diff --git a/getstream/video/rtc/connection_manager.py b/getstream/video/rtc/connection_manager.py
index 434a7a4e..b8d992f1 100644
--- a/getstream/video/rtc/connection_manager.py
+++ b/getstream/video/rtc/connection_manager.py
@@ -58,9 +58,18 @@ def __init__(
         create: bool = True,
         subscription_config: Optional[SubscriptionConfig] = None,
         max_join_retries: int = 3,
-        drain_video_frames: bool = False,
+        drain_video_frames: bool = True,
         **kwargs: Any,
     ):
+        """
+        Args:
+            drain_video_frames: When True, attaches a MediaBlackhole to each
+                incoming video track so unconsumed frames are drained
+                automatically. This prevents unbounded queue growth in
+                RTCRtpReceiver when no subscriber is consuming the track.
+                The drain is stopped once a real subscriber is added via
+                add_track_subscriber.
+        """
         super().__init__()
 
         # Public attributes
diff --git a/getstream/video/rtc/pc.py b/getstream/video/rtc/pc.py
index a07d5840..ab7302eb 100644
--- a/getstream/video/rtc/pc.py
+++ b/getstream/video/rtc/pc.py
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ def __init__(
         self,
         connection,
         configuration: aiortc.RTCConfiguration,
-        drain_video_frames: bool = False,
+        drain_video_frames: bool = True,
     ) -> None:
         logger.info(
             f"creating subscriber peer connection with configuration: {configuration}"
@@ -142,8 +142,8 @@ def __init__(
 
         self.track_map = {}  # track_id -> (MediaRelay, original_track)
         self.video_frame_trackers = {}  # track_id -> VideoFrameTracker
-        self._video_blackholes: dict[str, MediaBlackhole] = {}
-        self._video_drain_tasks: dict[str, asyncio.Task] = {}
+        self._video_blackholes: dict[str, tuple[MediaBlackhole, asyncio.Task]] = {}
+        self._background_tasks: set[asyncio.Task] = set()
 
         @self.on("track")
         async def on_track(track: aiortc.mediastreams.MediaStreamTrack):
@@ -189,11 +189,8 @@ def _emit_pcm(pcm: PcmData):
                 drain_proxy = relay.subscribe(tracked_track)
                 blackhole = MediaBlackhole()
                 blackhole.addTrack(drain_proxy)
-                self._video_blackholes[track.id] = blackhole
-                self._video_drain_tasks[track.id] = asyncio.create_task(
-                    blackhole.start()
-                )
-
+                drain_task = asyncio.create_task(blackhole.start())
+                self._video_blackholes[track.id] = (blackhole, drain_task)
             self.emit("track_added", proxy, user)
 
         @self.on("icegatheringstatechange")
@@ -208,6 +205,14 @@ def add_track_subscriber(
         """Add a new subscriber to an existing track's MediaRelay."""
         track_data = self.track_map.get(track_id)
 
+        blackhole, drain_task = self._video_blackholes.pop(track_id, (None, None))
+
+        if blackhole and drain_task:
+            task = asyncio.create_task(blackhole.stop())
+            drain_task.cancel()  # safety net if start() becomes long-lived in future aiortc
+            self._background_tasks.add(task)
+            task.add_done_callback(self._background_tasks.discard)
+
         if track_data:
             relay, original_track = track_data
             return relay.subscribe(original_track, buffered=False)
diff --git a/getstream/video/rtc/peer_connection.py b/getstream/video/rtc/peer_connection.py
index 26e89df0..685de269 100644
--- a/getstream/video/rtc/peer_connection.py
+++ b/getstream/video/rtc/peer_connection.py
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@
 class PeerConnectionManager:
     """Manages WebRTC peer connections for publishing and subscribing."""
 
-    def __init__(self, connection_manager, drain_video_frames: bool = False):
+    def __init__(self, connection_manager, drain_video_frames: bool = True):
         self.connection_manager = connection_manager
         self._drain_video_frames = drain_video_frames
         self.publisher_pc: Optional[PublisherPeerConnection] = None
diff --git a/tests/rtc/test_subscriber_drain.py b/tests/rtc/test_subscriber_drain.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..08b86f51
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/rtc/test_subscriber_drain.py
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+"""Tests for SubscriberPeerConnection video drain behavior."""
+
+from unittest.mock import AsyncMock, Mock
+
+import pytest
+from aiortc.contrib.media import MediaRelay
+
+from getstream.video.rtc.pc import SubscriberPeerConnection
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def subscriber_pc():
+    """Create a SubscriberPeerConnection bypassing heavy parent inits."""
+    pc = SubscriberPeerConnection.__new__(SubscriberPeerConnection)
+    pc.connection = Mock()
+    pc._drain_video_frames = True
+    pc.track_map = {}
+    pc.video_frame_trackers = {}
+    pc._video_blackholes = {}
+    pc._background_tasks = set()
+    pc._listeners = {}
+    return pc
+
+
+class TestAddTrackSubscriberStopsDrain:
+    @pytest.mark.asyncio
+    async def test_blackhole_stopped_when_subscriber_added(self, subscriber_pc):
+        track_id = "user123:video:0"
+        relay = MediaRelay()
+        original_track = Mock()
+        subscriber_pc.track_map[track_id] = (relay, original_track)
+
+        blackhole = Mock()
+        blackhole.stop = AsyncMock()
+        subscriber_pc._video_blackholes[track_id] = (blackhole, Mock())
+
+        subscriber_pc.add_track_subscriber(track_id)
+
+        blackhole.stop.assert_called_once()
+        assert track_id not in subscriber_pc._video_blackholes
+
+    def test_no_error_when_no_drain_exists(self, subscriber_pc):
+        track_id = "user123:video:0"
+        relay = MediaRelay()
+        original_track = Mock()
+        subscriber_pc.track_map[track_id] = (relay, original_track)
+
+        result = subscriber_pc.add_track_subscriber(track_id)
+        assert result is not None