diff --git a/osu.Game/Beatmaps/BeatmapManager.cs b/osu.Game/Beatmaps/BeatmapManager.cs
index f0533f27be..623a657cd0 100644
--- a/osu.Game/Beatmaps/BeatmapManager.cs
+++ b/osu.Game/Beatmaps/BeatmapManager.cs
@@ -62,6 +62,7 @@ namespace osu.Game.Beatmaps
             BeatmapTrackStore = audioManager.GetTrackStore(userResources);
 
             beatmapImporter = CreateBeatmapImporter(storage, realm);
+            beatmapImporter.PauseImports.BindTo(PauseImports);
             beatmapImporter.ProcessBeatmap = args => ProcessBeatmap?.Invoke(args);
             beatmapImporter.PostNotification = obj => PostNotification?.Invoke(obj);
 
@@ -458,7 +459,8 @@ namespace osu.Game.Beatmaps
 
         public Task Import(ImportTask[] tasks, ImportParameters parameters = default) => beatmapImporter.Import(tasks, parameters);
 
-        public Task<IEnumerable<Live<BeatmapSetInfo>>> Import(ProgressNotification notification, ImportTask[] tasks, ImportParameters parameters = default) => beatmapImporter.Import(notification, tasks, parameters);
+        public Task<IEnumerable<Live<BeatmapSetInfo>>> Import(ProgressNotification notification, ImportTask[] tasks, ImportParameters parameters = default) =>
+            beatmapImporter.Import(notification, tasks, parameters);
 
         public Task<Live<BeatmapSetInfo>?> Import(ImportTask task, ImportParameters parameters = default, CancellationToken cancellationToken = default) =>
             beatmapImporter.Import(task, parameters, cancellationToken);
diff --git a/osu.Game/Database/ModelManager.cs b/osu.Game/Database/ModelManager.cs
index 5c106aa493..9a88bd5646 100644
--- a/osu.Game/Database/ModelManager.cs
+++ b/osu.Game/Database/ModelManager.cs
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ using System.Collections.Generic;
 using System.Diagnostics;
 using System.IO;
 using System.Linq;
+using osu.Framework.Bindables;
 using osu.Framework.Platform;
 using osu.Game.Beatmaps;
 using osu.Game.Extensions;
@@ -18,6 +19,11 @@ namespace osu.Game.Database
     public class ModelManager<TModel> : IModelManager<TModel>, IModelFileManager<TModel, RealmNamedFileUsage>
         where TModel : RealmObject, IHasRealmFiles, IHasGuidPrimaryKey, ISoftDelete
     {
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Temporarily pause imports to avoid performance overheads affecting gameplay scenarios.
+        /// </summary>
+        public readonly BindableBool PauseImports = new BindableBool();
+
         protected RealmAccess Realm { get; }
 
         private readonly RealmFileStore realmFileStore;
diff --git a/osu.Game/Database/RealmArchiveModelImporter.cs b/osu.Game/Database/RealmArchiveModelImporter.cs
index 4e8b27e0b4..cd86a5a94c 100644
--- a/osu.Game/Database/RealmArchiveModelImporter.cs
+++ b/osu.Game/Database/RealmArchiveModelImporter.cs
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ using System.Linq;
 using System.Threading;
 using System.Threading.Tasks;
 using Humanizer;
+using osu.Framework.Bindables;
 using osu.Framework.Extensions;
 using osu.Framework.Extensions.IEnumerableExtensions;
 using osu.Framework.Logging;
@@ -56,6 +57,11 @@ namespace osu.Game.Database
         /// </summary>
         private static readonly ThreadedTaskScheduler import_scheduler_batch = new ThreadedTaskScheduler(import_queue_request_concurrency, nameof(RealmArchiveModelImporter<TModel>));
 
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Temporarily pause imports to avoid performance overheads affecting gameplay scenarios.
+        /// </summary>
+        public readonly BindableBool PauseImports = new BindableBool();
+
         public abstract IEnumerable<string> HandledExtensions { get; }
 
         protected readonly RealmFileStore Files;
@@ -253,7 +259,7 @@ namespace osu.Game.Database
         /// <param name="cancellationToken">An optional cancellation token.</param>
         public virtual Live<TModel>? ImportModel(TModel item, ArchiveReader? archive = null, ImportParameters parameters = default, CancellationToken cancellationToken = default) => Realm.Run(realm =>
         {
-            cancellationToken.ThrowIfCancellationRequested();
+            pauseIfNecessary(cancellationToken);
 
             TModel? existing;
 
@@ -551,6 +557,22 @@ namespace osu.Game.Database
         /// <returns>Whether to perform deletion.</returns>
         protected virtual bool ShouldDeleteArchive(string path) => false;
 
+        private void pauseIfNecessary(CancellationToken cancellationToken)
+        {
+            if (!PauseImports.Value)
+                return;
+
+            Logger.Log(@"Import is being paused.");
+
+            while (PauseImports.Value)
+            {
+                cancellationToken.ThrowIfCancellationRequested();
+                Thread.Sleep(500);
+            }
+
+            Logger.Log(@"Import is being resumed.");
+        }
+
         private IEnumerable<string> getIDs(IEnumerable<INamedFile> files)
         {
             foreach (var f in files.OrderBy(f => f.Filename))
diff --git a/osu.Game/OsuGame.cs b/osu.Game/OsuGame.cs
index 6efa3c4172..27152743f8 100644
--- a/osu.Game/OsuGame.cs
+++ b/osu.Game/OsuGame.cs
@@ -307,6 +307,10 @@ namespace osu.Game
             // Transfer any runtime changes back to configuration file.
             SkinManager.CurrentSkinInfo.ValueChanged += skin => configSkin.Value = skin.NewValue.ID.ToString();
 
+            BeatmapManager.PauseImports.BindTo(LocalUserPlaying);
+            SkinManager.PauseImports.BindTo(LocalUserPlaying);
+            ScoreManager.PauseImports.BindTo(LocalUserPlaying);
+
             IsActive.BindValueChanged(active => updateActiveState(active.NewValue), true);
 
             Audio.AddAdjustment(AdjustableProperty.Volume, inactiveVolumeFade);
diff --git a/osu.Game/Scoring/ScoreManager.cs b/osu.Game/Scoring/ScoreManager.cs
index 5ec96a951b..0852ab43f4 100644
--- a/osu.Game/Scoring/ScoreManager.cs
+++ b/osu.Game/Scoring/ScoreManager.cs
@@ -38,6 +38,8 @@ namespace osu.Game.Scoring
             {
                 PostNotification = obj => PostNotification?.Invoke(obj)
             };
+
+            scoreImporter.PauseImports.BindTo(PauseImports);
         }
 
         public Score GetScore(ScoreInfo score) => scoreImporter.GetScore(score);
diff --git a/osu.Game/Skinning/SkinManager.cs b/osu.Game/Skinning/SkinManager.cs
index f750bfad8a..a0e7037d6d 100644
--- a/osu.Game/Skinning/SkinManager.cs
+++ b/osu.Game/Skinning/SkinManager.cs
@@ -79,6 +79,8 @@ namespace osu.Game.Skinning
                 PostNotification = obj => PostNotification?.Invoke(obj),
             };
 
+            skinImporter.PauseImports.BindTo(PauseImports);
+
             var defaultSkins = new[]
             {
                 DefaultClassicSkin = new DefaultLegacySkin(this),