diff --git a/options/options.c b/options/options.c
index c98930e6c6..8597d39d7a 100644
--- a/options/options.c
+++ b/options/options.c
@@ -315,7 +315,8 @@ const struct m_sub_options mp_subtitle_sub_opts = {
             {"simple", 0}, {"complex", 1})},
         {"sub-ass-justify", OPT_BOOL(ass_justify)},
         {"sub-ass-override", OPT_CHOICE(ass_style_override,
-            {"no", 0}, {"yes", 1}, {"force", 3}, {"scale", 4}, {"strip", 5})},
+            {"no", 0}, {"yes", 1}, {"force", 3}, {"scale", 4}, {"strip", 5}),
+            .flags = UPDATE_SUB_HARD},
         {"sub-scale-by-window", OPT_BOOL(sub_scale_by_window)},
         {"sub-scale-with-window", OPT_BOOL(sub_scale_with_window)},
         {"sub-ass-scale-with-window", OPT_BOOL(ass_scale_with_window)},