diff --git a/DOCS/interface-changes.rst b/DOCS/interface-changes.rst
index f1788147a4..6644638b29 100644
--- a/DOCS/interface-changes.rst
+++ b/DOCS/interface-changes.rst
@@ -41,6 +41,10 @@ Interface changes
     - deprecate `--drm-atomic`
     - add `--demuxer-hysteresis-secs`
     - add `--video-sync=display-tempo`
+    - the `start` option is no longer unconditionally written by
+      watch-later. It is still written by default but you may
+      need to explictly add `start` depending on how you have
+      `--watch-later-options` configured.
  --- mpv 0.35.0 ---
     - add the `--vo=gpu-next` video output driver, as well as the options
       `--allow-delayed-peak-detect`, `--builtin-scalers`,
diff --git a/DOCS/man/options.rst b/DOCS/man/options.rst
index bd8037379b..b5bfd6e4e9 100644
--- a/DOCS/man/options.rst
+++ b/DOCS/man/options.rst
@@ -1032,8 +1032,8 @@ Watch Later
 ``--watch-later-options=option1,option2,...``
     The options that are saved in "watch later" files if they have been changed
     since when mpv started. These values will be restored the next time the
-    files are played. The playback position is always saved as ``start``, so
-    adding ``start`` to this list has no effect.
+    files are played. Note that the playback position is saved via the ``start``
+    option.
 
     When removing options, existing watch later data won't be modified and will
     still be applied fully, but new watch later data won't contain these
@@ -1049,8 +1049,7 @@ Watch Later
           ``--watch-later-options-remove=mute``
           The volume and mute state won't be saved to watch later files.
         - ``--watch-later-options-clr``
-          No option will be saved to watch later files except the starting
-          position.
+          No option will be saved to watch later files.
 
 ``--write-filename-in-watch-later-config``
     Prepend the watch later config files with the name of the file they refer
diff --git a/options/options.c b/options/options.c
index 8075f02077..b4cccd3348 100644
--- a/options/options.c
+++ b/options/options.c
@@ -1069,6 +1069,7 @@ static const struct MPOpts mp_default_opts = {
     .cuda_device = -1,
 
     .watch_later_options = (char **)(const char*[]){
+        "start",
         "osd-level",
         "speed",
         "edition",
diff --git a/player/configfiles.c b/player/configfiles.c
index 65dd9df425..ce7563995f 100644
--- a/player/configfiles.c
+++ b/player/configfiles.c
@@ -303,18 +303,23 @@ void mp_write_watch_later_conf(struct MPContext *mpctx)
 
     write_filename(mpctx, file, cur->filename);
 
+    bool write_start = true;
     double pos = get_current_time(mpctx);
 
     if ((demux && (!demux->seekable || demux->partially_seekable)) ||
         pos == MP_NOPTS_VALUE)
     {
+        write_start = false;
         MP_INFO(mpctx, "Not seekable, or time unknown - not saving position.\n");
-    } else {
-        fprintf(file, "start=%f\n", pos);
     }
     char **watch_later_options = mpctx->opts->watch_later_options;
     for (int i = 0; watch_later_options && watch_later_options[i]; i++) {
         char *pname = watch_later_options[i];
+        // Always save start if we have it in the array.
+        if (write_start && strcmp(pname, "start") == 0) {
+            fprintf(file, "%s=%f\n", pname, pos);
+            continue;
+        }
         // Only store it if it's different from the initial value.
         if (m_config_watch_later_backup_opt_changed(mpctx->mconfig, pname)) {
             char *val = NULL;