diff --git a/lib/plugins/validators/sync/06_autoplay.js b/lib/plugins/validators/sync/06_autoplay.js
index 2c8880c9d..1652b453f 100644
--- a/lib/plugins/validators/sync/06_autoplay.js
+++ b/lib/plugins/validators/sync/06_autoplay.js
@@ -23,60 +23,58 @@ export default {
         // create autoplay variant of the player if requested via link.autoplay attribute        
         if (link.href && link.rel.indexOf(CONFIG.R.player) > -1 && link.autoplay && typeof link.autoplay === "string" && link.autoplay.indexOf('=') > -1) { // it should always be a query-string
 
-            var play = link.autoplay;
-            // don't need this field any longer
+            const play_querystring = link.autoplay; // e.g. 'autoplay=1'            
             delete link.autoplay;
-            
-            if (link.href.indexOf(play) > -1 || link.rel.indexOf(CONFIG.R.autoplay) == -1) {
-
-               var stop = play.replace(/\=(\w+)/, function (p1, p2) {
-                    var antonyms = {
-                        '1': '0',
-                        '0': '1',
-                        'true': 'false',
-                        'false': 'true',
-                        'on': 'off',
-                        'off': 'on'
-                    };
-                    return '=' + antonyms[p2];
-                });                
-
-                var rels = [...link.rel]; 
-                var new_link = Object.assign({}, link);
-                new_link.rel = rels; // deep copy
-
-
-                if (link.href.indexOf(play) > -1 ) { 
-                    // original link is autoplay
-                    if (link.rel.indexOf(CONFIG.R.autoplay) == -1 ) {
-                        link.rel.push(CONFIG.R.autoplay);
-                    }
-                    
-                    new_link.href = new_link.href.replace(play, stop);
-                    if (new_link.rel.indexOf(CONFIG.R.autoplay) > -1 ) {
-                        new_link.rel.splice(new_link.rel.indexOf(CONFIG.R.autoplay), 1);
-                    }
-
-                } else if (link.rel.indexOf(CONFIG.R.autoplay) == -1) { 
-
-                    // original link isnt autoplay, leave it alone
-                    // autoplay=false may autoplay. Many publishers react to any `autoplay` value
-
-                    if (link.href.indexOf(stop) > -1) {
-                        new_link.href = new_link.href.replace(stop, play);
-                    } else  {
-                        new_link.href += (new_link.href.indexOf('?') > -1 ? '&' : '?') + play;    
-                    }
-                    
-                    new_link.rel.push(CONFIG.R.autoplay);
 
+            const stop_querystring = play_querystring.replace(/\=(\w+)/, function (p1, p2) {
+                const antonyms = {
+                    '1': '0',
+                    '0': '1',
+                    'true': 'false',
+                    'false': 'true',
+                    'on': 'off',
+                    'off': 'on'
+                };
+                return '=' + antonyms[p2];
+            });
+
+            // Fix original link first, if needed
+            if (link.href.indexOf(play_querystring) > -1 && link.rel.indexOf(CONFIG.R.autoplay) === -1) {
+                link.rel.push(CONFIG.R.autoplay);
+            }
+
+            if (link.href.indexOf(stop_querystring) > -1 && link.rel.indexOf(CONFIG.R.autoplay) > -1) {
+                link.rel.splice(link.rel.indexOf(CONFIG.R.autoplay), 1);
+            }            
+
+            var other = Object.assign({}, link);
+            other.rel = [...link.rel];
+
+            if (link.rel.indexOf(CONFIG.R.autoplay) === -1) { 
+
+                // Add a link with autoplay
+                if (link.href.indexOf(stop_querystring) > -1) {
+                    other.href = other.href.replace(stop_querystring, play_querystring);
+                } else  {
+                    other.href += (other.href.indexOf('?') > -1 ? '&' : '?') + play_querystring;
                 }
+                other.rel.push(CONFIG.R.autoplay);
 
-                return {
-                    addLink: new_link
-                };
+            } else {
+
+                // Add a link without autoplay
+                if (link.href.indexOf(play_querystring) > -1) {
+                    other.href = other.href.replace(play_querystring, stop_querystring);
+                } else  {
+                    other.href += (other.href.indexOf('?') > -1 ? '&' : '?') + stop_querystring;
+                }
+                other.rel.splice(other.rel.indexOf(CONFIG.R.autoplay), 1);
             }
-            
+
+            return {
+                addLink: other
+            };
+
         } else if (link.autoplay) {
             delete link.autoplay; // if not a string - just ignore it            
         }