diff --git a/options/m_config_core.c b/options/m_config_core.c
index 08a76eb76d..0cd51ceb41 100644
--- a/options/m_config_core.c
+++ b/options/m_config_core.c
@@ -101,8 +101,10 @@ struct config_cache {
 
 // Per m_config_data state for each m_config_group.
 struct m_group_data {
-    char *udata;        // pointer to group user option struct
-    uint64_t ts;        // timestamp of the data copy
+    char *udata;          // pointer to group user option struct
+    uint64_t ts;          // timestamp of the data copy
+    char **force_updates; // track if any opt in group was written with force_update
+    int force_updates_len;
 };
 
 static void add_sub_group(struct m_config_shadow *shadow, const char *name_prefix,
@@ -588,6 +590,27 @@ struct m_config_cache *m_config_cache_alloc(void *ta_parent,
     return m_config_cache_from_shadow(ta_parent, global->config, group);
 }
 
+static void clear_force_update_list(struct m_group_data *gsrc)
+{
+    int index = 0;
+    while (index < gsrc->force_updates_len) {
+        TA_FREEP(&gsrc->force_updates[index]);
+        ++index;
+    }
+    gsrc->force_updates_len = 0;
+}
+
+static bool check_force_update_list(struct m_group_data *gsrc, const char *opt_name)
+{
+    int index = 0;
+    while (index < gsrc->force_updates_len) {
+        if (strcmp(opt_name, gsrc->force_updates[index]) == 0)
+            return true;
+        ++index;
+    }
+    return false;
+}
+
 static void update_next_option(struct m_config_cache *cache, void **p_opt)
 {
     struct config_cache *in = cache->internal;
@@ -609,16 +632,18 @@ static void update_next_option(struct m_config_cache *cache, void **p_opt)
 
             while (opts && opts[in->upd_opt].name) {
                 const struct m_option *opt = &opts[in->upd_opt];
+                void *dsrc = gsrc->udata + opt->offset;
+                void *ddst = gdst->udata + opt->offset;
 
                 if (opt->offset >= 0 && opt->type->size) {
-                    void *dsrc = gsrc->udata + opt->offset;
-                    void *ddst = gdst->udata + opt->offset;
-
-                    if (!m_option_equal(opt, ddst, dsrc)) {
+                    bool opt_equal = m_option_equal(opt, ddst, dsrc);
+                    bool force_update = opt->force_update && gsrc->force_updates_len &&
+                                        check_force_update_list(gsrc, opt->name);
+                    if (!opt_equal || force_update) {
                         uint64_t ch = get_opt_change_mask(dst->shadow,
                                         in->upd_group, dst->group_index, opt);
 
-                        if (cache->debug) {
+                        if (cache->debug && !opt_equal) {
                             char *vdst = m_option_print(opt, ddst);
                             char *vsrc = m_option_print(opt, dsrc);
                             mp_warn(cache->debug, "Option '%s' changed from "
@@ -641,6 +666,8 @@ static void update_next_option(struct m_config_cache *cache, void **p_opt)
             }
 
             gdst->ts = gsrc->ts;
+        } else {
+            clear_force_update_list(gsrc);
         }
 
         in->upd_group++;
@@ -750,7 +777,8 @@ bool m_config_cache_write_opt(struct m_config_cache *cache, void *ptr)
     struct m_group_data *gsrc = m_config_gdata(in->src, group_idx);
     assert(gdst && gsrc);
 
-    bool changed = !m_option_equal(opt, gsrc->udata + opt->offset, ptr);
+    bool changed = !m_option_equal(opt, gsrc->udata + opt->offset, ptr) ||
+                   opt->force_update;
     if (changed) {
         m_option_copy(opt, gsrc->udata + opt->offset, ptr);
 
@@ -763,6 +791,11 @@ bool m_config_cache_write_opt(struct m_config_cache *cache, void *ptr)
         }
     }
 
+    if (opt->force_update) {
+        MP_TARRAY_APPEND(shadow, gsrc->force_updates, gsrc->force_updates_len,
+                         talloc_strdup(shadow, opt->name));
+    }
+
     mp_mutex_unlock(&shadow->lock);
 
     return changed;
diff --git a/options/m_option.h b/options/m_option.h
index 530c0a3d50..4c3385876c 100644
--- a/options/m_option.h
+++ b/options/m_option.h
@@ -384,6 +384,9 @@ struct m_option {
     // See \ref OptionFlags.
     unsigned int flags;
 
+    // Always force an option update even if the written value does not change.
+    bool force_update;
+
     int offset;
 
     // Most numeric types restrict the range to [min, max] if min<max (this