diff --git a/mir_gazebo/launch/mir_empty_world.launch b/mir_gazebo/launch/mir_empty_world.launch
index 9794c2af..07d023fb 100644
--- a/mir_gazebo/launch/mir_empty_world.launch
+++ b/mir_gazebo/launch/mir_empty_world.launch
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@
   <arg name="gui" default="true" />
   <!-- start rqt_robot_steering to control the robot manually -->
   <arg name="teleop" default="true" />
+  <!-- run simulation paused -->
+  <arg name="paused" default="true" />
 
   <arg name="world_name" default="worlds/empty.world"/> <!-- Note: the world_name is with respect to GAZEBO_RESOURCE_PATH environmental variable, but can also be an absolute path -->
 
@@ -26,7 +28,7 @@
 
       <include file="$(find gazebo_ros)/launch/empty_world.launch">
         <arg name="world_name" value="$(arg world_name)"/>
-        <arg name="paused" value="true" />
+        <arg name="paused" value="$(arg paused)" />
         <arg name="gui" value="$(arg gui)" />
       </include>
     </group>
@@ -55,13 +57,14 @@
 
       <include file="$(find gazebo_ros)/launch/empty_world.launch">
         <arg name="world_name" value="$(arg world_name)"/>
-        <arg name="paused" value="true" />
+        <arg name="paused" value="$(arg paused)" />
         <arg name="gui" value="$(arg gui)" />
       </include>
     </group>
 
     <!-- spawn robot and bring up controllers etc. -->
     <include file="$(find mir_gazebo)/launch/mir_gazebo_common.launch">
+      <arg name="teleop"   value="$(arg teleop)" />
       <arg name="robot_x"   value="$(arg robot_x)" />
       <arg name="robot_y"   value="$(arg robot_y)" />
       <arg name="robot_yaw" value="$(arg robot_yaw)" />
diff --git a/mir_gazebo/launch/mir_maze_world.launch b/mir_gazebo/launch/mir_maze_world.launch
index 01384c98..48c27798 100644
--- a/mir_gazebo/launch/mir_maze_world.launch
+++ b/mir_gazebo/launch/mir_maze_world.launch
@@ -1,12 +1,16 @@
 <?xml version="1.0"?>
 <launch>
   <arg name="gui" default="true" />
+  <arg name="paused" default="true" />
+  <arg name="teleop" default="true" />
   <arg name="mir_type" default="mir_100" doc="The MiR variant. Can be 'mir_100' or 'mir_100' for now." />
   <arg name="mir_hook" default="False" doc="Add the MiR Hook" />
   <arg name="tf_prefix" default="" doc="tf_prefix to be used by gazebo plugins and in the robot's urdf etc." />
 
   <include file="$(find mir_gazebo)/launch/mir_empty_world.launch">
     <arg name="gui" value="$(arg gui)" />
+    <arg name="paused" value="$(arg paused)" />
+    <arg name="teleop" value="$(arg teleop)" />
     <arg name="mir_type" value="$(arg mir_type)" />
     <arg name="mir_hook" value="$(arg mir_hook)" />
     <arg name="tf_prefix" value="$(arg tf_prefix)" />