diff --git a/app/src/androidTest/java/com/duckduckgo/app/browser/BrowserTabViewModelTest.kt b/app/src/androidTest/java/com/duckduckgo/app/browser/BrowserTabViewModelTest.kt
index 21f19a0fdb5f..7bf6e590037e 100644
--- a/app/src/androidTest/java/com/duckduckgo/app/browser/BrowserTabViewModelTest.kt
+++ b/app/src/androidTest/java/com/duckduckgo/app/browser/BrowserTabViewModelTest.kt
@@ -7016,6 +7016,32 @@ class BrowserTabViewModelTest {
             assertEquals(1, fakeAddDocumentStartJavaScriptPlugins.otherPlugin.countInitted)
         }
 
+    @Test
+    fun whenPrivacyProtectionsUpdatedAndPauseWebViewBeforeUpdatingScriptEnabledThenWebViewPausedBeforeAddingScript() =
+        runTest {
+            fakeAndroidConfigBrowserFeature.updateScriptOnPageFinished().setRawStoredState(State(true))
+            fakeAndroidConfigBrowserFeature.pauseWebViewBeforeUpdatingScript().setRawStoredState(State(true))
+
+            testee.privacyProtectionsUpdated(mockWebView)
+
+            verify(mockWebView).stopLoading()
+            verify(mockWebView).pauseTimers()
+            verify(mockWebView).resumeTimers()
+        }
+
+    @Test
+    fun whenPrivacyProtectionsUpdatedAndPauseWebViewBeforeUpdatingScriptDisabledThenDoNotWebViewPausedBeforeAddingScript() =
+        runTest {
+            fakeAndroidConfigBrowserFeature.updateScriptOnPageFinished().setRawStoredState(State(true))
+            fakeAndroidConfigBrowserFeature.pauseWebViewBeforeUpdatingScript().setRawStoredState(State(false))
+
+            testee.privacyProtectionsUpdated(mockWebView)
+
+            verify(mockWebView, never()).stopLoading()
+            verify(mockWebView, never()).pauseTimers()
+            verify(mockWebView, never()).resumeTimers()
+        }
+
     @Test
     fun whenPrivacyProtectionsUpdatedAndUpdateScriptOnPageFinishedTrueAndUpdateScriptOnProtectionsChangedFalseThenNotAddDocumentStartJavaScript() =
         runTest {
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/com/duckduckgo/app/browser/BrowserTabViewModel.kt b/app/src/main/java/com/duckduckgo/app/browser/BrowserTabViewModel.kt
index 1df94a6006f7..533993469ce0 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/com/duckduckgo/app/browser/BrowserTabViewModel.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/com/duckduckgo/app/browser/BrowserTabViewModel.kt
@@ -4261,6 +4261,17 @@ class BrowserTabViewModel @Inject constructor(
             return
         }
 
+        val pauseWebViewBeforeUpdatingScript = withContext(dispatchers.io()) {
+            androidBrowserConfig.pauseWebViewBeforeUpdatingScript().isEnabled()
+        }
+
+        if (pauseWebViewBeforeUpdatingScript) {
+            withContext(dispatchers.main()) {
+                webView.stopLoading()
+                webView.pauseTimers()
+            }
+        }
+
         if (withContext(dispatchers.io()) { !androidBrowserConfig.updateScriptOnPageFinished().isEnabled() }) {
             addDocumentStartJavascriptPlugins
                 .getPlugins()
@@ -4272,6 +4283,10 @@ class BrowserTabViewModel @Inject constructor(
         } else {
             addDocumentStartJavaScript(webView)
         }
+
+        if (pauseWebViewBeforeUpdatingScript) {
+            webView.resumeTimers()
+        }
     }
 
     fun onUserDismissedAutoCompleteInAppMessage() {
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/com/duckduckgo/app/pixels/remoteconfig/AndroidBrowserConfigFeature.kt b/app/src/main/java/com/duckduckgo/app/pixels/remoteconfig/AndroidBrowserConfigFeature.kt
index 50984d7def1d..23a97910d3e9 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/com/duckduckgo/app/pixels/remoteconfig/AndroidBrowserConfigFeature.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/com/duckduckgo/app/pixels/remoteconfig/AndroidBrowserConfigFeature.kt
@@ -194,4 +194,7 @@ interface AndroidBrowserConfigFeature {
 
     @Toggle.DefaultValue(TRUE)
     fun updateScriptOnProtectionsChanged(): Toggle
+
+    @Toggle.DefaultValue(TRUE)
+    fun pauseWebViewBeforeUpdatingScript(): Toggle
 }