--- a/mobile/android/app/mobile.js
+++ b/mobile/android/app/mobile.js
@@ -630,16 +630,19 @@ pref("media.mediadrm-widevinecdm.visible
 // Enable EME (Encrypted Media Extensions)
 pref("media.eme.enabled", true);
 #endif
 
 #ifdef NIGHTLY_BUILD
 pref("media.hls.enabled", true);
 #endif
 
+// Whether to suspend decoding of videos in background tabs.
+pref("media.suspend-bkgnd-video.enabled", true);
+
 // optimize images memory usage
 pref("image.downscale-during-decode.enabled", true);
 
 pref("browser.safebrowsing.downloads.enabled", false);
 
 pref("browser.safebrowsing.id", @MOZ_APP_UA_NAME@);
 
 // True if this is the first time we are showing about:firstrun

--- a/modules/libpref/init/all.js
+++ b/modules/libpref/init/all.js
@@ -439,17 +439,21 @@ pref("media.decoder-doctor.decode-warnin
 // Whether we report partial failures.
 pref("media.decoder-doctor.verbose", false);
 // Whether DD should consider WMF-disabled a WMF failure, useful for testing.
 pref("media.decoder-doctor.wmf-disabled-is-failure", false);
 // URL to report decode issues
 pref("media.decoder-doctor.new-issue-endpoint", "https://webcompat.com/issues/new");
 
 // Whether to suspend decoding of videos in background tabs.
+#ifdef RELEASE
+pref("media.suspend-bkgnd-video.enabled", false);
+#else
 pref("media.suspend-bkgnd-video.enabled", true);
+#endif
 // Delay, in ms, from time window goes to background to suspending
 // video decoders. Defaults to 10 seconds.
 pref("media.suspend-bkgnd-video.delay-ms", 10000);
 // Resume video decoding when the cursor is hovering on a background tab to
 // reduce the resume latency and improve the user experience.
 pref("media.resume-bkgnd-video-on-tabhover", true);;
 
 #ifdef MOZ_WEBRTC