diff --git a/src/output/output.cpp b/src/output/output.cpp
index afeeae64..a91fd1cb 100644
--- a/src/output/output.cpp
+++ b/src/output/output.cpp
@@ -1093,11 +1093,28 @@ namespace Mist{
         seekPos = startRec;
       }
     }else{
+      if (myMeta.live && targetParams.count("pushdelay")){
+        INFO_MSG("Converting pushdelay syntax into corresponding startunix+realtime options");
+        targetParams["startunix"] = std::string("-")+targetParams["pushdelay"];
+        targetParams["realtime"] = "1";
+      }
       if (myMeta.live && (targetParams.count("startunix") || targetParams.count("stopunix"))){
         uint64_t unixStreamBegin = Util::epoch() - (liveTime() / 1000);
         if (targetParams.count("startunix")){
           long long startUnix = atoll(targetParams["startunix"].c_str());
-          if (startUnix < 0){startUnix += Util::epoch();}
+          if (startUnix < 0){
+            long long origStartUnix = startUnix;
+            startUnix += Util::epoch();
+            if (startUnix < unixStreamBegin){
+              INFO_MSG("Waiting for stream to reach intended starting point");
+              while (startUnix < Util::epoch() - (liveTime() / 1000) && keepGoing()){
+                Util::wait(1000);
+                updateMeta();
+                stats();
+                startUnix = origStartUnix + Util::epoch();
+              }
+            }
+          }
           if (startUnix < unixStreamBegin){
             WARN_MSG("Start time is earlier than stream begin - starting earliest possible");
             targetParams["start"] = "-1";
diff --git a/src/output/output_rtmp.cpp b/src/output/output_rtmp.cpp
index 862cd3e9..c12f48b5 100644
--- a/src/output/output_rtmp.cpp
+++ b/src/output/output_rtmp.cpp
@@ -43,8 +43,9 @@ namespace Mist{
           streamOut = streamName;
         }
       }
-      initialize();
       INFO_MSG("About to push stream %s out. Host: %s, port: %d, app: %s, stream: %s", streamName.c_str(), pushUrl.host.c_str(), pushUrl.getPort(), app.c_str(), streamOut.c_str());
+      initialize();
+      initialSeek();
       startPushOut("");
     }else{
       setBlocking(true);
@@ -1094,7 +1095,7 @@ namespace Mist{
           sendCommand(amfReply, 20, 1);
         }
         HIGH_MSG("Publish starting");
-        realTime = 0;
+        if (!targetParams.count("realtime")){realTime = 0;}
         parseData = true;
         return;
       }