diff --git a/android/cpp/NativeMapView.cpp b/android/cpp/NativeMapView.cpp
index 6761f3ede..d046642dd 100644
--- a/android/cpp/NativeMapView.cpp
+++ b/android/cpp/NativeMapView.cpp
@@ -479,7 +479,7 @@ void NativeMapView::start() {
     LOG_ASSERT(display != EGL_NO_DISPLAY);
     LOG_ASSERT(context != EGL_NO_CONTEXT);
     
-    map->start();
+    map->start(true);
 }
 
 void NativeMapView::loadExtensions() {
diff --git a/android/java/lib/src/main/java/com/mapbox/mapboxgl/lib/MapView.java b/android/java/lib/src/main/java/com/mapbox/mapboxgl/lib/MapView.java
index 2b150e8ba..d58bfa036 100644
--- a/android/java/lib/src/main/java/com/mapbox/mapboxgl/lib/MapView.java
+++ b/android/java/lib/src/main/java/com/mapbox/mapboxgl/lib/MapView.java
@@ -401,7 +401,6 @@ public class MapView extends SurfaceView {
     // Must be called from Activity onStart
     public void onStart() {
         Log.v(TAG, "onStart");
-        mNativeMapView.pause();
         mNativeMapView.start();
     }
 
diff --git a/include/mbgl/map/map.hpp b/include/mbgl/map/map.hpp
index f2f10665e..6dbcd3550 100644
--- a/include/mbgl/map/map.hpp
+++ b/include/mbgl/map/map.hpp
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ public:
     ~Map();
 
     // Start the map render thread. It is asynchronous.
-    void start();
+    void start(bool start_paused = false);
 
     // Stop the map render thread. This call will block until the map rendering thread stopped.
     // The optional callback function will be invoked repeatedly until the map thread is stopped.
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ public:
     void stop(stop_callback cb = nullptr, void *data = nullptr);
 
     // Pauses the render thread. The render thread will stop running but will not be terminated and will not lose state until resumed.
-    void pause();
+    void pause(bool wait_for_pause = false);
 
     // Resumes a paused render thread
     void resume();
diff --git a/src/map/map.cpp b/src/map/map.cpp
index ed105375f..2de77cd3c 100644
--- a/src/map/map.cpp
+++ b/src/map/map.cpp
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ uv::worker &Map::getWorker() {
     return *workers;
 }
 
-void Map::start() { // TODO add pause arg
+void Map::start(bool start_paused) {
     assert(uv_thread_self() == main_thread);
     assert(!async);
 
@@ -89,6 +89,11 @@ void Map::start() { // TODO add pause arg
     // Reset the flag.
     is_stopped = false;
 
+    // Do we need to pause first?
+    if (start_paused) {
+        pause();
+    }
+
     // Setup async notifications
 
 // Iron out the differences between libuv 0.10 and 0.11
@@ -159,8 +164,9 @@ void Map::stop(stop_callback cb, void *data) {
     async = false;
 }
 
-void Map::pause() {
+void Map::pause(bool wait_for_pause) {
     assert(uv_thread_self() == main_thread);
+    assert(async);
     Log::Info(Event::General, "Map::pause() start");
 
     // TODO wait until paused before return
@@ -182,6 +188,7 @@ void Map::pause() {
 
 void Map::resume() {
     assert(uv_thread_self() == main_thread);
+    assert(async);
     Log::Info(Event::General, "Map::resume() start");
     
     Log::Info(Event::General, "Map::resume() locking");