diff --git a/osu.Game/Overlays/MusicController.cs b/osu.Game/Overlays/MusicController.cs
index eafbeebbc9..d78f387b30 100644
--- a/osu.Game/Overlays/MusicController.cs
+++ b/osu.Game/Overlays/MusicController.cs
@@ -166,10 +166,17 @@ namespace osu.Game.Overlays
         /// <summary>
         /// Start playing the current track (if not already playing).
         /// </summary>
+        /// <param name="restart">Whether to restart the track from the beginning.</param>
+        /// <param name="requestedByUser">
+        /// Whether the request to play was issued by the user rather than internally.
+        /// Specifying <c>true</c> will ensure that other methods like <see cref="EnsurePlayingSomething"/>
+        /// will resume music playback going forward.
+        /// </param>
         /// <returns>Whether the operation was successful.</returns>
-        public bool Play(bool restart = false)
+        public bool Play(bool restart = false, bool requestedByUser = false)
         {
-            IsUserPaused = false;
+            if (requestedByUser)
+                IsUserPaused = false;
 
             if (restart)
                 CurrentTrack.Restart();
@@ -203,7 +210,7 @@ namespace osu.Game.Overlays
             if (CurrentTrack.IsRunning)
                 Stop(true);
             else
-                Play();
+                Play(requestedByUser: true);
 
             return true;
         }
diff --git a/osu.Game/Screens/Select/SongSelect.cs b/osu.Game/Screens/Select/SongSelect.cs
index a85e1869be..0473efd404 100644
--- a/osu.Game/Screens/Select/SongSelect.cs
+++ b/osu.Game/Screens/Select/SongSelect.cs
@@ -579,7 +579,8 @@ namespace osu.Game.Screens.Select
                 updateComponentFromBeatmap(Beatmap.Value);
 
                 // restart playback on returning to song select, regardless.
-                music.Play();
+                // not sure this should be a permanent thing (we may want to leave a user pause paused even on returning)
+                music.Play(requestedByUser: true);
             }
 
             this.FadeIn(250);