diff --git a/osu.Game/Screens/Play/PauseOverlay.cs b/osu.Game/Screens/Play/PauseOverlay.cs
index 65f34aba3e..9494971f8a 100644
--- a/osu.Game/Screens/Play/PauseOverlay.cs
+++ b/osu.Game/Screens/Play/PauseOverlay.cs
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ namespace osu.Game.Screens.Play
             AddButton("Retry", colours.YellowDark, () => OnRetry?.Invoke());
             AddButton("Quit", new Color4(170, 27, 39, 255), () => OnQuit?.Invoke());
 
-            AddInternal(pauseLoop = new SkinnableSound(new SampleInfo("pause-loop"))
+            AddInternal(pauseLoop = new UnpausableSkinnableSound(new SampleInfo("pause-loop"))
             {
                 Looping = true,
                 Volume = { Value = 0 }
@@ -54,5 +54,15 @@ namespace osu.Game.Screens.Play
 
             pauseLoop.VolumeTo(0, TRANSITION_DURATION, Easing.OutQuad).Finally(_ => pauseLoop.Stop());
         }
+
+        private class UnpausableSkinnableSound : SkinnableSound
+        {
+            protected override bool PlayWhenPaused => true;
+
+            public UnpausableSkinnableSound(SampleInfo sampleInfo)
+                : base(sampleInfo)
+            {
+            }
+        }
     }
 }
diff --git a/osu.Game/Skinning/SkinnableSound.cs b/osu.Game/Skinning/SkinnableSound.cs
index 704ba099c1..f3ab8b86bc 100644
--- a/osu.Game/Skinning/SkinnableSound.cs
+++ b/osu.Game/Skinning/SkinnableSound.cs
@@ -37,6 +37,8 @@ namespace osu.Game.Skinning
         /// </remarks>
         protected bool PlayWhenZeroVolume => Looping;
 
+        protected virtual bool PlayWhenPaused => false;
+
         private readonly AudioContainer<DrawableSample> samplesContainer;
 
         public SkinnableSound(ISampleInfo hitSamples)
@@ -63,7 +65,7 @@ namespace osu.Game.Skinning
                 {
                     if (requestedPlaying)
                     {
-                        if (disabled.NewValue)
+                        if (disabled.NewValue && !PlayWhenPaused)
                             stop();
                         // it's not easy to know if a sample has finished playing (to end).
                         // to keep things simple only resume playing looping samples.
@@ -97,7 +99,7 @@ namespace osu.Game.Skinning
 
         private void play()
         {
-            if (samplePlaybackDisabled.Value)
+            if (samplePlaybackDisabled.Value && !PlayWhenPaused)
                 return;
 
             samplesContainer.ForEach(c =>