diff --git a/doc/motionplus_config.html b/doc/motionplus_config.html
index 1746645d..2f64b618 100644
--- a/doc/motionplus_config.html
+++ b/doc/motionplus_config.html
@@ -778,6 +778,13 @@
         </ul>
         <p></p>
 
+        <h3><a name="pause"></a>pause</h3>
+        <ul>
+          <li> Values: Boolean | Default: false </li>
+          Pause detection at start up.
+        </ul>
+        <p></p>
+
       </ul>
 
       <h3><a name="OptDetail_Devices"></a>Devices</h3>
diff --git a/src/conf.cpp b/src/conf.cpp
index 73d238ac..d6ec727f 100644
--- a/src/conf.cpp
+++ b/src/conf.cpp
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ ctx_parm config_parms[] = {
     {"device_name",               PARM_TYP_STRING, PARM_CAT_01, WEBUI_LEVEL_LIMITED },
     {"device_id",                 PARM_TYP_INT,    PARM_CAT_01, WEBUI_LEVEL_LIMITED },
     {"device_tmo",                PARM_TYP_INT,    PARM_CAT_01, WEBUI_LEVEL_LIMITED },
+    {"pause",                     PARM_TYP_BOOL,   PARM_CAT_01, WEBUI_LEVEL_LIMITED },
     {"target_dir",                PARM_TYP_STRING, PARM_CAT_01, WEBUI_LEVEL_ADVANCED },
     {"watchdog_tmo",              PARM_TYP_INT,    PARM_CAT_01, WEBUI_LEVEL_LIMITED },
     {"watchdog_kill",             PARM_TYP_INT,    PARM_CAT_01, WEBUI_LEVEL_LIMITED },
@@ -656,6 +657,19 @@ static void conf_edit_device_tmo(ctx_config *conf, std::string &parm, enum PARM_
     MOTION_LOG(DBG, TYPE_ALL, NO_ERRNO,"%s:%s","device_tmo",_("device_tmo"));
 }
 
+static void conf_edit_pause(ctx_config *conf, std::string &parm, int pact)
+{
+    if (pact == PARM_ACT_DFLT) {
+        conf->pause = false;
+    } else if (pact == PARM_ACT_SET) {
+        conf_edit_set_bool(conf->pause, parm);
+    } else if (pact == PARM_ACT_GET) {
+        conf_edit_get_bool(parm, conf->pause);
+    }
+    return;
+    MOTION_LOG(DBG, TYPE_ALL, NO_ERRNO,"%s:%s","pause",_("pause"));
+}
+
 static void conf_edit_config_dir(ctx_config *conf, std::string &parm, enum PARM_ACT pact)
 {
     if (pact == PARM_ACT_DFLT) {
@@ -2981,6 +2995,7 @@ static void conf_edit_cat01(ctx_config *conf, std::string parm_nm
     } else if (parm_nm == "device_name") {           conf_edit_device_name(conf, parm_val, pact);
     } else if (parm_nm == "device_id") {             conf_edit_device_id(conf, parm_val, pact);
     } else if (parm_nm == "device_tmo") {            conf_edit_device_tmo(conf, parm_val, pact);
+    } else if (parm_nm == "pause") {                 conf_edit_pause(conf, parm_val, pact);
     } else if (parm_nm == "target_dir") {            conf_edit_target_dir(conf, parm_val, pact);
     } else if (parm_nm == "watchdog_tmo") {          conf_edit_watchdog_tmo(conf, parm_val, pact);
     } else if (parm_nm == "watchdog_kill") {         conf_edit_watchdog_kill(conf, parm_val, pact);
diff --git a/src/conf.hpp b/src/conf.hpp
index 0430f538..5770d9e5 100644
--- a/src/conf.hpp
+++ b/src/conf.hpp
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@
         int             watchdog_tmo;
         int             watchdog_kill;
         int             device_tmo;
+        bool            pause;
 
         /* Capture device configuration parameters */
         std::string     v4l2_device;
diff --git a/src/motion_loop.cpp b/src/motion_loop.cpp
index 4ba2fdb8..615ae0da 100644
--- a/src/motion_loop.cpp
+++ b/src/motion_loop.cpp
@@ -563,6 +563,11 @@ static void mlp_init_values(ctx_dev *cam)
         MOTION_LOG(WRN, TYPE_ALL, NO_ERRNO,_("Pass-through processing disabled."));
         cam->movie_passthrough = false;
     }
+    if (cam->motapp->pause) {
+        cam->pause = true;
+    } else {
+        cam->pause = cam->conf->pause;
+    }
 }
 
 /* start the camera */
@@ -903,7 +908,7 @@ static void mlp_detection(ctx_dev *cam)
         return;
     }
 
-    if ( !cam->pause ) {
+    if (cam->pause == false) {
         alg_diff(cam);
     } else {
         cam->current_image->diffs = 0;
@@ -975,7 +980,7 @@ static void mlp_overlay(ctx_dev *cam)
     }
 
     if (cam->conf->text_changes) {
-        if (!cam->pause) {
+        if (cam->pause == false) {
             sprintf(tmp, "%d", cam->current_image->diffs);
         } else {
             sprintf(tmp, "-");