diff --git a/docs/encoded_passthrough.md b/docs/encoded_passthrough.md
index 77eeae1..bb37509 100644
--- a/docs/encoded_passthrough.md
+++ b/docs/encoded_passthrough.md
@@ -53,6 +53,14 @@ Current assumptions:
 
 ## Outputs
 
+### RTP
+
+RTP output accepts passthrough access units directly.
+
+- in encoded mode, SDP signaling and RTP packetization follow the codec from SHM metadata
+- `config.encoder.codec` is ignored for RTP while passthrough is active
+- raw mode still uses the configured local encoder and its codec
+
 ### RTMP
 
 RTMP output accepts passthrough access units directly.
diff --git a/include/cvmmap_streamer/protocol/rtp_publisher.hpp b/include/cvmmap_streamer/protocol/rtp_publisher.hpp
index afe893f..d7044c2 100644
--- a/include/cvmmap_streamer/protocol/rtp_publisher.hpp
+++ b/include/cvmmap_streamer/protocol/rtp_publisher.hpp
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ public:
 	UdpRtpPublisher &operator=(UdpRtpPublisher &&other) noexcept;
 
 	[[nodiscard]]
-	static std::expected<UdpRtpPublisher, std::string> create(const RuntimeConfig &config);
+	static std::expected<UdpRtpPublisher, std::string> create(const RuntimeConfig &config, CodecType codec);
 
 	void publish_access_unit(std::span<const std::uint8_t> access_unit, std::uint64_t pts_ns);
 
diff --git a/src/pipeline/pipeline_runtime.cpp b/src/pipeline/pipeline_runtime.cpp
index 9af9ae3..1e653d2 100644
--- a/src/pipeline/pipeline_runtime.cpp
+++ b/src/pipeline/pipeline_runtime.cpp
@@ -735,15 +735,6 @@ int run_pipeline(const RuntimeConfig &config) {
 		return exit_code(PipelineExitCode::SubscriberError);
 	}
 
-	if (config.outputs.rtp.enabled) {
-		auto created = protocol::UdpRtpPublisher::create(config);
-		if (!created) {
-			spdlog::error("pipeline RTP publisher init failed: {}", created.error());
-			return exit_code(PipelineExitCode::InitializationError);
-		}
-		rtp_publisher.emplace(std::move(*created));
-	}
-
 	PipelineStats stats{};
 	metrics::IngestEmitLatencyTracker latency_tracker{};
 	bool producer_offline{false};
@@ -775,6 +766,7 @@ int run_pipeline(const RuntimeConfig &config) {
 		warned_unknown_depth_unit = false;
 		using_encoded_input = false;
 		active_stream_info.reset();
+		rtp_publisher.reset();
 		rtmp_output.reset();
 	};
 
@@ -792,7 +784,17 @@ int run_pipeline(const RuntimeConfig &config) {
 
 	const auto start_outputs_from_stream_info =
 		[&](const encode::EncodedStreamInfo &stream_info, const ipc::FrameInfo &target_info) -> Status {
+		rtp_publisher.reset();
 		rtmp_output.reset();
+		if (config.outputs.rtp.enabled) {
+			auto created = protocol::UdpRtpPublisher::create(config, stream_info.codec);
+			if (!created) {
+				return unexpected_error(
+					ERR_INTERNAL,
+					"pipeline RTP publisher init failed: " + created.error());
+			}
+			rtp_publisher.emplace(std::move(*created));
+		}
 		if (config.outputs.rtmp.enabled) {
 			auto created = protocol::make_rtmp_output(config, stream_info);
 			if (!created) {
@@ -901,6 +903,7 @@ int run_pipeline(const RuntimeConfig &config) {
 					active_stream_info.reset();
 					using_encoded_input = false;
 					active_info.reset();
+					rtp_publisher.reset();
 					rtmp_output.reset();
 					break;
 				}
diff --git a/src/protocol/rtp_publisher.cpp b/src/protocol/rtp_publisher.cpp
index 2c5211a..21c0d19 100644
--- a/src/protocol/rtp_publisher.cpp
+++ b/src/protocol/rtp_publisher.cpp
@@ -179,7 +179,7 @@ UdpRtpPublisher &UdpRtpPublisher::operator=(UdpRtpPublisher &&other) noexcept {
 	return *this;
 }
 
-std::expected<UdpRtpPublisher, std::string> UdpRtpPublisher::create(const RuntimeConfig &config) {
+std::expected<UdpRtpPublisher, std::string> UdpRtpPublisher::create(const RuntimeConfig &config, const CodecType codec) {
 	if (!config.outputs.rtp.enabled) {
 		return std::unexpected("invalid RTP publisher init: RTP output disabled");
 	}
@@ -191,7 +191,7 @@ std::expected<UdpRtpPublisher, std::string> UdpRtpPublisher::create(const Runtim
 	publisher.destination_host_ = *config.outputs.rtp.host;
 	publisher.destination_port_ = *config.outputs.rtp.port;
 	publisher.payload_type_     = config.outputs.rtp.payload_type;
-	publisher.codec_            = config.encoder.codec;
+	publisher.codec_            = codec;
 	publisher.sequence_         = compute_initial_sequence();
 	publisher.ssrc_             = compute_ssrc(
 		publisher.destination_host_,