diff --git a/src/app/qgslayerstylingwidget.cpp b/src/app/qgslayerstylingwidget.cpp
index f87358c5a808..ed18fd191873 100644
--- a/src/app/qgslayerstylingwidget.cpp
+++ b/src/app/qgslayerstylingwidget.cpp
@@ -81,6 +81,10 @@ QgsLayerStylingWidget::QgsLayerStylingWidget( QgsMapCanvas *canvas, QgsMessageBa
 
   connect( QgsProject::instance(), static_cast < void ( QgsProject::* )( QgsMapLayer * ) > ( &QgsProject::layerWillBeRemoved ), this, &QgsLayerStylingWidget::layerAboutToBeRemoved );
 
+  QgsSettings settings;
+  mLiveApplyCheck->setChecked( settings.value( QStringLiteral( "UI/autoApplyStyling" ), true ).toBool() );
+  mButtonBox->button( QDialogButtonBox::Apply )->setEnabled( !mLiveApplyCheck->isChecked() );
+
   mAutoApplyTimer = new QTimer( this );
   mAutoApplyTimer->setSingleShot( true );
 
@@ -100,7 +104,9 @@ QgsLayerStylingWidget::QgsLayerStylingWidget( QgsMapCanvas *canvas, QgsMessageBa
   connect( mAutoApplyTimer, &QTimer::timeout, this, &QgsLayerStylingWidget::apply );
 
   connect( mOptionsListWidget, &QListWidget::currentRowChanged, this, &QgsLayerStylingWidget::updateCurrentWidgetLayer );
+  connect( mButtonBox->button( QDialogButtonBox::Apply ), &QAbstractButton::clicked, this, &QgsLayerStylingWidget::apply );
   connect( mLayerCombo, &QgsMapLayerComboBox::layerChanged, this, &QgsLayerStylingWidget::setLayer );
+  connect( mLiveApplyCheck, &QAbstractButton::toggled, this, &QgsLayerStylingWidget::liveApplyToggled );
 
   mLayerCombo->setFilters( Qgis::LayerFilter::HasGeometry
                            | Qgis::LayerFilter::RasterLayer
@@ -391,7 +397,7 @@ void QgsLayerStylingWidget::apply()
 
 void QgsLayerStylingWidget::autoApply()
 {
-  if ( !mBlockAutoApply )
+  if ( mLiveApplyCheck->isChecked() && !mBlockAutoApply )
   {
     mAutoApplyTimer->start( 100 );
   }
@@ -846,6 +852,14 @@ void QgsLayerStylingWidget::layerAboutToBeRemoved( QgsMapLayer *layer )
   }
 }
 
+void QgsLayerStylingWidget::liveApplyToggled( bool liveUpdateEnabled )
+{
+  QgsSettings settings;
+  settings.setValue( QStringLiteral( "UI/autoApplyStyling" ), liveUpdateEnabled );
+
+  mButtonBox->button( QDialogButtonBox::Apply )->setEnabled( !liveUpdateEnabled );
+}
+
 void QgsLayerStylingWidget::pushUndoItem( const QString &name, bool triggerRepaint )
 {
   QString errorMsg;
diff --git a/src/app/qgslayerstylingwidget.h b/src/app/qgslayerstylingwidget.h
index b41d2f66da98..32f06ffa1f21 100644
--- a/src/app/qgslayerstylingwidget.h
+++ b/src/app/qgslayerstylingwidget.h
@@ -153,6 +153,7 @@ class APP_EXPORT QgsLayerStylingWidget : public QWidget, private Ui::QgsLayerSty
   private slots:
 
     void layerAboutToBeRemoved( QgsMapLayer *layer );
+    void liveApplyToggled( bool liveUpdateEnabled );
 
   private:
     void pushUndoItem( const QString &name, bool triggerRepaint = true );
diff --git a/src/ui/qgsmapstylingwidgetbase.ui b/src/ui/qgsmapstylingwidgetbase.ui
index 08cfa36efd96..4b2fcd0e219a 100644
--- a/src/ui/qgsmapstylingwidgetbase.ui
+++ b/src/ui/qgsmapstylingwidgetbase.ui
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@
           <string>Not supported or no layer</string>
          </property>
          <property name="alignment">
-          <set>Qt::AlignmentFlag::AlignCenter</set>
+          <set>Qt::AlignCenter</set>
          </property>
         </widget>
        </item>
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@
             </sizepolicy>
            </property>
            <property name="sizeAdjustPolicy">
-            <enum>QComboBox::SizeAdjustPolicy::AdjustToMinimumContentsLengthWithIcon</enum>
+            <enum>QComboBox::AdjustToMinimumContentsLengthWithIcon</enum>
            </property>
           </widget>
          </item>
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@
          <item>
           <spacer name="horizontalSpacer_2">
            <property name="orientation">
-            <enum>Qt::Orientation::Horizontal</enum>
+            <enum>Qt::Horizontal</enum>
            </property>
            <property name="sizeHint" stdset="0">
             <size>
@@ -131,15 +131,44 @@
            </property>
           </spacer>
          </item>
+         <item>
+          <widget class="QCheckBox" name="mLiveApplyCheck">
+           <property name="toolTip">
+            <string>If checked, the map canvas will automatically update whenever an option has been changed without the requirement to click Apply</string>
+           </property>
+           <property name="text">
+            <string>Live update</string>
+           </property>
+           <property name="checked">
+            <bool>true</bool>
+           </property>
+           <property name="autoRepeat">
+            <bool>false</bool>
+           </property>
+          </widget>
+         </item>
+         <item>
+          <widget class="QDialogButtonBox" name="mButtonBox">
+           <property name="sizePolicy">
+            <sizepolicy hsizetype="Fixed" vsizetype="Fixed">
+             <horstretch>0</horstretch>
+             <verstretch>0</verstretch>
+            </sizepolicy>
+           </property>
+           <property name="standardButtons">
+            <set>QDialogButtonBox::Apply</set>
+           </property>
+          </widget>
+         </item>
         </layout>
        </item>
        <item row="1" column="0" rowspan="2">
         <widget class="QFrame" name="mOptionsListFrame">
          <property name="frameShape">
-          <enum>QFrame::Shape::NoFrame</enum>
+          <enum>QFrame::NoFrame</enum>
          </property>
          <property name="frameShadow">
-          <enum>QFrame::Shadow::Raised</enum>
+          <enum>QFrame::Raised</enum>
          </property>
          <layout class="QVBoxLayout" name="verticalLayout">
           <property name="spacing">
@@ -172,19 +201,19 @@
              </size>
             </property>
             <property name="frameShape">
-             <enum>QFrame::Shape::NoFrame</enum>
+             <enum>QFrame::NoFrame</enum>
             </property>
             <property name="horizontalScrollBarPolicy">
-             <enum>Qt::ScrollBarPolicy::ScrollBarAlwaysOff</enum>
+             <enum>Qt::ScrollBarAlwaysOff</enum>
             </property>
             <property name="editTriggers">
-             <set>QAbstractItemView::EditTrigger::NoEditTriggers</set>
+             <set>QAbstractItemView::NoEditTriggers</set>
             </property>
             <property name="textElideMode">
-             <enum>Qt::TextElideMode::ElideNone</enum>
+             <enum>Qt::ElideNone</enum>
             </property>
             <property name="resizeMode">
-             <enum>QListView::ResizeMode::Adjust</enum>
+             <enum>QListView::Adjust</enum>
             </property>
             <property name="wordWrap">
              <bool>true</bool>
@@ -217,6 +246,7 @@
   <tabstop>mLayerCombo</tabstop>
   <tabstop>mUndoButton</tabstop>
   <tabstop>mRedoButton</tabstop>
+  <tabstop>mLiveApplyCheck</tabstop>
  </tabstops>
  <resources>
   <include location="../../images/images.qrc"/>