diff --git a/examples/nextjs-with-typescript/pages/MuxPlayer.tsx b/examples/nextjs-with-typescript/pages/MuxPlayer.tsx
index b7f5f1579..6bcf25e77 100644
--- a/examples/nextjs-with-typescript/pages/MuxPlayer.tsx
+++ b/examples/nextjs-with-typescript/pages/MuxPlayer.tsx
@@ -351,6 +351,11 @@ function MuxPlayerPage({ location }: Props) {
         theme={state.theme}
         envKey={state.envKey}
         metadata={state.metadata}
+        // Test _hlsConfig for MuxPlayer (react) (Note: This also indirectly tests <mux-player> & <mux-video>)
+        // _hlsConfig={{
+        //   startLevel: 2,
+        //   debug: true,
+        // }}
         title={state.title}
         startTime={state.startTime}
         currentTime={state.currentTime}
diff --git a/examples/nextjs-with-typescript/pages/MuxVideo.tsx b/examples/nextjs-with-typescript/pages/MuxVideo.tsx
index 9ee83d2d9..49c64ab8f 100644
--- a/examples/nextjs-with-typescript/pages/MuxVideo.tsx
+++ b/examples/nextjs-with-typescript/pages/MuxVideo.tsx
@@ -21,6 +21,11 @@ function MuxVideoPage() {
       <MuxVideo
         ref={mediaElRef}
         playbackId="23s11nz72DsoN657h4314PjKKjsF2JG33eBQQt6B95I"
+        // Test _hlsConfig for MuxVideo (react)
+        // _hlsConfig={{
+        //   startLevel: 1,
+        //   debug: true,
+        // }}
         // metadata={{
         //   video_id: "video-id-12345",
         //   video_title: "Mad Max: Fury Road Trailer",
diff --git a/packages/mux-audio-react/src/index.tsx b/packages/mux-audio-react/src/index.tsx
index 1bb2e238e..82920a480 100644
--- a/packages/mux-audio-react/src/index.tsx
+++ b/packages/mux-audio-react/src/index.tsx
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ const playerSoftwareVersion = getPlayerVersion();
 const playerSoftwareName = 'mux-audio-react';
 
 const MuxAudio = React.forwardRef<HTMLAudioElement | undefined, Partial<Props>>((props, ref) => {
-  const { playbackId, src: outerSrc, children, autoPlay, preload, ...restProps } = props;
+  const { playbackId, src: outerSrc, children, autoPlay, preload, _hlsConfig, ...restProps } = props;
 
   const [playerInitTime] = useState(generatePlayerInitTime());
   const [src, setSrc] = useState<MuxMediaProps['src']>(toMuxVideoURL(props) ?? outerSrc);
@@ -82,6 +82,7 @@ MuxAudio.propTypes = {
   // Improve this by adding a full shape() definition for all metadata props
   // metadata: PropTypes.shape({}),
   metadata: PropTypes.any,
+  _hlsConfig: PropTypes.any,
   beaconCollectionDomain: PropTypes.string,
   playbackId: PropTypes.string,
   playerInitTime: PropTypes.number,
diff --git a/packages/mux-audio/src/index.ts b/packages/mux-audio/src/index.ts
index 6a96fe893..dcd3d099a 100644
--- a/packages/mux-audio/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/mux-audio/src/index.ts
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import type { PlaybackCore, PlaybackEngine, ExtensionMimeTypeMap } from '@mux/pl
 import { getPlayerVersion } from './env';
 // this must be imported after playback-core for the polyfill to be included
 import { CustomAudioElement, Events as AudioEvents } from 'custom-media-element';
+import { HlsConfig } from 'hls.js';
 
 /** @TODO make the relationship between name+value smarter and more deriveable (CJP) */
 type AttributeNames = {
@@ -60,6 +61,7 @@ class MuxAudioElement extends CustomAudioElement implements Partial<MuxMediaProp
   #loadRequested?: Promise<void> | null;
   #playerInitTime: number;
   #metadata: Readonly<Metadata> = {};
+  #_hlsConfig?: Partial<HlsConfig>;
 
   constructor() {
     super();
@@ -294,6 +296,14 @@ class MuxAudioElement extends CustomAudioElement implements Partial<MuxMediaProp
     }
   }
 
+  get _hlsConfig() {
+    return this.#_hlsConfig;
+  }
+
+  set _hlsConfig(val: Readonly<Partial<HlsConfig>> | undefined) {
+    this.#_hlsConfig = val;
+  }
+
   async #requestLoad() {
     if (this.#loadRequested) return;
     await (this.#loadRequested = Promise.resolve());
diff --git a/packages/mux-player-react/src/index.tsx b/packages/mux-player-react/src/index.tsx
index 0f5cad5a0..78cc6f533 100644
--- a/packages/mux-player-react/src/index.tsx
+++ b/packages/mux-player-react/src/index.tsx
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ type MuxMediaPropTypes = {
   // metadata: Partial<Options["data"]>;
   metadata: { [k: string]: any };
   extraSourceParams: Record<string, any>;
+  _hlsConfig: MuxPlayerElement['_hlsConfig'];
   beaconCollectionDomain: string;
   customDomain: string;
   playbackId: string;
@@ -182,11 +183,13 @@ const usePlayer = (
     currentTime,
     themeProps,
     extraSourceParams,
+    _hlsConfig,
     ...remainingProps
   } = props;
   useObjectPropEffect('playbackRates', playbackRates, ref);
   useObjectPropEffect('metadata', metadata, ref);
   useObjectPropEffect('extraSourceParams', extraSourceParams, ref);
+  useObjectPropEffect('_hlsConfig', _hlsConfig, ref);
   useObjectPropEffect('themeProps', themeProps, ref);
   useObjectPropEffect('tokens', tokens, ref);
   useObjectPropEffect('playbackId', playbackId, ref);
diff --git a/packages/mux-player/src/index.ts b/packages/mux-player/src/index.ts
index f8b76586a..fdaabe857 100644
--- a/packages/mux-player/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/mux-player/src/index.ts
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ import { toNumberOrUndefined, i18n, parseJwt, containsComposedNode, camelCase, k
 import * as logger from './logger';
 import type { MuxTemplateProps, ErrorEvent } from './types';
 import './themes/gerwig';
+import { HlsConfig } from 'hls.js';
 const DefaultThemeName = 'gerwig';
 
 export { MediaError };
@@ -531,6 +532,7 @@ class MuxPlayerElement extends VideoApiElement implements MuxPlayerElement {
         // - cues that are not at the bottom
         //   - line is less than -5
         //   - line is between 0 and 10
+        // @ts-ignore
         if (!cue.snapToLines || cue.line < -5 || (cue.line >= 0 && cue.line < 10)) {
           return;
         }
@@ -1441,6 +1443,27 @@ class MuxPlayerElement extends VideoApiElement implements MuxPlayerElement {
     this.media.metadata = { ...getMetadataFromAttrs(this), ...val };
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Get the metadata object for Mux Data.
+   */
+  get _hlsConfig() {
+    return this.media?._hlsConfig;
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Set the metadata object for Mux Data.
+   */
+  set _hlsConfig(val: Readonly<Partial<HlsConfig>> | undefined) {
+    this.#init();
+
+    // NOTE: This condition should never be met. If it is, there is a bug (CJP)
+    if (!this.media) {
+      logger.error('underlying media element missing when trying to set _hlsConfig. _hlsConfig will not be set.');
+      return;
+    }
+    this.media._hlsConfig = val;
+  }
+
   async addCuePoints<T = any>(cuePoints: { time: number; value: T }[]) {
     this.#init();
 
diff --git a/packages/mux-video-react/src/index.tsx b/packages/mux-video-react/src/index.tsx
index 44f3231e2..e12a429bd 100644
--- a/packages/mux-video-react/src/index.tsx
+++ b/packages/mux-video-react/src/index.tsx
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ const playerSoftwareVersion = getPlayerVersion();
 const playerSoftwareName = 'mux-video-react';
 
 const MuxVideo = React.forwardRef<HTMLVideoElement | undefined, Partial<Props>>((props, ref) => {
-  const { playbackId, src: outerSrc, children, autoPlay, preload, streamType, ...restProps } = props;
+  const { playbackId, src: outerSrc, children, autoPlay, preload, streamType, _hlsConfig, ...restProps } = props;
 
   const [playerInitTime] = useState(generatePlayerInitTime());
   const [src, setSrc] = useState<MuxMediaProps['src']>(toMuxVideoURL(props) ?? outerSrc);
@@ -82,6 +82,7 @@ MuxVideo.propTypes = {
   // Improve this by adding a full shape() definition for all metadata props
   // metadata: PropTypes.shape({}),
   metadata: PropTypes.any,
+  _hlsConfig: PropTypes.any,
   beaconCollectionDomain: PropTypes.string,
   playbackId: PropTypes.string,
   playerInitTime: PropTypes.number,
diff --git a/packages/mux-video/src/index.ts b/packages/mux-video/src/index.ts
index 04d1bc94c..6978e78a3 100644
--- a/packages/mux-video/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/mux-video/src/index.ts
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ import { getPlayerVersion } from './env';
 import 'castable-video';
 import { CustomMediaMixin, Events as VideoEvents } from 'custom-media-element';
 import { MediaTracksMixin } from 'media-tracks';
+import type { HlsConfig } from 'hls.js';
 
 // Must mutate so the added events are available in custom-media-element.
 VideoEvents.push('castchange', 'entercast', 'leavecast');
@@ -86,6 +87,7 @@ class MuxVideoElement extends CustomVideoElement implements Partial<MuxMediaProp
   #loadRequested?: Promise<void> | null;
   #playerInitTime: number;
   #metadata: Readonly<Metadata> = {};
+  #_hlsConfig?: Partial<HlsConfig>;
   #playerSoftwareVersion?: string;
   #playerSoftwareName?: string;
   #errorTranslator?: (errorEvent: any) => any;
@@ -514,6 +516,14 @@ class MuxVideoElement extends CustomVideoElement implements Partial<MuxMediaProp
     }
   }
 
+  get _hlsConfig() {
+    return this.#_hlsConfig;
+  }
+
+  set _hlsConfig(val: Readonly<Partial<HlsConfig>> | undefined) {
+    this.#_hlsConfig = val;
+  }
+
   async #requestLoad() {
     if (this.#loadRequested) return;
     await (this.#loadRequested = Promise.resolve());
diff --git a/packages/playback-core/src/index.ts b/packages/playback-core/src/index.ts
index ef0ca2808..f74dc69a0 100644
--- a/packages/playback-core/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/playback-core/src/index.ts
@@ -424,11 +424,14 @@ function useNative(
 
 export const setupHls = (
   props: Partial<
-    Pick<MuxMediaPropsInternal, 'debug' | 'streamType' | 'type' | 'startTime' | 'metadata' | 'preferCmcd'>
+    Pick<
+      MuxMediaPropsInternal,
+      'debug' | 'streamType' | 'type' | 'startTime' | 'metadata' | 'preferCmcd' | '_hlsConfig'
+    >
   >,
   mediaEl: Pick<HTMLMediaElement, 'canPlayType'>
 ) => {
-  const { debug, streamType, startTime: startPosition = -1, metadata, preferCmcd } = props;
+  const { debug, streamType, startTime: startPosition = -1, metadata, preferCmcd, _hlsConfig = {} } = props;
   const type = getType(props);
   const hlsType = type === ExtensionMimeTypeMap.M3U8;
   const shouldUseNative = useNative(props, mediaEl);
@@ -471,6 +474,7 @@ export const setupHls = (
       },
       ...defaultConfig,
       ...streamTypeConfig,
+      ..._hlsConfig,
     }) as HlsInterface;
 
     return hls;
diff --git a/packages/playback-core/src/types.ts b/packages/playback-core/src/types.ts
index 4807dd2b3..59b29517d 100644
--- a/packages/playback-core/src/types.ts
+++ b/packages/playback-core/src/types.ts
@@ -2,8 +2,9 @@
 /// <reference path="../dist/types/mux-embed.d.ts" />
 import type { Options } from 'mux-embed';
 import type { MediaError } from './errors';
-import type { HlsInterface as Hls } from './hls';
 import type { VideoTrack, AudioTrack, VideoTrackList, AudioTrackList } from 'media-tracks';
+import type { HlsConfig } from 'hls.js';
+import type Hls from 'hls.js';
 
 type KeyTypes = string | number | symbol;
 type Maybe<T> = T | null | undefined;
@@ -174,6 +175,7 @@ export type MuxMediaPropTypes = {
   autoplay?: Autoplay;
   preferCmcd: ValueOf<CmcdTypes> | undefined;
   error?: HTMLMediaElement['error'] | MediaError;
+  _hlsConfig?: Partial<HlsConfig>;
 };
 
 export interface MediaTracks {