diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 0ce5fa77..66c34274 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -276,7 +276,7 @@ event_viewer:
 
 | Option | Default | Overridable | Description |
 | - | - | - | - |
-| `autoplay_clip` | `false` | :heavy_multiplication_x: | Whether or not to autoplay clips in the 'clip' [view](#views). Clips manually chosen in the clips gallery will still autoplay.|
+| `autoplay_clip` | `true` | :heavy_multiplication_x: | Whether or not to autoplay clips.|
 | `lazy_load` | `true` | :heavy_multiplication_x: | Whether or not to lazily load media in the event viewer carousel. Setting this will false will fetch all media immediately which may make the carousel experience smoother at a cost of (potentially) a substantial number of simultaneous media fetches on load. |
 | `draggable` | `true` | :heavy_multiplication_x: | Whether or not the event viewer carousel can be dragged left or right, via touch/swipe and mouse dragging. |
 | `controls` | | :heavy_multiplication_x: | Configuration for the event viewer. See below. |
diff --git a/src/components/carousel.ts b/src/components/carousel.ts
index c6febeda..540b3ae5 100644
--- a/src/components/carousel.ts
+++ b/src/components/carousel.ts
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ export class FrigateCardCarousel extends LitElement {
   }
 
   /**
-   * Load the carousel with "slides".
+   * Initialize the carousel.
    */
   protected _initCarousel(): void {
     const carouselNode = this.renderRoot.querySelector(
diff --git a/src/components/live.ts b/src/components/live.ts
index 21d6f76d..0add77d1 100644
--- a/src/components/live.ts
+++ b/src/components/live.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-// TODO clip autoplay not working as expected
+// TODO use the schema default remover code to simplify config schema
 // TODO verify README links worked correctly (e.g. basic cameras configuration)
 
 import {
diff --git a/src/components/media-carousel.ts b/src/components/media-carousel.ts
index 0460d225..9b1b73b1 100644
--- a/src/components/media-carousel.ts
+++ b/src/components/media-carousel.ts
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ export class FrigateCardMediaCarousel extends FrigateCardCarousel {
   }
 
   /**
-   * Initializse the carousel with "slides" (clips or snapshots).
+   * Initialize the carousel.
    */
   protected _initCarousel(): void {
     super._initCarousel();
diff --git a/src/components/viewer.ts b/src/components/viewer.ts
index 47b7e339..b883824b 100644
--- a/src/components/viewer.ts
+++ b/src/components/viewer.ts
@@ -522,6 +522,37 @@ export class FrigateCardViewerCarousel extends FrigateCardMediaCarousel {
     }
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Play the clip being shown to the user (video player may already be loaded
+   * depending on the lazyload configuration).
+   */
+  protected _autoplayHandler(): void {
+    if (!this._carousel) {
+      return;
+    }
+    const nodes = this._carousel.slideNodes();
+    this._carousel.slidesInView(true).forEach((slide) => {
+      const player = nodes[slide].querySelector('frigate-card-ha-hls-player') as
+        | (HTMLElement & { play: () => void })
+        | undefined;
+      if (player) {
+        player.play();
+      }
+    });
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Initialize the carousel.
+   */
+  protected _initCarousel(): void {
+    super._initCarousel();
+
+    if (this._carousel && this.viewerConfig && this.viewerConfig.autoplay_clip) {
+      this._carousel.on('init', this._autoplayHandler.bind(this));
+      this._carousel.on('select', this._autoplayHandler.bind(this));
+    }
+  }
+
   /**
    * Get slides to include in the render.
    * @returns The slides to include in the render and an index keyed by slide
@@ -643,22 +674,11 @@ export class FrigateCardViewerCarousel extends FrigateCardMediaCarousel {
       return;
     }
 
-    // In this block, no clip has been manually selected, so this is loading
-    // the most recent clip on card load. In this mode, autoplay of the clip
-    // may be disabled by configuration. If does not make sense to disable
-    // autoplay when the user has explicitly picked an event to play in the
-    // gallery.
-    let autoplay = true;
-    if (this.view.is('clip') || this.view.is('snapshot')) {
-      autoplay = this.viewerConfig.autoplay_clip;
-    }
-
     return html`
       <div class="embla__slide">
         ${this.view.isClipRelatedView()
           ? html`<frigate-card-ha-hls-player
               allow-exoplayer
-              ?autoplay="${autoplay}"
               aria-label="${mediaToRender.title}"
               controls
               muted
diff --git a/src/localize/languages/en.json b/src/localize/languages/en.json
index 35eec787..f9f7b294 100644
--- a/src/localize/languages/en.json
+++ b/src/localize/languages/en.json
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@
       "update_force": "Force card updates (ignore media playing / interaction)"
     },
     "event_viewer": {
-      "autoplay_clip": "Autoplay most recent clip (In 'clip' view)",
+      "autoplay_clip": "Autoplay clips",
       "draggable": "Event Viewer can be dragged/swiped",
       "lazy_load": "Event Viewer media is lazily loaded in carousel",
       "controls": {
diff --git a/src/patches/ha-hls-player.ts b/src/patches/ha-hls-player.ts
index 85807e74..13648fec 100644
--- a/src/patches/ha-hls-player.ts
+++ b/src/patches/ha-hls-player.ts
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 // ====================================================================
 
 import { TemplateResult, css, html } from 'lit';
+import { Ref, createRef, ref } from 'lit/directives/ref';
 import { customElement } from 'lit/decorators.js';
 
 import {
@@ -22,6 +23,17 @@ customElements.whenDefined('ha-hls-player').then(() => {
   @customElement('frigate-card-ha-hls-player')
   // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-unused-vars
   class FrigateCardHaHlsPlayer extends customElements.get('ha-hls-player') {
+    protected _videoRef: Ref<HTMLVideoElement> = createRef();
+
+    /**
+     * Play the video.
+     */
+    public play(): void {
+      if (this._videoRef.value) {
+        this._videoRef.value.play();
+      }
+    }
+
     // =====================================================================================
     // Minor modifications from:
     // - https://github.com/home-assistant/frontend/blob/dev/src/components/ha-hls-player.ts
@@ -29,6 +41,7 @@ customElements.whenDefined('ha-hls-player').then(() => {
     protected render(): TemplateResult {
       return html`
         <video
+          ${ref(this._videoRef)}
           ?autoplay=${this.autoPlay}
           .muted=${this.muted}
           ?playsinline=${this.playsInline}
diff --git a/src/types.ts b/src/types.ts
index 7730e493..577e4286 100644
--- a/src/types.ts
+++ b/src/types.ts
@@ -617,7 +617,7 @@ export type MenuConfig = z.infer<typeof menuConfigSchema>;
  * Event viewer configuration section (clip, snapshot).
  */
 const viewerConfigDefault = {
-  autoplay_clip: false,
+  autoplay_clip: true,
   lazy_load: true,
   draggable: true,
   controls: {