diff --git a/source/core/src/main/com/csse3200/game/components/maingame/MainGamePauseDisplay.java b/source/core/src/main/com/csse3200/game/components/maingame/MainGamePauseDisplay.java
index eb8a0b273..cf2f129ed 100644
--- a/source/core/src/main/com/csse3200/game/components/maingame/MainGamePauseDisplay.java
+++ b/source/core/src/main/com/csse3200/game/components/maingame/MainGamePauseDisplay.java
@@ -19,11 +19,12 @@ public class MainGamePauseDisplay extends UIComponent {
     private static final Logger logger = LoggerFactory.getLogger(MainGamePauseDisplay.class);
     private static final float Z_INDEX = 2f;
     private Table table;
-
     private GdxGame game;
+    private Entity waveSpawner;
 
-    public MainGamePauseDisplay(GdxGame screenSwitchHandle) {
+    public MainGamePauseDisplay(GdxGame screenSwitchHandle, Entity waveSpawner) {
         game = screenSwitchHandle;
+        this.waveSpawner = waveSpawner;
     }
 
     @Override
@@ -45,7 +46,7 @@ private void addActors() {
                     @Override
                     public void changed(ChangeEvent changeEvent, Actor actor) {
                         logger.debug("Pause button clicked");
-                        PauseMenuFactory.createPauseMenu(game);
+                        PauseMenuFactory.createPauseMenu(game, waveSpawner);
                     }
                 });
 
diff --git a/source/core/src/main/com/csse3200/game/components/pausemenu/PauseMenuTimeStopComponent.java b/source/core/src/main/com/csse3200/game/components/pausemenu/PauseMenuTimeStopComponent.java
index 285fad8e2..6503add30 100644
--- a/source/core/src/main/com/csse3200/game/components/pausemenu/PauseMenuTimeStopComponent.java
+++ b/source/core/src/main/com/csse3200/game/components/pausemenu/PauseMenuTimeStopComponent.java
@@ -11,7 +11,14 @@
 public class PauseMenuTimeStopComponent extends Component {
 
     private Array<Entity> freezeList;
-    public PauseMenuTimeStopComponent() {
+    private Entity waveSpawner;
+
+    /**
+     * Initialises the component.
+     * @param waveSpawner The entity that controls the wave spawning timer.
+     */
+    public PauseMenuTimeStopComponent(Entity waveSpawner) {
+        this.waveSpawner = waveSpawner;
     }
 
     /**
@@ -19,6 +26,7 @@ public PauseMenuTimeStopComponent() {
      */
     @Override
     public void create() {
+        waveSpawner.getEvents().trigger("toggleWaveTimer");
         freezeList = ServiceLocator.getEntityService().getEntities();
         for (Entity pauseTarget : freezeList) {
             if (pauseTarget.getId() != getEntity().getId()) {
@@ -33,6 +41,7 @@ public void create() {
      */
     @Override
     public void dispose() {
+        waveSpawner.getEvents().trigger("toggleWaveTimer");
         for (Entity pauseTarget : freezeList) {
                 pauseTarget.setEnabled(true);
         }
diff --git a/source/core/src/main/com/csse3200/game/components/tasks/SpawnWaveTask.java b/source/core/src/main/com/csse3200/game/components/tasks/SpawnWaveTask.java
index d6c4a3d85..4150363aa 100644
--- a/source/core/src/main/com/csse3200/game/components/tasks/SpawnWaveTask.java
+++ b/source/core/src/main/com/csse3200/game/components/tasks/SpawnWaveTask.java
@@ -12,6 +12,8 @@ public class SpawnWaveTask extends DefaultTask implements PriorityTask {
     private final GameTime globalTime;
     private long endTime = 0;
     private final int SPAWNING_INTERVAL = 10;
+    private boolean wavesPaused = false;
+    private long pauseTime = 0;
     public SpawnWaveTask() {
         this.globalTime = ServiceLocator.getTimeSource();
     }
@@ -25,13 +27,30 @@ public int getPriority() {
     public void start() {
         super.start();
         endTime = globalTime.getTime() + (SPAWNING_INTERVAL * 1000);
+        this.owner.getEntity().getEvents().addListener("toggleWaveTimer", this::toggleWaveTimer);
     }
 
     @Override
     public void update() {
-        if (globalTime.getTime() >= endTime) {
-            this.owner.getEntity().getEvents().trigger("spawnWave");
-            endTime = globalTime.getTime() + (SPAWNING_INTERVAL * 1000L); // reset end time
+        if (!wavesPaused) {
+            if (globalTime.getTime() >= endTime) {
+                this.owner.getEntity().getEvents().trigger("spawnWave");
+                endTime = globalTime.getTime() + (SPAWNING_INTERVAL * 1000L); // reset end time
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Function for pausing the wave timer when the pause menu is opened, and resuming it when the pause menu is closed.
+     */
+    private void toggleWaveTimer() {
+        if (!wavesPaused) {
+            pauseTime = globalTime.getTime();
+            wavesPaused = true;
+        } else {
+            // Offsets the next wave spawn by however long the game was paused.
+            endTime += globalTime.getTime() - pauseTime;
+            wavesPaused = false;
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/source/core/src/main/com/csse3200/game/entities/factories/PauseMenuFactory.java b/source/core/src/main/com/csse3200/game/entities/factories/PauseMenuFactory.java
index fdb3a4204..bfd524ee7 100644
--- a/source/core/src/main/com/csse3200/game/entities/factories/PauseMenuFactory.java
+++ b/source/core/src/main/com/csse3200/game/entities/factories/PauseMenuFactory.java
@@ -12,11 +12,13 @@ public class PauseMenuFactory {
 
     /**
      * Creates the pause menu
+     * @param game The Gdx game instance that handles screen changes.
+     * @param waveSpawner The entity that handles the wave spawn timer
      * @return entity
      */
-    public static Entity createPauseMenu(GdxGame game) {
+    public static Entity createPauseMenu(GdxGame game, Entity waveSpawner) {
         Entity pauseMenu = new Entity()
-                .addComponent(new PauseMenuTimeStopComponent())
+                .addComponent(new PauseMenuTimeStopComponent(waveSpawner))
                 .addComponent(new PauseMenuRenderComponent())
                 .addComponent(new PauseMenuContinueButton())
                 .addComponent(new PauseMenuSettingsButton(game))
diff --git a/source/core/src/main/com/csse3200/game/screens/MainGameScreen.java b/source/core/src/main/com/csse3200/game/screens/MainGameScreen.java
index a56755b6e..77bdd47ea 100644
--- a/source/core/src/main/com/csse3200/game/screens/MainGameScreen.java
+++ b/source/core/src/main/com/csse3200/game/screens/MainGameScreen.java
@@ -202,7 +202,10 @@ private void createUI() {
             .addComponent(new MainGameActions(this.game))
             .addComponent(new MainGameExitDisplay())
             .addComponent(new MainGameLoseDisplay())
-            .addComponent(new MainGamePauseDisplay(this.game))
+            // WHERE'S THE WAVE SPAWNER, HOW IS THIS GAME FUNCTIONING WHEN IT DOESN'T EVEN MAKE A WAVE SPAWNER
+            // I'm told there's a new entity for the SpawnWaveTask, maybe it'll actually be accessible in this class.
+            // fyi there REALLY shouldn't be a null arg, but I need to push this before I can fix the issue.
+            .addComponent(new MainGamePauseDisplay(this.game, null))
             .addComponent(new Terminal())
             .addComponent(inputComponent)
             .addComponent(new TerminalDisplay());