diff --git a/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/docs/plugins/gst_plugins_cache.json b/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/docs/plugins/gst_plugins_cache.json
index 710af25210..e536fcf1be 100644
--- a/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/docs/plugins/gst_plugins_cache.json
+++ b/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/docs/plugins/gst_plugins_cache.json
@@ -246144,6 +246144,18 @@
                         "readable": true,
                         "type": "GUnixSocketAddressType",
                         "writable": true
+                    },
+                    "wait-for-connection": {
+                        "blurb": "Block the stream until a least one client is connected",
+                        "conditionally-available": false,
+                        "construct": true,
+                        "construct-only": false,
+                        "controllable": false,
+                        "default": "false",
+                        "mutable": "null",
+                        "readable": true,
+                        "type": "gboolean",
+                        "writable": true
                     }
                 },
                 "rank": "none"
diff --git a/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/gst/unixfd/gstunixfdsink.c b/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/gst/unixfd/gstunixfdsink.c
index fa4e39b11e..bd894ade7b 100644
--- a/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/gst/unixfd/gstunixfdsink.c
+++ b/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/gst/unixfd/gstunixfdsink.c
@@ -87,6 +87,10 @@ struct _GstUnixFdSink
   GstCaps *caps;
   gboolean uses_monotonic_clock;
   GByteArray *payload;
+
+  gboolean wait_for_connection;
+  GCond wait_for_connection_cond;
+  gboolean unlock;
 };
 
 G_DEFINE_TYPE (GstUnixFdSink, gst_unix_fd_sink, GST_TYPE_BASE_SINK);
@@ -94,12 +98,14 @@ GST_ELEMENT_REGISTER_DEFINE (unixfdsink, "unixfdsink", GST_RANK_NONE,
     GST_TYPE_UNIX_FD_SINK);
 
 #define DEFAULT_SOCKET_TYPE G_UNIX_SOCKET_ADDRESS_PATH
+#define DEFAULT_WAIT_FOR_CONNECTION FALSE
 
 enum
 {
   PROP_0,
   PROP_SOCKET_PATH,
   PROP_SOCKET_TYPE,
+  PROP_WAIT_FOR_CONNECTION,
 };
 
 
@@ -122,6 +128,7 @@ gst_unix_fd_sink_init (GstUnixFdSink * self)
   self->clients =
       g_hash_table_new_full (NULL, NULL, g_object_unref,
       (GDestroyNotify) client_free);
+  g_cond_init (&self->wait_for_connection_cond);
 }
 
 static void
@@ -133,6 +140,7 @@ gst_unix_fd_sink_finalize (GObject * object)
   g_main_context_unref (self->context);
   g_main_loop_unref (self->loop);
   g_hash_table_unref (self->clients);
+  g_cond_clear (&self->wait_for_connection_cond);
 
   G_OBJECT_CLASS (gst_unix_fd_sink_parent_class)->finalize (object);
 }
@@ -163,6 +171,10 @@ gst_unix_fd_sink_set_property (GObject * object, guint prop_id,
       }
       self->socket_type = g_value_get_enum (value);
       break;
+    case PROP_WAIT_FOR_CONNECTION:
+      self->wait_for_connection = g_value_get_boolean (value);
+      g_cond_signal (&self->wait_for_connection_cond);
+      break;
     default:
       G_OBJECT_WARN_INVALID_PROPERTY_ID (object, prop_id, pspec);
       break;
@@ -186,6 +198,9 @@ gst_unix_fd_sink_get_property (GObject * object, guint prop_id,
     case PROP_SOCKET_TYPE:
       g_value_set_enum (value, self->socket_type);
       break;
+    case PROP_WAIT_FOR_CONNECTION:
+      g_value_set_boolean (value, self->wait_for_connection);
+      break;
     default:
       G_OBJECT_WARN_INVALID_PROPERTY_ID (object, prop_id, pspec);
       break;
@@ -314,6 +329,8 @@ new_client_cb (GSocket * socket, GIOCondition cond, gpointer user_data)
   }
   g_free (payload);
 
+  g_cond_signal (&self->wait_for_connection_cond);
+
   GST_OBJECT_UNLOCK (self);
 
   return G_SOURCE_CONTINUE;
@@ -551,8 +568,21 @@ gst_unix_fd_sink_render (GstBaseSink * bsink, GstBuffer * buffer)
     new_buffer->type = MEMORY_TYPE_DMABUF;
 
   GST_OBJECT_LOCK (self);
+
+  while (self->wait_for_connection && g_hash_table_size (self->clients) == 0) {
+    g_cond_wait (&self->wait_for_connection_cond, GST_OBJECT_GET_LOCK (self));
+    if (self->unlock) {
+      GST_OBJECT_UNLOCK (self);
+      ret = gst_base_sink_wait_preroll (bsink);
+      if (ret != GST_FLOW_OK)
+        goto out;
+      GST_OBJECT_LOCK (self);
+    }
+  }
+
   send_command_to_all (self, COMMAND_TYPE_NEW_BUFFER, fds,
       self->payload->data, self->payload->len, buffer);
+
   GST_OBJECT_UNLOCK (self);
 
 out:
@@ -561,6 +591,31 @@ out:
   return ret;
 }
 
+static gboolean
+gst_unix_fd_sink_unlock (GstBaseSink * bsink)
+{
+  GstUnixFdSink *self = (GstUnixFdSink *) bsink;
+
+  GST_OBJECT_LOCK (self);
+  self->unlock = TRUE;
+  g_cond_signal (&self->wait_for_connection_cond);
+  GST_OBJECT_UNLOCK (self);
+
+  return TRUE;
+}
+
+static gboolean
+gst_unix_fd_sink_unlock_stop (GstBaseSink * bsink)
+{
+  GstUnixFdSink *self = (GstUnixFdSink *) bsink;
+
+  GST_OBJECT_LOCK (self);
+  self->unlock = FALSE;
+  GST_OBJECT_UNLOCK (self);
+
+  return TRUE;
+}
+
 static gboolean
 gst_unix_fd_sink_event (GstBaseSink * bsink, GstEvent * event)
 {
@@ -650,6 +705,9 @@ gst_unix_fd_sink_class_init (GstUnixFdSinkClass * klass)
   gstbasesink_class->event = GST_DEBUG_FUNCPTR (gst_unix_fd_sink_event);
   gstbasesink_class->propose_allocation =
       GST_DEBUG_FUNCPTR (gst_unix_fd_sink_propose_allocation);
+  gstbasesink_class->unlock = GST_DEBUG_FUNCPTR (gst_unix_fd_sink_unlock);
+  gstbasesink_class->unlock_stop =
+      GST_DEBUG_FUNCPTR (gst_unix_fd_sink_unlock_stop);
 
   g_object_class_install_property (gobject_class, PROP_SOCKET_PATH,
       g_param_spec_string ("socket-path",
@@ -666,4 +724,18 @@ gst_unix_fd_sink_class_init (GstUnixFdSinkClass * klass)
           G_TYPE_UNIX_SOCKET_ADDRESS_TYPE, DEFAULT_SOCKET_TYPE,
           G_PARAM_READWRITE | G_PARAM_STATIC_STRINGS | G_PARAM_CONSTRUCT |
           GST_PARAM_MUTABLE_READY));
+
+  /**
+   * GstUnixFdSink:wait-for-connection:
+   *
+   * Block the stream until a least one client is connected.
+   *
+   * Since: 1.26
+   */
+  g_object_class_install_property (gobject_class, PROP_WAIT_FOR_CONNECTION,
+      g_param_spec_boolean ("wait-for-connection",
+          "Wait for a connection until rendering",
+          "Block the stream until a least one client is connected",
+          DEFAULT_WAIT_FOR_CONNECTION,
+          G_PARAM_READWRITE | G_PARAM_CONSTRUCT | G_PARAM_STATIC_STRINGS));
 }
diff --git a/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/tests/check/elements/unixfd.c b/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/tests/check/elements/unixfd.c
index 832b502217..0bde3af467 100644
--- a/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/tests/check/elements/unixfd.c
+++ b/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/tests/check/elements/unixfd.c
@@ -59,11 +59,9 @@ GST_START_TEST (test_unixfd_videotestsrc)
   gst_meta_register_custom ("unix-fd-custom-meta", tags, NULL, NULL, NULL);
 
   /* Ensure we don't have socket from previous failed test */
-  gchar *socket_path =
-      g_strdup_printf ("%s/unixfd-test-socket", g_get_user_runtime_dir ());
-  if (g_file_test (socket_path, G_FILE_TEST_EXISTS)) {
-    g_unlink (socket_path);
-  }
+  gchar *tempdir = g_dir_make_tmp ("unixfd-test-XXXXXX", &error);
+  g_assert_no_error (error);
+  gchar *socket_path = g_strdup_printf ("%s/socket", tempdir);
 
   /* Setup source */
   gchar *pipeline_str =
@@ -126,6 +124,9 @@ GST_START_TEST (test_unixfd_videotestsrc)
           GST_STATE_NULL) == GST_STATE_CHANGE_SUCCESS);
   fail_if (g_file_test (socket_path, G_FILE_TEST_EXISTS));
 
+  g_rmdir (tempdir);
+  g_free (tempdir);
+
   gst_object_unref (pipeline_service);
   gst_object_unref (pipeline_client_1);
   gst_object_unref (pipeline_client_2);
@@ -142,18 +143,16 @@ GST_START_TEST (test_unixfd_segment)
   GError *error = NULL;
 
   /* Ensure we don't have socket from previous failed test */
-  gchar *socket_path =
-      g_strdup_printf ("%s/unixfd-test-socket", g_get_user_runtime_dir ());
-  if (g_file_test (socket_path, G_FILE_TEST_EXISTS)) {
-    g_unlink (socket_path);
-  }
+  gchar *tempdir = g_dir_make_tmp ("unixfd-test-XXXXXX", &error);
+  g_assert_no_error (error);
+  gchar *socket_path = g_strdup_printf ("%s/socket", tempdir);
 
   GstCaps *caps = gst_caps_new_empty_simple ("video/x-raw");
 
   /* Setup service */
   gchar *pipeline_str =
       g_strdup_printf
-      ("appsrc name=src format=time handle-segment-change=true ! unixfdsink socket-path=%s sync=false async=false",
+      ("appsrc name=src format=time handle-segment-change=true ! unixfdsink socket-path=%s sync=false async=false wait-for-connection=true",
       socket_path);
   GstElement *pipeline_service = gst_parse_launch (pipeline_str, &error);
   g_assert_no_error (error);
@@ -215,6 +214,10 @@ GST_START_TEST (test_unixfd_segment)
           GST_STATE_NULL) == GST_STATE_CHANGE_SUCCESS);
   fail_unless (gst_element_set_state (pipeline_service,
           GST_STATE_NULL) == GST_STATE_CHANGE_SUCCESS);
+
+  g_rmdir (tempdir);
+  g_free (tempdir);
+
   gst_object_unref (pipeline_service);
   gst_object_unref (pipeline_client);
   g_free (socket_path);