName, routing.Partic
 	publishParam := r.FormValue("publish")
 	adaptiveStreamParam := r.FormValue("adaptive_stream")
 	participantID := r.FormValue("sid")
+	subscriberAllowPauseParam := r.FormValue("subscriber_allow_pause")
 
 	if onlyName != "" {
 		roomName = onlyName
@@ -159,6 +160,10 @@ func (s *RTCService) validate(r *http.Request) (livekit.RoomName, routing.Partic
 	if adaptiveStreamParam != "" {
 		pi.AdaptiveStream = boolValue(adaptiveStreamParam)
 	}
+	if subscriberAllowPauseParam != "" {
+		subscriberAllowPause := boolValue(subscriberAllowPauseParam)
+		pi.SubscriberAllowPause = &subscriberAllowPause
+	}
 
 	return roomName, pi, http.StatusOK, nil
 }