diff --git a/src/main/cli/settings.c b/src/main/cli/settings.c
index 63cc4891a..9bc20771a 100644
--- a/src/main/cli/settings.c
+++ b/src/main/cli/settings.c
@@ -1510,6 +1510,7 @@ const clivalue_t valueTable[] = {
     { "vtx_channel",                VAR_UINT8  | MASTER_VALUE, .config.minmaxUnsigned = { 0, VTX_TABLE_MAX_CHANNELS }, PG_VTX_SETTINGS_CONFIG, offsetof(vtxSettingsConfig_t, channel) },
     { "vtx_power",                  VAR_UINT8  | MASTER_VALUE, .config.minmaxUnsigned = { 0, VTX_TABLE_MAX_POWER_LEVELS - 1 }, PG_VTX_SETTINGS_CONFIG, offsetof(vtxSettingsConfig_t, power) },
     { "vtx_low_power_disarm",       VAR_UINT8  | MASTER_VALUE | MODE_LOOKUP, .config.lookup = { TABLE_VTX_LOW_POWER_DISARM }, PG_VTX_SETTINGS_CONFIG, offsetof(vtxSettingsConfig_t, lowPowerDisarm) },
+    { "vtx_softserial_alt",         VAR_UINT8  | MASTER_VALUE | MODE_LOOKUP, .config.lookup = { TABLE_OFF_ON }, PG_VTX_SETTINGS_CONFIG, offsetof(vtxSettingsConfig_t, softserialAlt) },
 #ifdef VTX_SETTINGS_FREQCMD
     { "vtx_freq",                   VAR_UINT16 | MASTER_VALUE, .config.minmaxUnsigned = { 0, VTX_SETTINGS_MAX_FREQUENCY_MHZ }, PG_VTX_SETTINGS_CONFIG, offsetof(vtxSettingsConfig_t, freq) },
     { "vtx_pit_mode_freq",          VAR_UINT16 | MASTER_VALUE, .config.minmaxUnsigned = { 0, VTX_SETTINGS_MAX_FREQUENCY_MHZ }, PG_VTX_SETTINGS_CONFIG, offsetof(vtxSettingsConfig_t, pitModeFreq) },
diff --git a/src/main/io/vtx.c b/src/main/io/vtx.c
index 93b3654e9..49acc0e39 100644
--- a/src/main/io/vtx.c
+++ b/src/main/io/vtx.c
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@
 #include "vtx.h"
 
 
-PG_REGISTER_WITH_RESET_FN(vtxSettingsConfig_t, vtxSettingsConfig, PG_VTX_SETTINGS_CONFIG, 0);
+PG_REGISTER_WITH_RESET_FN(vtxSettingsConfig_t, vtxSettingsConfig, PG_VTX_SETTINGS_CONFIG, 1);
 
 void pgResetFn_vtxSettingsConfig(vtxSettingsConfig_t *vtxSettingsConfig)
 {
@@ -64,6 +64,7 @@ void pgResetFn_vtxSettingsConfig(vtxSettingsConfig_t *vtxSettingsConfig)
 #endif
     vtxSettingsConfig->pitModeFreq = VTX_TABLE_DEFAULT_PITMODE_FREQ;
     vtxSettingsConfig->lowPowerDisarm = VTX_LOW_POWER_DISARM_OFF;
+    vtxSettingsConfig->softserialAlt = 0;
 }
 
 typedef enum {
diff --git a/src/main/io/vtx.h b/src/main/io/vtx.h
index 845779cd7..d2a36034c 100644
--- a/src/main/io/vtx.h
+++ b/src/main/io/vtx.h
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ typedef struct vtxSettingsConfig_s {
     uint16_t freq;          // sets freq in MHz if band=0
     uint16_t pitModeFreq;   // sets out-of-range pitmode frequency
     uint8_t lowPowerDisarm; // min power while disarmed, from vtxLowerPowerDisarm_e
+    uint8_t softserialAlt;  // pull line low before sending frame even with SOFTSERIAL
 } vtxSettingsConfig_t;
 
 PG_DECLARE(vtxSettingsConfig_t, vtxSettingsConfig);
diff --git a/src/main/io/vtx_smartaudio.c b/src/main/io/vtx_smartaudio.c
index f65d91d07..ca0292db4 100644
--- a/src/main/io/vtx_smartaudio.c
+++ b/src/main/io/vtx_smartaudio.c
@@ -500,6 +500,9 @@ static void saSendFrame(uint8_t *buf, int len)
         switch (smartAudioSerialPort->identifier) {
         case SERIAL_PORT_SOFTSERIAL1:
         case SERIAL_PORT_SOFTSERIAL2:
+            if(vtxSettingsConfig()->softserialAlt) {
+                serialWrite(smartAudioSerialPort, 0x00); // Generate 1st start bit
+            }
             break;
         default:
             serialWrite(smartAudioSerialPort, 0x00); // Generate 1st start bit