diff --git a/src/engine/util/pause-system.ts b/src/engine/util/pause-system.ts
index 026e6a29..dc4a2e6e 100644
--- a/src/engine/util/pause-system.ts
+++ b/src/engine/util/pause-system.ts
@@ -1,9 +1,11 @@
 import type { EventEmitter, Scene, SceneEvents } from '..';
 import type { Query } from '../entity-component-system';
-import { System, SystemType } from '../entity-component-system';
+import { System, SystemPriority, SystemType } from '../entity-component-system';
 import { PauseComponent, PauseComponentTag } from '../entity-component-system/components/pause-component';
 
 export class PauseSystem extends System {
+  static priority = SystemPriority.Highest;
+
   systemType: SystemType = SystemType.Update;
   query: Query<typeof PauseComponent>;
   sceneEventEmitter: EventEmitter<SceneEvents>;
@@ -25,16 +27,14 @@ export class PauseSystem extends System {
   update(elapsed: number): void {
     for (const pauseEntity of this.query.entities) {
       const pauseComponent = pauseEntity.get(PauseComponent);
-      if (pauseComponent.canPause === false) {
-        pauseComponent.paused = false;
-      } else {
-        pauseComponent.paused = this.isPaused;
+      const paused = this.isPaused && pauseComponent.canPause !== false;
 
-        if (this.isPaused) {
-          pauseEntity.addTag(PauseComponentTag);
-        } else {
-          pauseEntity.removeTag(PauseComponentTag);
-        }
+      pauseComponent.paused = paused;
+
+      if (paused) {
+        pauseEntity.addTag(PauseComponentTag);
+      } else {
+        pauseEntity.removeTag(PauseComponentTag);
       }
     }
   }
diff --git a/src/spec/vitest/pause-spec.ts b/src/spec/vitest/pause-spec.ts
index 73b02851..b18e7cb4 100644
--- a/src/spec/vitest/pause-spec.ts
+++ b/src/spec/vitest/pause-spec.ts
@@ -1,9 +1,10 @@
 import { describe, it, expect, beforeEach } from 'vitest';
 import { PauseSystem } from '../../engine/util/pause-system';
-import { PauseComponent } from '../../engine/entity-component-system/components/pause-component';
+import { PauseComponent, PauseComponentTag } from '../../engine/entity-component-system/components/pause-component';
 import type { Scene } from '../../engine/scene';
 import { Entity } from '../../engine/entity-component-system/entity';
 import { Engine } from '../../engine/engine';
+import { SystemPriority } from '../../engine/entity-component-system';
 
 describe('PauseSystem', () => {
   let pauseSystem: PauseSystem;
@@ -24,6 +25,10 @@ describe('PauseSystem', () => {
     expect(pauseSystem.isPaused).toBe(false);
   });
 
+  it('should run before pause-sensitive systems', () => {
+    expect(PauseSystem.priority).toBe(SystemPriority.Highest);
+  });
+
   it('should set isPaused to true when scene emits pause event', () => {
     scene.pause();
     expect(pauseSystem.isPaused).toBe(true);
@@ -165,4 +170,23 @@ describe('PauseSystem', () => {
     pauseSystem.update(16);
     expect(pauseComponent.paused).toBe(false);
   });
+
+  it('should remove paused tag when canPause becomes false while paused', () => {
+    const entity = new Entity();
+    const pauseComponent = new PauseComponent({ canPause: true });
+    entity.addComponent(pauseComponent);
+    scene.add(entity);
+
+    scene.pause();
+    pauseSystem.update(16);
+
+    expect(pauseComponent.paused).toBe(true);
+    expect(entity.hasTag(PauseComponentTag)).toBe(true);
+
+    pauseComponent.canPause = false;
+    pauseSystem.update(16);
+
+    expect(pauseComponent.paused).toBe(false);
+    expect(entity.hasTag(PauseComponentTag)).toBe(false);
+  });
 });