diff --git a/MareSynchronos/MareConfiguration/Configurations/MareConfig.cs b/MareSynchronos/MareConfiguration/Configurations/MareConfig.cs
index 74eb5db..435b8ef 100644
--- a/MareSynchronos/MareConfiguration/Configurations/MareConfig.cs
+++ b/MareSynchronos/MareConfiguration/Configurations/MareConfig.cs
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ public class MareConfig : IMareConfiguration
     public LogLevel LogLevel { get; set; } = LogLevel.Information;
     public bool LogPerformance { get; set; } = false;
     public bool LogEvents { get; set; } = true;
+    public bool HoldCombatApplication { get; set; } = false;
     public double MaxLocalCacheInGiB { get; set; } = 20;
     public bool OpenGposeImportOnGposeStart { get; set; } = false;
     public bool OpenPopupOnAdd { get; set; } = true;
diff --git a/MareSynchronos/PlayerData/Factories/PairHandlerFactory.cs b/MareSynchronos/PlayerData/Factories/PairHandlerFactory.cs
index bc5b3d5..d41efc3 100644
--- a/MareSynchronos/PlayerData/Factories/PairHandlerFactory.cs
+++ b/MareSynchronos/PlayerData/Factories/PairHandlerFactory.cs
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 using MareSynchronos.FileCache;
 using MareSynchronos.Interop.Ipc;
+using MareSynchronos.MareConfiguration;
 using MareSynchronos.PlayerData.Handlers;
 using MareSynchronos.PlayerData.Pairs;
 using MareSynchronos.Services;
@@ -12,6 +13,7 @@ namespace MareSynchronos.PlayerData.Factories;
 
 public class PairHandlerFactory
 {
+    private readonly MareConfigService _configService;
     private readonly DalamudUtilService _dalamudUtilService;
     private readonly FileCacheManager _fileCacheManager;
     private readonly FileDownloadManagerFactory _fileDownloadManagerFactory;
@@ -29,7 +31,8 @@ public class PairHandlerFactory
         FileDownloadManagerFactory fileDownloadManagerFactory, DalamudUtilService dalamudUtilService,
         PluginWarningNotificationService pluginWarningNotificationManager, IHostApplicationLifetime hostApplicationLifetime,
         FileCacheManager fileCacheManager, MareMediator mareMediator, PlayerPerformanceService playerPerformanceService,
-        ServerConfigurationManager serverConfigManager, PairAnalyzerFactory pairAnalyzerFactory)
+        ServerConfigurationManager serverConfigManager, PairAnalyzerFactory pairAnalyzerFactory,
+        MareConfigService configService)
     {
         _loggerFactory = loggerFactory;
         _gameObjectHandlerFactory = gameObjectHandlerFactory;
@@ -43,12 +46,13 @@ public class PairHandlerFactory
         _playerPerformanceService = playerPerformanceService;
         _serverConfigManager = serverConfigManager;
         _pairAnalyzerFactory = pairAnalyzerFactory;
+        _configService = configService;
     }
 
     public PairHandler Create(Pair pair)
     {
         return new PairHandler(_loggerFactory.CreateLogger<PairHandler>(), pair, _pairAnalyzerFactory.Create(pair), _gameObjectHandlerFactory,
             _ipcManager, _fileDownloadManagerFactory.Create(), _pluginWarningNotificationManager, _dalamudUtilService, _hostApplicationLifetime,
-            _fileCacheManager, _mareMediator, _playerPerformanceService, _serverConfigManager);
+            _fileCacheManager, _mareMediator, _playerPerformanceService, _serverConfigManager, _configService);
     }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/MareSynchronos/PlayerData/Handlers/PairHandler.cs b/MareSynchronos/PlayerData/Handlers/PairHandler.cs
index e277fcf..d4a43da 100644
--- a/MareSynchronos/PlayerData/Handlers/PairHandler.cs
+++ b/MareSynchronos/PlayerData/Handlers/PairHandler.cs
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 using MareSynchronos.API.Data;
 using MareSynchronos.FileCache;
 using MareSynchronos.Interop.Ipc;
+using MareSynchronos.MareConfiguration;
 using MareSynchronos.PlayerData.Factories;
 using MareSynchronos.PlayerData.Pairs;
 using MareSynchronos.Services;
@@ -22,6 +23,7 @@ public sealed class PairHandler : DisposableMediatorSubscriberBase
 {
     private sealed record CombatData(Guid ApplicationId, CharacterData CharacterData, bool Forced);
 
+    private readonly MareConfigService _configService;
     private readonly DalamudUtilService _dalamudUtil;
     private readonly FileDownloadManager _downloadManager;
     private readonly FileCacheManager _fileDbManager;
@@ -51,7 +53,8 @@ public sealed class PairHandler : DisposableMediatorSubscriberBase
         DalamudUtilService dalamudUtil, IHostApplicationLifetime lifetime,
         FileCacheManager fileDbManager, MareMediator mediator,
         PlayerPerformanceService playerPerformanceService,
-        ServerConfigurationManager serverConfigManager) : base(logger, mediator)
+        ServerConfigurationManager serverConfigManager,
+        MareConfigService configService) : base(logger, mediator)
     {
         Pair = pair;
         PairAnalyzer = pairAnalyzer;
@@ -64,6 +67,7 @@ public sealed class PairHandler : DisposableMediatorSubscriberBase
         _fileDbManager = fileDbManager;
         _playerPerformanceService = playerPerformanceService;
         _serverConfigManager = serverConfigManager;
+        _configService = configService;
 
         Mediator.Subscribe<FrameworkUpdateMessage>(this, (_) => FrameworkUpdate());
         Mediator.Subscribe<ZoneSwitchStartMessage>(this, (_) =>
@@ -100,9 +104,12 @@ public sealed class PairHandler : DisposableMediatorSubscriberBase
         });
         Mediator.Subscribe<CombatOrPerformanceStartMessage>(this, _ =>
         {
-            _dataReceivedInDowntime = null;
-            _downloadCancellationTokenSource = _downloadCancellationTokenSource?.CancelRecreate();
-            _applicationCancellationTokenSource = _applicationCancellationTokenSource?.CancelRecreate();
+            if (_configService.Current.HoldCombatApplication)
+            {
+                _dataReceivedInDowntime = null;
+                _downloadCancellationTokenSource = _downloadCancellationTokenSource?.CancelRecreate();
+                _applicationCancellationTokenSource = _applicationCancellationTokenSource?.CancelRecreate();
+            }
         });
         Mediator.Subscribe<RecalculatePerformanceMessage>(this, (msg) =>
         {
@@ -141,7 +148,7 @@ public sealed class PairHandler : DisposableMediatorSubscriberBase
 
     public void ApplyCharacterData(Guid applicationBase, CharacterData characterData, bool forceApplyCustomization = false)
     {
-        if (_dalamudUtil.IsInCombatOrPerforming)
+        if (_configService.Current.HoldCombatApplication && _dalamudUtil.IsInCombatOrPerforming)
         {
             Mediator.Publish(new EventMessage(new Event(PlayerName, Pair.UserData, nameof(PairHandler), EventSeverity.Warning,
                 "Cannot apply character data: you are in combat or performing music, deferring application")));
diff --git a/MareSynchronos/UI/SettingsUi.cs b/MareSynchronos/UI/SettingsUi.cs
index 45328a3..e645151 100644
--- a/MareSynchronos/UI/SettingsUi.cs
+++ b/MareSynchronos/UI/SettingsUi.cs
@@ -659,6 +659,15 @@ public class SettingsUi : WindowMediatorSubscriberBase
             _configService.Save();
         }
 
+        bool holdCombatApplication = _configService.Current.HoldCombatApplication;
+        if (ImGui.Checkbox("Hold application during combat", ref holdCombatApplication))
+        {
+            if (!holdCombatApplication)
+                Mediator.Publish(new CombatOrPerformanceEndMessage());
+            _configService.Current.HoldCombatApplication = holdCombatApplication;
+            _configService.Save();
+        }
+
         ImGui.Separator();
         _uiShared.BigText("Debug");
 #if DEBUG