diff --git a/externs/shaka/player.js b/externs/shaka/player.js
index 04ccb69221..39947751df 100644
--- a/externs/shaka/player.js
+++ b/externs/shaka/player.js
@@ -996,7 +996,8 @@ shaka.extern.MssManifestConfiguration;
  *   segmentRelativeVttTiming: boolean,
  *   dash: shaka.extern.DashManifestConfiguration,
  *   hls: shaka.extern.HlsManifestConfiguration,
- *   mss: shaka.extern.MssManifestConfiguration
+ *   mss: shaka.extern.MssManifestConfiguration,
+ *   raiseFatalErrorOnManifestUpdateRequestFailure: boolean
  * }}
  *
  * @property {shaka.extern.RetryParameters} retryParameters
@@ -1036,6 +1037,9 @@ shaka.extern.MssManifestConfiguration;
  *   Advanced parameters used by the HLS manifest parser.
  * @property {shaka.extern.MssManifestConfiguration} mss
  *   Advanced parameters used by the MSS manifest parser.
+ * @property {boolean} raiseFatalErrorOnManifestUpdateRequestFailure
+ *   If true, manifest update request failures will cause a fatal errror.
+ *   Defaults to <code>false</code> if not provided.
  *
  * @exportDoc
  */
diff --git a/lib/dash/dash_parser.js b/lib/dash/dash_parser.js
index ce4b20578e..fc2b005472 100644
--- a/lib/dash/dash_parser.js
+++ b/lib/dash/dash_parser.js
@@ -1360,6 +1360,10 @@ shaka.dash.DashParser = class {
 
       // Try updating again, but ensure we haven't been destroyed.
       if (this.playerInterface_) {
+        if (this.config_.raiseFatalErrorOnManifestUpdateRequestFailure) {
+          this.playerInterface_.onError(error);
+          return;
+        }
         // We will retry updating, so override the severity of the error.
         error.severity = shaka.util.Error.Severity.RECOVERABLE;
         this.playerInterface_.onError(error);
diff --git a/lib/hls/hls_parser.js b/lib/hls/hls_parser.js
index 04da52d2c9..c0abb127c6 100644
--- a/lib/hls/hls_parser.js
+++ b/lib/hls/hls_parser.js
@@ -3339,6 +3339,11 @@ shaka.hls.HlsParser = class {
       goog.asserts.assert(error instanceof shaka.util.Error,
           'Should only receive a Shaka error');
 
+      if (this.config_.raiseFatalErrorOnManifestUpdateRequestFailure) {
+        this.playerInterface_.onError(error);
+        return;
+      }
+
       // We will retry updating, so override the severity of the error.
       error.severity = shaka.util.Error.Severity.RECOVERABLE;
       this.playerInterface_.onError(error);
diff --git a/lib/util/player_configuration.js b/lib/util/player_configuration.js
index 3dd2ddc870..9290a5d1a8 100644
--- a/lib/util/player_configuration.js
+++ b/lib/util/player_configuration.js
@@ -109,6 +109,7 @@ shaka.util.PlayerConfiguration = class {
       disableThumbnails: false,
       defaultPresentationDelay: 0,
       segmentRelativeVttTiming: false,
+      raiseFatalErrorOnManifestUpdateRequestFailure: false,
       dash: {
         clockSyncUri: '',
         ignoreDrmInfo: false,
diff --git a/test/dash/dash_parser_live_unit.js b/test/dash/dash_parser_live_unit.js
index c1b7385f2f..93da3225c5 100644
--- a/test/dash/dash_parser_live_unit.js
+++ b/test/dash/dash_parser_live_unit.js
@@ -589,6 +589,8 @@ describe('DashParser Live', () => {
     const onError = jasmine.createSpy('onError');
     playerInterface.onError = Util.spyFunc(onError);
 
+    const updateTick = updateTickSpy();
+
     fakeNetEngine.setResponseText('dummy://foo', manifestText);
     await parser.start('dummy://foo', playerInterface);
 
@@ -603,6 +605,39 @@ describe('DashParser Live', () => {
 
     await updateManifest();
     expect(onError).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    expect(updateTick).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2);
+  });
+
+  it('fatal error on manifest update request failure when ' +
+      'raiseFatalErrorOnManifestUpdateRequestFailure is true', async () => {
+    const manifestConfig =
+      shaka.util.PlayerConfiguration.createDefault().manifest;
+    manifestConfig.raiseFatalErrorOnManifestUpdateRequestFailure = true;
+    parser.configure(manifestConfig);
+
+    const updateTick = updateTickSpy();
+
+    const lines = [
+      '<SegmentTemplate startNumber="1" media="s$Number$.mp4" duration="2"/>',
+    ];
+    const manifestText = makeSimpleLiveManifestText(lines, updateTime);
+    /** @type {!jasmine.Spy} */
+    const onError = jasmine.createSpy('onError');
+    playerInterface.onError = Util.spyFunc(onError);
+
+    fakeNetEngine.setResponseText('dummy://foo', manifestText);
+    await parser.start('dummy://foo', playerInterface);
+
+    const error = new shaka.util.Error(
+        shaka.util.Error.Severity.CRITICAL,
+        shaka.util.Error.Category.NETWORK,
+        shaka.util.Error.Code.BAD_HTTP_STATUS);
+    const operation = shaka.util.AbortableOperation.failed(error);
+    fakeNetEngine.request.and.returnValue(operation);
+
+    await updateManifest();
+    expect(onError).toHaveBeenCalledWith(error);
+    expect(updateTick).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
   });
 
   it('uses @minimumUpdatePeriod', async () => {
diff --git a/test/demo/demo_unit.js b/test/demo/demo_unit.js
index 8bcff57286..6f078ee0fe 100644
--- a/test/demo/demo_unit.js
+++ b/test/demo/demo_unit.js
@@ -98,6 +98,7 @@ describe('Demo', () => {
           .add('manifest.mss.keySystemsBySystemId')
           .add('drm.keySystemsMapping')
           .add('streaming.parsePrftBox')
+          .add('manifest.raiseFatalErrorOnManifestUpdateRequestFailure')
           .add('drm.persistentSessionOnlinePlayback')
           .add('drm.persistentSessionsMetadata');
 
diff --git a/test/hls/hls_live_unit.js b/test/hls/hls_live_unit.js
index 3850a73db1..1f793144f5 100644
--- a/test/hls/hls_live_unit.js
+++ b/test/hls/hls_live_unit.js
@@ -88,6 +88,15 @@ describe('HlsParser live', () => {
     parser.stop();
   });
 
+  /**
+   * Gets a spy on the function that sets the update period.
+   * @return {!jasmine.Spy}
+   * @suppress {accessControls}
+   */
+  function updateTickSpy() {
+    return spyOn(parser.updatePlaylistTimer_, 'tickAfter');
+  }
+
   /**
    * Trigger a manifest update.
    * @suppress {accessControls}
@@ -332,6 +341,34 @@ describe('HlsParser live', () => {
         expect(notifySegmentsSpy).toHaveBeenCalled();
       });
 
+      it('fatal error on manifest update request failure when ' +
+          'raiseFatalErrorOnManifestUpdateRequestFailure is true', async () => {
+        const manifestConfig =
+        shaka.util.PlayerConfiguration.createDefault().manifest;
+        manifestConfig.raiseFatalErrorOnManifestUpdateRequestFailure = true;
+        parser.configure(manifestConfig);
+
+        const updateTick = updateTickSpy();
+
+        await testInitialManifest(master, media);
+        expect(updateTick).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+
+        /** @type {!jasmine.Spy} */
+        const onError = jasmine.createSpy('onError');
+        playerInterface.onError = shaka.test.Util.spyFunc(onError);
+
+        const error = new shaka.util.Error(
+            shaka.util.Error.Severity.CRITICAL,
+            shaka.util.Error.Category.NETWORK,
+            shaka.util.Error.Code.BAD_HTTP_STATUS);
+        const operation = shaka.util.AbortableOperation.failed(error);
+        fakeNetEngine.request.and.returnValue(operation);
+
+        await delayForUpdatePeriod();
+        expect(onError).toHaveBeenCalledWith(error);
+        expect(updateTick).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+      });
+
       it('converts to VOD only after all playlists end', async () => {
         const master = [
           '#EXTM3U\n',