diff --git a/internal/core/hls_manager.go b/internal/core/hls_manager.go
index d354622a50e..7aa88a2071c 100644
--- a/internal/core/hls_manager.go
+++ b/internal/core/hls_manager.go
@@ -159,17 +159,17 @@ outer:
 	for {
 		select {
 		case pa := <-m.chPathSourceReady:
-			if m.alwaysRemux {
-				m.createMuxer(pa.name, "")
+			if m.alwaysRemux && !pa.conf.SourceOnDemand {
+				if _, ok := m.muxers[pa.name]; !ok {
+					m.createMuxer(pa.name, "")
+				}
 			}
 
 		case pa := <-m.chPathSourceNotReady:
-			if m.alwaysRemux {
-				c, ok := m.muxers[pa.name]
-				if ok {
-					c.close()
-					delete(m.muxers, pa.name)
-				}
+			c, ok := m.muxers[pa.name]
+			if ok && c.remoteAddr == "" { // created with "always remux"
+				c.close()
+				delete(m.muxers, pa.name)
 			}
 
 		case req := <-m.chHandleRequest:
@@ -178,9 +178,6 @@ outer:
 			case ok:
 				r.processRequest(&req)
 
-			case m.alwaysRemux:
-				req.res <- nil
-
 			default:
 				r := m.createMuxer(req.path, req.ctx.ClientIP())
 				r.processRequest(&req)
@@ -239,7 +236,6 @@ func (m *hlsManager) createMuxer(pathName string, remoteAddr string) *hlsMuxer {
 		m.ctx,
 		remoteAddr,
 		m.externalAuthenticationURL,
-		m.alwaysRemux,
 		m.variant,
 		m.segmentCount,
 		m.segmentDuration,
diff --git a/internal/core/hls_muxer.go b/internal/core/hls_muxer.go
index de423cf7c97..22d68da3e88 100644
--- a/internal/core/hls_muxer.go
+++ b/internal/core/hls_muxer.go
@@ -60,7 +60,6 @@ type hlsMuxerParent interface {
 type hlsMuxer struct {
 	remoteAddr                string
 	externalAuthenticationURL string
-	alwaysRemux               bool
 	variant                   conf.HLSVariant
 	segmentCount              int
 	segmentDuration           conf.StringDuration
@@ -91,7 +90,6 @@ func newHLSMuxer(
 	parentCtx context.Context,
 	remoteAddr string,
 	externalAuthenticationURL string,
-	alwaysRemux bool,
 	variant conf.HLSVariant,
 	segmentCount int,
 	segmentDuration conf.StringDuration,
@@ -109,7 +107,6 @@ func newHLSMuxer(
 	m := &hlsMuxer{
 		remoteAddr:                remoteAddr,
 		externalAuthenticationURL: externalAuthenticationURL,
-		alwaysRemux:               alwaysRemux,
 		variant:                   variant,
 		segmentCount:              segmentCount,
 		segmentDuration:           segmentDuration,
@@ -210,7 +207,7 @@ func (m *hlsMuxer) run() {
 			case err := <-innerErr:
 				innerCtxCancel()
 
-				if m.alwaysRemux {
+				if m.remoteAddr == "" { // created with "always remux"
 					m.Log(logger.Info, "ERR: %v", err)
 					m.clearQueuedRequests()
 					isReady = false