diff --git a/api/src/core/api.js b/api/src/core/api.js
index eb5cf4ff..c8ff6fbf 100644
--- a/api/src/core/api.js
+++ b/api/src/core/api.js
@@ -156,6 +156,7 @@ export const runAPI = async (express, app, __dirname, isPrimary = true) => {
             return fail(res, `error.api.auth.key.${error}`);
         }
 
+        req.isApiKey = true;
         return next();
     });
 
@@ -264,6 +265,7 @@ export const runAPI = async (express, app, __dirname, isPrimary = true) => {
                 patternMatch: parsed.patternMatch,
                 params: normalizedRequest,
                 isSession: req.isSession ?? false,
+                isApiKey: req.isApiKey ?? false,
             });
 
             res.status(result.status).json(result.body);
diff --git a/api/src/core/env.js b/api/src/core/env.js
index 37ab36c1..ec762b44 100644
--- a/api/src/core/env.js
+++ b/api/src/core/env.js
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import * as cluster from "../misc/cluster.js";
 import { Green, Yellow } from "../misc/console-text.js";
 
 const forceLocalProcessingOptions = ["never", "session", "always"];
+const youtubeHlsOptions = ["never", "key", "always"];
 
 export const loadEnvs = (env = process.env) => {
     const disabledServices = env.DISABLED_SERVICES?.split(',') || [];
@@ -74,6 +75,9 @@ export const loadEnvs = (env = process.env) => {
         // "never" | "session" | "always"
         forceLocalProcessing: env.FORCE_LOCAL_PROCESSING ?? "never",
 
+        // "never" | "key" | "always"
+        enableDeprecatedYoutubeHls: env.ENABLE_DEPRECATED_YOUTUBE_HLS ?? "never",
+
         envFile: env.API_ENV_FILE,
         envRemoteReloadInterval: 300,
     };
@@ -106,6 +110,12 @@ export const validateEnvs = async (env) => {
         throw new Error("Invalid FORCE_LOCAL_PROCESSING");
     }
 
+    if (env.enableDeprecatedYoutubeHls && !youtubeHlsOptions.includes(env.enableDeprecatedYoutubeHls)) {
+        console.error("ENABLE_DEPRECATED_YOUTUBE_HLS is invalid.");
+        console.error(`Supported options are are: ${youtubeHlsOptions.join(', ')}\n`);
+        throw new Error("Invalid ENABLE_DEPRECATED_YOUTUBE_HLS");
+    }
+
     if (env.externalProxy && env.freebindCIDR) {
         throw new Error('freebind is not available when external proxy is enabled')
     }
diff --git a/api/src/processing/match.js b/api/src/processing/match.js
index 65a021b0..bf816b1c 100644
--- a/api/src/processing/match.js
+++ b/api/src/processing/match.js
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ import xiaohongshu from "./services/xiaohongshu.js";
 
 let freebind;
 
-export default async function({ host, patternMatch, params, isSession }) {
+export default async function({ host, patternMatch, params, isSession, isApiKey }) {
     const { url } = params;
     assert(url instanceof URL);
     let dispatcher, requestIP;
@@ -65,6 +65,14 @@ export default async function({ host, patternMatch, params, isSession }) {
             });
         }
 
+        // youtubeHLS will be fully removed in the future
+        let youtubeHLS = params.youtubeHLS;
+        const hlsEnv = env.enableDeprecatedYoutubeHls;
+
+        if (hlsEnv === "never" || (hlsEnv === "key" && !isApiKey)) {
+            youtubeHLS = false;
+        }
+
         switch (host) {
             case "twitter":
                 r = await twitter({
@@ -105,7 +113,7 @@ export default async function({ host, patternMatch, params, isSession }) {
                     isAudioOnly,
                     isAudioMuted,
                     dubLang: params.youtubeDubLang,
-                    youtubeHLS: params.youtubeHLS,
+                    youtubeHLS,
                 }
 
                 if (url.hostname === "music.youtube.com" || isAudioOnly) {