diff --git a/RELEASENOTES.md b/RELEASENOTES.md
index 5f6ca3d991..355582e366 100644
--- a/RELEASENOTES.md
+++ b/RELEASENOTES.md
@@ -67,6 +67,8 @@
         service is stopped from the foreground and a notification with a play
         button is shown to restart playback of the last media item
         ([#112](https://github.com/androidx/media/issues/112)).
+    *   Don't start a foreground service with a pending intent for pause
+        ([#167](https://github.com/androidx/media/issues/167)).
 *   RTSP:
     *   Add H263 fragmented packet handling
         ([#119](https://github.com/androidx/media/pull/119)).
diff --git a/libraries/session/src/main/java/androidx/media3/session/DefaultActionFactory.java b/libraries/session/src/main/java/androidx/media3/session/DefaultActionFactory.java
index 699f9cb991..ed65296b88 100644
--- a/libraries/session/src/main/java/androidx/media3/session/DefaultActionFactory.java
+++ b/libraries/session/src/main/java/androidx/media3/session/DefaultActionFactory.java
@@ -105,7 +105,9 @@ import androidx.media3.common.util.Util;
     intent.setData(mediaSession.getImpl().getUri());
     intent.setComponent(new ComponentName(service, service.getClass()));
     intent.putExtra(Intent.EXTRA_KEY_EVENT, new KeyEvent(KeyEvent.ACTION_DOWN, keyCode));
-    if (Util.SDK_INT >= 26 && command == COMMAND_PLAY_PAUSE) {
+    if (Util.SDK_INT >= 26
+        && command == COMMAND_PLAY_PAUSE
+        && !mediaSession.getPlayer().getPlayWhenReady()) {
       return Api26.createForegroundServicePendingIntent(service, keyCode, intent);
     } else {
       return PendingIntent.getService(
diff --git a/libraries/session/src/test/java/androidx/media3/session/DefaultActionFactoryTest.java b/libraries/session/src/test/java/androidx/media3/session/DefaultActionFactoryTest.java
index 73c68ce21f..d83ad4d74b 100644
--- a/libraries/session/src/test/java/androidx/media3/session/DefaultActionFactoryTest.java
+++ b/libraries/session/src/test/java/androidx/media3/session/DefaultActionFactoryTest.java
@@ -42,18 +42,61 @@ public class DefaultActionFactoryTest {
   public void createMediaPendingIntent_intentIsMediaAction() {
     DefaultActionFactory actionFactory =
         new DefaultActionFactory(Robolectric.setupService(TestService.class));
-    MediaSession mockMediaSession = mock(MediaSession.class);
-    MediaSessionImpl mockMediaSessionImpl = mock(MediaSessionImpl.class);
-    when(mockMediaSession.getImpl()).thenReturn(mockMediaSessionImpl);
     Uri dataUri = Uri.parse("http://example.com");
+    MediaSession mockMediaSession = mock(MediaSession.class);
+    Player mockPlayer = mock(Player.class);
+    MediaSessionImpl mockMediaSessionImpl = mock(MediaSessionImpl.class);
+    when(mockMediaSession.getPlayer()).thenReturn(mockPlayer);
+    when(mockMediaSession.getImpl()).thenReturn(mockMediaSessionImpl);
     when(mockMediaSessionImpl.getUri()).thenReturn(dataUri);
 
+    PendingIntent pendingIntent =
+        actionFactory.createMediaActionPendingIntent(mockMediaSession, Player.COMMAND_SEEK_FORWARD);
+
+    ShadowPendingIntent shadowPendingIntent = shadowOf(pendingIntent);
+    assertThat(actionFactory.isMediaAction(shadowPendingIntent.getSavedIntent())).isTrue();
+    assertThat(shadowPendingIntent.getSavedIntent().getData()).isEqualTo(dataUri);
+  }
+
+  @Test
+  public void createMediaPendingIntent_commandPlayPauseWhenNotPlayWhenReady_isForegroundService() {
+    DefaultActionFactory actionFactory =
+        new DefaultActionFactory(Robolectric.setupService(TestService.class));
+    Uri dataUri = Uri.parse("http://example.com");
+    MediaSession mockMediaSession = mock(MediaSession.class);
+    Player mockPlayer = mock(Player.class);
+    MediaSessionImpl mockMediaSessionImpl = mock(MediaSessionImpl.class);
+    when(mockMediaSession.getPlayer()).thenReturn(mockPlayer);
+    when(mockMediaSession.getImpl()).thenReturn(mockMediaSessionImpl);
+    when(mockMediaSessionImpl.getUri()).thenReturn(dataUri);
+    when(mockPlayer.getPlayWhenReady()).thenReturn(false);
+
+    PendingIntent pendingIntent =
+        actionFactory.createMediaActionPendingIntent(mockMediaSession, Player.COMMAND_PLAY_PAUSE);
+
+    ShadowPendingIntent shadowPendingIntent = shadowOf(pendingIntent);
+    assertThat(shadowPendingIntent.isForegroundService()).isTrue();
+  }
+
+  @Test
+  public void createMediaPendingIntent_commandPlayPauseWhenPlayWhenReady_notAForegroundService() {
+    DefaultActionFactory actionFactory =
+        new DefaultActionFactory(Robolectric.setupService(TestService.class));
+    Uri dataUri = Uri.parse("http://example.com");
+    MediaSession mockMediaSession = mock(MediaSession.class);
+    Player mockPlayer = mock(Player.class);
+    MediaSessionImpl mockMediaSessionImpl = mock(MediaSessionImpl.class);
+    when(mockMediaSession.getPlayer()).thenReturn(mockPlayer);
+    when(mockMediaSession.getImpl()).thenReturn(mockMediaSessionImpl);
+    when(mockMediaSessionImpl.getUri()).thenReturn(dataUri);
+    when(mockPlayer.getPlayWhenReady()).thenReturn(true);
+
     PendingIntent pendingIntent =
         actionFactory.createMediaActionPendingIntent(mockMediaSession, Player.COMMAND_PLAY_PAUSE);
 
     ShadowPendingIntent shadowPendingIntent = shadowOf(pendingIntent);
     assertThat(actionFactory.isMediaAction(shadowPendingIntent.getSavedIntent())).isTrue();
-    assertThat(shadowPendingIntent.getSavedIntent().getData()).isEqualTo(dataUri);
+    assertThat(shadowPendingIntent.isForegroundService()).isFalse();
   }
 
   @Test