diff --git a/web/README.md b/web/README.md
index a04ff9a4..8c7c42ac 100644
--- a/web/README.md
+++ b/web/README.md
@@ -12,11 +12,12 @@ them, you must specify them when building the frontend (or running a vite server
 
 `WEB_DEFAULT_API` is **required** to run cobalt frontend.
 
-| name                 | example                     | description                                                                                 |
-|:---------------------|:----------------------------|:--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
-| `WEB_HOST`           | `cobalt.tools`              | domain on which the frontend will be running. used for meta tags and configuring plausible. |
-| `WEB_PLAUSIBLE_HOST` | `plausible.io`*             | enables plausible analytics with provided hostname as receiver backend.                     |
-| `WEB_DEFAULT_API`    | `https://api.cobalt.tools/` | changes url which is used for api requests by frontend clients.                             |
+| name                            | example                     | description                                                                                             |
+|:--------------------------------|:----------------------------|:--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
+| `WEB_HOST`                      | `cobalt.tools`              | domain on which the frontend will be running. used for meta tags and configuring plausible.             |
+| `WEB_PLAUSIBLE_HOST`            | `plausible.io`*             | enables plausible analytics with provided hostname as receiver backend.                                 |
+| `WEB_DEFAULT_API`               | `https://api.cobalt.tools/` | changes url which is used for api requests by frontend clients.                                         |
+| `ENABLE_DEPRECATED_YOUTUBE_HLS` | `true`                      | enables the youtube HLS settings entry; allows sending the related variable to the processing instance. |
 
 \* don't use plausible.io as receiver backend unless you paid for their cloud service.
    use your own domain when hosting community edition of plausible. refer to their [docs](https://plausible.io/docs) when needed.
diff --git a/web/src/lib/api/saving-handler.ts b/web/src/lib/api/saving-handler.ts
index b2dfbbb4..f18bd4ab 100644
--- a/web/src/lib/api/saving-handler.ts
+++ b/web/src/lib/api/saving-handler.ts
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import env from "$lib/env";
 import API from "$lib/api/api";
 import settings from "$lib/state/settings";
 import lazySettingGetter from "$lib/settings/lazy-get";
@@ -60,7 +61,7 @@ export const savingHandler = async ({ url, request, oldTaskId }: SavingHandlerAr
 
         youtubeVideoCodec: getSetting("save", "youtubeVideoCodec"),
         videoQuality: getSetting("save", "videoQuality"),
-        youtubeHLS: getSetting("save", "youtubeHLS"),
+        youtubeHLS: env.ENABLE_DEPRECATED_YOUTUBE_HLS ? getSetting("save", "youtubeHLS") : undefined,
 
         convertGif: getSetting("save", "convertGif"),
         allowH265: getSetting("save", "allowH265"),
diff --git a/web/src/lib/env.ts b/web/src/lib/env.ts
index 1ba6a843..960d7ddb 100644
--- a/web/src/lib/env.ts
+++ b/web/src/lib/env.ts
@@ -9,13 +9,17 @@ const getEnv = (_key: string) => {
     }
 }
 
+const getEnvBool = (key: string) => {
+    return getEnv(key) === "true";
+}
+
 const variables = {
     HOST: getEnv('HOST'),
     PLAUSIBLE_HOST: getEnv('PLAUSIBLE_HOST'),
     PLAUSIBLE_ENABLED: getEnv('HOST') && getEnv('PLAUSIBLE_HOST'),
     DEFAULT_API: getEnv('DEFAULT_API'),
-    // temporary variable until webcodecs features are ready for testing
-    ENABLE_WEBCODECS: !!getEnv('ENABLE_WEBCODECS'),
+    ENABLE_WEBCODECS: getEnvBool('ENABLE_WEBCODECS'),
+    ENABLE_DEPRECATED_YOUTUBE_HLS: getEnvBool('ENABLE_DEPRECATED_YOUTUBE_HLS'),
 }
 
 const contacts = {
diff --git a/web/src/routes/settings/video/+page.svelte b/web/src/routes/settings/video/+page.svelte
index 233f0112..56a31db8 100644
--- a/web/src/routes/settings/video/+page.svelte
+++ b/web/src/routes/settings/video/+page.svelte
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 <script lang="ts">
+    import env from "$lib/env";
     import settings from "$lib/state/settings";
     import { t } from "$lib/i18n/translations";
 
@@ -54,20 +55,22 @@
     </Switcher>
 </SettingsCategory>
 
-<SettingsCategory
-    sectionId="youtube-hls"
-    title={$t("settings.video.youtube.hls")}
-    disabled={$settings.save.youtubeVideoCodec === "av1"}
-    beta
->
-    <SettingsToggle
-        settingContext="save"
-        settingId="youtubeHLS"
-        title={$t("settings.video.youtube.hls.title")}
-        description={$t("settings.video.youtube.hls.description")}
+{#if env.ENABLE_DEPRECATED_YOUTUBE_HLS}
+    <SettingsCategory
+        sectionId="youtube-hls"
+        title={$t("settings.video.youtube.hls")}
         disabled={$settings.save.youtubeVideoCodec === "av1"}
-    />
-</SettingsCategory>
+        beta
+    >
+        <SettingsToggle
+            settingContext="save"
+            settingId="youtubeHLS"
+            title={$t("settings.video.youtube.hls.title")}
+            description={$t("settings.video.youtube.hls.description")}
+            disabled={$settings.save.youtubeVideoCodec === "av1"}
+        />
+    </SettingsCategory>
+{/if}
 
 <SettingsCategory sectionId="h265" title={$t("settings.video.h265")}>
     <SettingsToggle