diff --git a/core/assets/contributors b/core/assets/contributors
index a6536f4f0a..61f5ef7943 100644
--- a/core/assets/contributors
+++ b/core/assets/contributors
@@ -148,3 +148,4 @@ SMOLKEYS
 1stvaliduser(SUS)
 GlennFolker
 BlackDeluxeCat
+zenonet
diff --git a/core/src/mindustry/game/EventType.java b/core/src/mindustry/game/EventType.java
index 6efcc19e04..faaad3d6be 100644
--- a/core/src/mindustry/game/EventType.java
+++ b/core/src/mindustry/game/EventType.java
@@ -554,6 +554,7 @@ public class EventType{
         }
     }
 
+    /** Called before a player leaves the game. */
     public static class PlayerLeave{
         public final Player player;
 
diff --git a/core/src/mindustry/net/Administration.java b/core/src/mindustry/net/Administration.java
index 7982dce937..e6ed620551 100644
--- a/core/src/mindustry/net/Administration.java
+++ b/core/src/mindustry/net/Administration.java
@@ -487,7 +487,8 @@ public class Administration{
         autosaveAmount = new Config("autosaveAmount", "The maximum amount of autosaves. Older ones get replaced.", 10),
         autosaveSpacing = new Config("autosaveSpacing", "Spacing between autosaves in seconds.", 60 * 5),
         debug = new Config("debug", "Enable debug logging", false, () -> Log.level = debug() ? LogLevel.debug : LogLevel.info),
-        snapshotInterval = new Config("snapshotInterval", "Client entity snapshot interval in ms.", 200);
+        snapshotInterval = new Config("snapshotInterval", "Client entity snapshot interval in ms.", 200),
+        autoPause = new Config("autoPause", "Whether the game should pause when nobody is online.", false);
 
         public final Object defaultValue;
         public final String name, key, description;
diff --git a/server/src/mindustry/server/ServerControl.java b/server/src/mindustry/server/ServerControl.java
index 6efe7f7ede..5440f775e1 100644
--- a/server/src/mindustry/server/ServerControl.java
+++ b/server/src/mindustry/server/ServerControl.java
@@ -64,6 +64,7 @@ public class ServerControl implements ApplicationListener{
     private ServerSocket serverSocket;
     private PrintWriter socketOutput;
     private String suggested;
+    private boolean autoPaused = false;
 
     public ServerControl(String[] args){
         setup(args);
@@ -269,6 +270,23 @@ public class ServerControl implements ApplicationListener{
 
             info("Server loaded. Type @ for help.", "'help'");
         });
+
+        Events.on(PlayerJoin.class, e -> {
+            if(state.serverPaused && autoPaused && Config.autoPause.bool()){
+                state.serverPaused = false;
+                autoPaused = false;
+            }
+        });
+
+        Events.on(PlayerLeave.class, e -> {
+            // The player list length is compared with 1 and not 0 here,
+            // because when PlayerLeave gets fired, the player hasn't been removed from the player list yet
+            if(!state.serverPaused && Config.autoPause.bool() && Groups.player.size() == 1){
+                state.serverPaused = true;
+                autoPaused = true;
+            }
+        });
+
     }
 
     protected void registerCommands(){
@@ -352,6 +370,11 @@ public class ServerControl implements ApplicationListener{
                 info("Map loaded.");
 
                 netServer.openServer();
+
+                if(Config.autoPause.bool()){
+                    state.serverPaused = true;
+                    autoPaused = true;
+                }
             }catch(MapException e){
                 err(e.map.name() + ": " + e.getMessage());
             }
@@ -467,6 +490,7 @@ public class ServerControl implements ApplicationListener{
 
         handler.register("pause", "<on/off>", "Pause or unpause the game.", arg -> {
             boolean pause = arg[0].equals("on");
+            autoPaused = false;
             state.serverPaused = pause;
             info(pause ? "Game paused." : "Game unpaused.");
         });