diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 11b5bf0ab..68a6d2ad9 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -1188,6 +1188,24 @@ Optionally included keys are:
 		which means that it's applied only to the one side doing the signalling that is being
 		handled (i.e. the side doing the `offer` or the `answer`).
 
+	- asymmetric codecs
+
+		This flag is relevant to transcoding scenarios. By default, if an RTP client rejects a
+		codec that was offered to it (by not including it in the answer SDP), *rtpengine* will
+		assume that this client will also not send this codec (in addition to not wishing to
+		receive it). With this flag given, *rtpengine* will not make this assumption, meaning
+		that *rtpengine* will expect to potentially receive a codec from an RTP client even if
+		that RTP client rejected this codec in its answer SDP.
+
+		The effective difference is that when *rtpengine* is instructed to offer a new codec for
+		transcoding to an RTP client, and then this RTP client rejects this codec, by default
+		*rtpengine* is then able to shut down its transcoding engine and revert to non-transcoding
+		operation for this call. With this flag given however, *rtpengine* would not be able
+		to shut down its transcoding engine in this case, resulting in potentially different media
+		flow, and potentially transcoding media when it otherwise would not have to.
+
+		This flag should be given as part of the `answer` message.
+
 * `replace`
 
 	Similar to the `flags` list. Controls which parts of the SDP body should be rewritten.
diff --git a/daemon/call_interfaces.c b/daemon/call_interfaces.c
index ce9693405..2741051d8 100644
--- a/daemon/call_interfaces.c
+++ b/daemon/call_interfaces.c
@@ -618,6 +618,8 @@ static void call_ng_flags_flags(struct sdp_ng_flags *out, str *s, void *dummy) {
 		out->loop_protect = 1;
 	else if (!str_cmp(s, "always-transcode"))
 		out->always_transcode = 1;
+	else if (!str_cmp(s, "asymmetric-codecs"))
+		out->asymmetric_codecs = 1;
 	else {
 		// handle values aliases from other dictionaries
 		if (call_ng_flags_prefix(out, s, "SDES-", ng_sdes_option, NULL))
diff --git a/daemon/codec.c b/daemon/codec.c
index a66cf5815..d51243f84 100644
--- a/daemon/codec.c
+++ b/daemon/codec.c
@@ -145,18 +145,27 @@ static void __ensure_codec_def(struct rtp_payload_type *pt, struct call_media *m
 	if (!pt->codec_def->pseudocodec && (!pt->codec_def->support_encoding || !pt->codec_def->support_decoding))
 		pt->codec_def = NULL;
 }
-static GList *__delete_receiver_codec(struct call_media *receiver, GList *link) {
+
+static GList *__delete_x_codec(GList *link, GHashTable *codecs, GHashTable *codec_names, GQueue *codecs_prefs) {
 	struct rtp_payload_type *pt = link->data;
 
-	g_hash_table_remove(receiver->codecs_recv, &pt->payload_type);
-	g_hash_table_remove(receiver->codec_names_recv, &pt->encoding);
-	g_hash_table_remove(receiver->codec_names_recv, &pt->encoding_with_params);
+	g_hash_table_remove(codecs, &pt->payload_type);
+	g_hash_table_remove(codec_names, &pt->encoding);
+	g_hash_table_remove(codec_names, &pt->encoding_with_params);
 
 	GList *next = link->next;
-	g_queue_delete_link(&receiver->codecs_prefs_recv, link);
+	g_queue_delete_link(codecs_prefs, link);
 	payload_type_free(pt);
 	return next;
 }
+static GList *__delete_receiver_codec(struct call_media *receiver, GList *link) {
+	return __delete_x_codec(link, receiver->codecs_recv, receiver->codec_names_recv,
+			&receiver->codecs_prefs_recv);
+}
+static GList *__delete_send_codec(struct call_media *sender, GList *link) {
+	return __delete_x_codec(link, sender->codecs_send, sender->codec_names_send,
+			&sender->codecs_prefs_send);
+}
 
 // call must be locked in W
 void codec_handlers_update(struct call_media *receiver, struct call_media *sink,
@@ -244,6 +253,22 @@ void codec_handlers_update(struct call_media *receiver, struct call_media *sink,
 			}
 		}
 	}
+	else {
+		if (!flags || !flags->asymmetric_codecs) {
+			// in the other case (not transcoding), we can eliminate rejected codecs from our
+			// `send` list if the receiver cannot receive it.
+			for (GList *l = receiver->codecs_prefs_send.head; l;) {
+				struct rtp_payload_type *pt = l->data;
+				if (g_hash_table_lookup(receiver->codec_names_recv, &pt->encoding)) {
+					l = l->next;
+					continue;
+				}
+				ilog(LOG_DEBUG, "Eliminating asymmetric outbound codec " STR_FORMAT,
+						STR_FMT(&pt->encoding_with_params));
+				l = __delete_send_codec(receiver, l);
+			}
+		}
+	}
 
 	for (GList *l = receiver->codecs_prefs_recv.head; l; ) {
 		struct rtp_payload_type *pt = l->data;
@@ -980,6 +1005,21 @@ void codec_rtp_payload_types(struct call_media *media, struct call_media *other_
 		__revert_codec_strip(removed, codec, media, other_media);
 	}
 
+	if (!flags->asymmetric_codecs) {
+		// eliminate rejected codecs from the reverse direction. a rejected codec is missing
+		// from the `send` list. also remove it from the `receive` list.
+		for (GList *l = other_media->codecs_prefs_recv.head; l;) {
+			pt = l->data;
+			if (g_hash_table_lookup(other_media->codec_names_send, &pt->encoding)) {
+				l = l->next;
+				continue;
+			}
+			ilog(LOG_DEBUG, "Eliminating asymmetric inbound codec " STR_FORMAT,
+					STR_FMT(&pt->encoding_with_params));
+			l = __delete_receiver_codec(other_media, l);
+		}
+	}
+
 #ifdef WITH_TRANSCODING
 	// add transcode codecs
 	for (GList *l = flags->codec_transcode.head; l; l = l->next) {
diff --git a/include/call_interfaces.h b/include/call_interfaces.h
index a59eea1e1..824e0cc18 100644
--- a/include/call_interfaces.h
+++ b/include/call_interfaces.h
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ struct sdp_ng_flags {
 	    record_call:1,
 	    loop_protect:1,
 	    always_transcode:1,
+	    asymmetric_codecs:1,
 	    supports_load_limit:1,
 	    dtls_off:1,
 	    sdes_off:1,
diff --git a/t/transcode-test.c b/t/transcode-test.c
index 74f2960ba..d96823f4d 100644
--- a/t/transcode-test.c
+++ b/t/transcode-test.c
@@ -72,6 +72,7 @@ static void __sdp_pt_fmt(int num, str codec, int clockrate, str full_codec, str
 #define sdp_pt(num, codec, clockrate) sdp_pt_fmt(num, codec, clockrate, "")
 
 static void offer() {
+	printf("offer\n");
 	codec_rtp_payload_types(media_B, media_A, &rtp_types, &flags);
 	codec_handlers_update(media_B, media_A, &flags);
 	g_queue_clear(&rtp_types);
@@ -79,6 +80,7 @@ static void offer() {
 }
 
 static void answer() {
+	printf("answer\n");
 	codec_rtp_payload_types(media_A, media_B, &rtp_types, &flags);
 	codec_handlers_update(media_A, media_B, &flags);
 }
@@ -259,6 +261,46 @@ int main() {
 	packet(B, 8, PCMA_payload, 8, PCMA_payload);
 	end();
 
+	// plain with two offered and one answered
+	start();
+	sdp_pt(0, PCMU, 8000);
+	sdp_pt(8, PCMA, 8000);
+	offer();
+	expect(A, recv, "");
+	expect(A, send, "0/PCMU/8000 8/PCMA/8000");
+	expect(B, recv, "0/PCMU/8000 8/PCMA/8000");
+	expect(B, send, "");
+	sdp_pt(8, PCMA, 8000);
+	answer();
+	expect(A, recv, "8/PCMA/8000");
+	expect(A, send, "8/PCMA/8000");
+	expect(B, recv, "8/PCMA/8000");
+	expect(B, send, "8/PCMA/8000");
+	packet(A, 8, PCMA_payload, 8, PCMA_payload);
+	packet(B, 8, PCMA_payload, 8, PCMA_payload);
+	end();
+
+	// plain with two offered and one answered + asymmetric codecs
+	start();
+	sdp_pt(0, PCMU, 8000);
+	sdp_pt(8, PCMA, 8000);
+	offer();
+	expect(A, recv, "");
+	expect(A, send, "0/PCMU/8000 8/PCMA/8000");
+	expect(B, recv, "0/PCMU/8000 8/PCMA/8000");
+	expect(B, send, "");
+	sdp_pt(8, PCMA, 8000);
+	flags.asymmetric_codecs = 1;
+	answer();
+	expect(A, recv, "8/PCMA/8000");
+	expect(A, send, "0/PCMU/8000 8/PCMA/8000");
+	expect(B, recv, "0/PCMU/8000 8/PCMA/8000");
+	expect(B, send, "8/PCMA/8000");
+	packet(A, 0, PCMU_payload, 0, PCMU_payload);
+	packet(A, 8, PCMA_payload, 8, PCMA_payload);
+	packet(B, 8, PCMA_payload, 8, PCMA_payload);
+	end();
+
 	// plain with two offered and two answered + always-transcode one way
 	start();
 	flags.always_transcode = 1;
@@ -340,10 +382,31 @@ int main() {
 	answer();
 	expect(A, recv, "0/PCMU/8000");
 	expect(A, send, "0/PCMU/8000");
+	expect(B, recv, "8/PCMA/8000");
+	expect(B, send, "8/PCMA/8000");
+	packet(A, 0, PCMU_payload, 8, PCMA_payload);
+	packet(B, 8, PCMA_payload, 0, PCMU_payload);
+	end();
+
+	// same as above, but allow asymmetric codecs
+	start();
+	sdp_pt(0, PCMU, 8000);
+	transcode(PCMA);
+	offer();
+	expect(A, recv, "");
+	expect(A, send, "0/PCMU/8000");
+	expect(B, recv, "0/PCMU/8000 8/PCMA/8000");
+	expect(B, send, "");
+	sdp_pt(8, PCMA, 8000);
+	flags.asymmetric_codecs = 1;
+	answer();
+	expect(A, recv, "0/PCMU/8000");
+	expect(A, send, "0/PCMU/8000");
 	expect(B, recv, "0/PCMU/8000 8/PCMA/8000");
 	expect(B, send, "8/PCMA/8000");
 	packet(A, 0, PCMU_payload, 8, PCMA_payload);
 	packet(B, 8, PCMA_payload, 0, PCMU_payload);
+	packet(B, 0, PCMU_payload, 0, PCMU_payload);
 	end();
 
 	{
@@ -364,7 +427,7 @@ int main() {
 			answer();
 			expect(A, recv, "0/PCMU/8000");
 			expect(A, send, "0/PCMU/8000");
-			expect(B, recv, "0/PCMU/8000 96/AMR-WB/16000/octet-align=1");
+			expect(B, recv, "96/AMR-WB/16000/octet-align=1");
 			expect(B, send, "96/AMR-WB/16000/octet-align=1");
 			packet_seq(A, 0, PCMU_payload, 0, 0, -1, ""); // nothing due to resampling buffer
 			packet_seq_nf(A, 0, PCMU_payload, 160, 1, 96, AMR_WB_payload);
@@ -385,7 +448,7 @@ int main() {
 			answer();
 			expect(A, recv, "96/AMR-WB/16000/octet-align=1");
 			expect(A, send, "96/AMR-WB/16000/octet-align=1");
-			expect(B, recv, "96/AMR-WB/16000/octet-align=1 0/PCMU/8000");
+			expect(B, recv, "0/PCMU/8000");
 			expect(B, send, "0/PCMU/8000");
 			packet_seq(B, 0, PCMU_payload, 0, 0, -1, ""); // nothing due to resampling buffer
 			packet_seq_nf(B, 0, PCMU_payload, 160, 1, 96, AMR_WB_payload);
@@ -406,7 +469,7 @@ int main() {
 			answer();
 			expect(A, recv, "96/AMR-WB/16000");
 			expect(A, send, "96/AMR-WB/16000");
-			expect(B, recv, "96/AMR-WB/16000 0/PCMU/8000");
+			expect(B, recv, "0/PCMU/8000");
 			expect(B, send, "0/PCMU/8000");
 			packet_seq(B, 0, PCMU_payload, 0, 0, -1, ""); // nothing due to resampling buffer
 			packet_seq_nf(B, 0, PCMU_payload, 160, 1, 96, AMR_WB_payload_noe);
@@ -429,7 +492,7 @@ int main() {
 	answer();
 	expect(A, recv, "8/PCMA/8000");
 	expect(A, send, "8/PCMA/8000");
-	expect(B, recv, "8/PCMA/8000 9/G722/8000");
+	expect(B, recv, "9/G722/8000");
 	expect(B, send, "9/G722/8000");
 	packet_seq(A, 8, PCMA_payload, 0, 0, -1, ""); // nothing due to resampling
 	packet_seq_nf(A, 8, PCMA_payload, 160, 1, 9, G722_payload);