diff --git a/lib/mcs-core/lib/media/media-controller.js b/lib/mcs-core/lib/media/media-controller.js
index 288154f0..7bc45f04 100644
--- a/lib/mcs-core/lib/media/media-controller.js
+++ b/lib/mcs-core/lib/media/media-controller.js
@@ -160,12 +160,16 @@ module.exports = class MediaController {
     return;
   }
 
-  _isAboveThreshold () {
-    if (GLOBAL_MEDIA_THRESHOLD > 0 && this.medias.size >= GLOBAL_MEDIA_THRESHOLD) {
-      Logger.error(LOG_PREFIX, `Server has exceeded the media threshold`,
-        { threshold: GLOBAL_MEDIA_THRESHOLD, current: this.medias.size }
-      );
-      return true;
+  isAboveGlobalMediaThreshold ({ mediaId, ignoreThresholds = false }) {
+    if (GLOBAL_MEDIA_THRESHOLD > 0 && !ignoreThresholds) {
+      const preExistantMedia = mediaId ? this.hasMediaSession(mediaId) : false;
+
+      if (!preExistantMedia && this.medias.size >= GLOBAL_MEDIA_THRESHOLD) {
+        Logger.error(LOG_PREFIX, `Server has exceeded the media threshold`,
+          { threshold: GLOBAL_MEDIA_THRESHOLD, current: this.medias.size }
+        );
+        return true;
+      }
     }
     return false;
   }
@@ -202,6 +206,13 @@ module.exports = class MediaController {
       throw (this._handleError(C.ERROR.MEDIA_ADAPTER_OBJECT_NOT_FOUND));
     }
 
+    if (this.isAboveGlobalMediaThreshold(params)) {
+      throw (this._handleError({
+        ...C.ERROR.MEDIA_SERVER_NO_RESOURCES,
+        details: `Threshold exceeded. Threshold: ${GLOBAL_MEDIA_THRESHOLD}`,
+      }));
+    }
+
     try {
       user = this.getUser(userId);
       room = this.getRoom(user.roomId);
@@ -210,13 +221,6 @@ module.exports = class MediaController {
       throw error;
     }
 
-    if (!params.ignoreThresholds && this.isAboveMediaThresholds(room, user)) {
-      throw (this._handleError({
-        ...C.ERROR.MEDIA_SERVER_NO_RESOURCES,
-        details: `Threshold exceeded. Threshold: ${GLOBAL_MEDIA_THRESHOLD}`,
-      }));
-    }
-
     try {
       ({ session, answer } = await user.publish(params.descriptor, type, params));
     } catch (error) {
@@ -224,7 +228,6 @@ module.exports = class MediaController {
     }
 
     this.addMediaSession(session);
-    room.addMediaSession(session);
 
     if (source) {
       try {
@@ -252,6 +255,13 @@ module.exports = class MediaController {
       throw (this._handleError(C.ERROR.MEDIA_ADAPTER_OBJECT_NOT_FOUND));
     }
 
+    if (this.isAboveGlobalMediaThreshold(params)) {
+      throw (this._handleError({
+        ...C.ERROR.MEDIA_SERVER_NO_RESOURCES,
+        details: `Threshold exceeded. Threshold: ${GLOBAL_MEDIA_THRESHOLD}`,
+      }));
+    }
+
     try {
       user = this.getUser(userId);
       room = this.getRoom(user.roomId);
@@ -260,13 +270,6 @@ module.exports = class MediaController {
       throw error;
     }
 
-    if (!params.ignoreThresholds && this.isAboveMediaThresholds(room, user)) {
-      throw (this._handleError({
-        ...C.ERROR.MEDIA_SERVER_NO_RESOURCES,
-        details: `Threshold exceeded. Threshold: ${GLOBAL_MEDIA_THRESHOLD}`,
-      }));
-    }
-
     try {
       ({ session, answer } = await user.publish(params.descriptor, type, params));
     } catch (error) {
@@ -274,7 +277,6 @@ module.exports = class MediaController {
     }
 
     this.addMediaSession(session);
-    room.addMediaSession(session);
     session.sessionStarted();
     return ({ descriptor: answer, mediaId: session.id });
   }
@@ -295,6 +297,13 @@ module.exports = class MediaController {
       throw (this._handleError(C.ERROR.MEDIA_ADAPTER_OBJECT_NOT_FOUND));
     }
 
+    if (this.isAboveGlobalMediaThreshold(params)) {
+      throw (this._handleError({
+        ...C.ERROR.MEDIA_SERVER_NO_RESOURCES,
+        details: `Threshold exceeded. Threshold: ${GLOBAL_MEDIA_THRESHOLD}`,
+      }));
+    }
+
     try {
       user = this.getUser(userId);
       room = this.getRoom(user.roomId);
@@ -303,13 +312,6 @@ module.exports = class MediaController {
       throw error;
     }
 
-    if (!params.ignoreThresholds && this.isAboveMediaThresholds(room, user)) {
-      throw (this._handleError({
-        ...C.ERROR.MEDIA_SERVER_NO_RESOURCES,
-        details: `Threshold exceeded. Threshold: ${GLOBAL_MEDIA_THRESHOLD}`,
-      }));
-    }
-
     try {
       if (sourceId === C.MEDIA_PROFILE.CONTENT) {
         source = this.getMediaSession(room._contentFloor.id);
@@ -329,7 +331,6 @@ module.exports = class MediaController {
     }
 
     this.addMediaSession(session);
-    room.addMediaSession(session);
     session.sessionStarted();
     return ({descriptor: answer, mediaId: session.id});
   }
@@ -388,6 +389,13 @@ module.exports = class MediaController {
       throw (this._handleError(C.ERROR.MEDIA_ADAPTER_OBJECT_NOT_FOUND));
     }
 
+    if (this.isAboveGlobalMediaThreshold(params)) {
+      throw (this._handleError({
+        ...C.ERROR.MEDIA_SERVER_NO_RESOURCES,
+        details: `Threshold exceeded. Threshold: ${GLOBAL_MEDIA_THRESHOLD}`,
+      }));
+    }
+
     try {
       user = this.getUser(userId);
       room = this.getRoom(user.roomId);
@@ -398,13 +406,6 @@ module.exports = class MediaController {
       throw (this._handleError(error));
     }
 
-    if (!params.ignoreThresholds && this.isAboveMediaThresholds(room, user)) {
-      throw (this._handleError({
-        ...C.ERROR.MEDIA_SERVER_NO_RESOURCES,
-        details: `Threshold exceeded. Threshold: ${GLOBAL_MEDIA_THRESHOLD}`,
-      }));
-    }
-
     try {
       ({ recordingSession, answer } = await user.startRecording(
         recordingPath,
@@ -419,7 +420,6 @@ module.exports = class MediaController {
     }
 
     this.addMediaSession(recordingSession);
-    room.addMediaSession(recordingSession);
     recordingSession.sessionStarted();
     return answer;
   }
@@ -613,7 +613,7 @@ module.exports = class MediaController {
     }
 
     // No pre-existing externalUserId sent in the join procedure, create a new one
-    user = new User(roomId, type, params);
+    user = new User(room, type, params);
     this.users.set(user.id, user);
     if (user.externalUserId !== user.id) this.users.set(user.externalUserId, user);
     room.addUser(user);
diff --git a/lib/mcs-core/lib/model/media-session.js b/lib/mcs-core/lib/model/media-session.js
index 45440864..060fd611 100644
--- a/lib/mcs-core/lib/model/media-session.js
+++ b/lib/mcs-core/lib/model/media-session.js
@@ -452,6 +452,10 @@ module.exports = class MediaSession {
     this._mediaProfile = options.mediaProfile;
     // Media specs for the media. If not specified, falls back to the default
     this.mediaSpecs = options.mediaSpecs? options.mediaSpecs : {...MEDIA_SPECS};
+    // API-specified media profiles (audio|video|content: 'string'|boolean =>
+    // 'recvonly'|'sendonly'|'sendrecv'|true|false
     this.profiles = options.profiles || DEFAULT_PROFILES;
+    // Whether this media session should be ignored by the media limiter
+    this.ignoreThresholds = options.ignoreThresholds || false;
   }
 }
diff --git a/lib/mcs-core/lib/model/user.js b/lib/mcs-core/lib/model/user.js
index 00a90d41..7e183288 100644
--- a/lib/mcs-core/lib/model/user.js
+++ b/lib/mcs-core/lib/model/user.js
@@ -21,18 +21,22 @@ const MCS_USER_EJECTION_TIMER = config.has('mcsUserEjectionTimer')
 const LOG_PREFIX = "[mcs-user]";
 
 module.exports = class User extends EventEmitter  {
-  constructor(roomId, type, params = {}) {
+  constructor(room, type, params = {}) {
     super();
     this.id = rid();
     this.externalUserId = params.externalUserId || this.id;
     this.autoLeave = typeof params.autoLeave !== 'undefined'? params.autoLeave : false;
-    this.roomId = roomId;
+    this.room = room;
     this.type = type;
     this.name = params.name ? params.name : this.id;
     this.mediaSessions = {}
     this._clientTrackingIds = {};
   }
 
+  get roomId () {
+    return this.room.id;
+  }
+
   async _startSession (sessionId) {
     const session = this.mediaSessions[sessionId];
     try {
@@ -70,6 +74,14 @@ module.exports = class User extends EventEmitter  {
     return false;
   }
 
+  addMediaSession (mediaSession) {
+    this.mediaSessions[mediaSession.id] = mediaSession;
+  }
+
+  getMediaSession (id) {
+    return this.mediaSessions[id];
+  }
+
   createMediaSession (descriptor, type, params = {}) {
     const { mediaId } = params;
 
@@ -79,7 +91,7 @@ module.exports = class User extends EventEmitter  {
     // If it doesn't exist, just create a new one since it's an optional parameter
     // which should be ignored in case it doesn't make sense
     if (mediaId) {
-      const targetMediaSession = this.mediaSessions[mediaId];
+      const targetMediaSession = this.getMediaSession(mediaId);
       if (targetMediaSession) {
         const updatedParams = { ...targetMediaSession.options, ...params };
         targetMediaSession.remoteDescriptor = descriptor;
@@ -88,6 +100,14 @@ module.exports = class User extends EventEmitter  {
       }
     }
 
+    if (!params.ignoreThresholds
+      && (this.isAboveThreshold() || this.room.isAboveThreshold())) {
+      throw (this._handleError({
+        ...C.ERROR.MEDIA_SERVER_NO_RESOURCES,
+        details: 'Threshold exceeded',
+      }));
+    }
+
     const mediaSession = MediaFactory.createMediaSession(
       descriptor,
       type,
@@ -96,8 +116,10 @@ module.exports = class User extends EventEmitter  {
       params
     );
 
+    this.addMediaSession(mediaSession);
+    this.room.addMediaSession(mediaSession);
+
     this._trackMediaDisconnection(mediaSession);
-    this.mediaSessions[mediaSession.id] = mediaSession;
     if (this.ejectionRoutine) this._clearEjectionTimeout();
 
     return mediaSession;
@@ -245,10 +267,6 @@ module.exports = class User extends EventEmitter  {
     });
   }
 
-  getMediaSession (id) {
-    return this.mediaSessions[id];
-  }
-
   getUserInfo () {
     const mediasList = Object.keys(this.mediaSessions).map(key => {
       let mi = this.mediaSessions[key].getMediaInfo();