diff --git a/MC/bin/o2dpg_sim_workflow.py b/MC/bin/o2dpg_sim_workflow.py
index 24bf25aba..ded85fa3d 100755
--- a/MC/bin/o2dpg_sim_workflow.py
+++ b/MC/bin/o2dpg_sim_workflow.py
@@ -528,6 +528,25 @@ def extractVertexArgs(configKeyValuesStr, finalDiamondDict):
 COLTYPEBKG=args.colBkg
 havePbPb = (COLTYPE == 'PbPb' or (doembedding and COLTYPEBKG == "PbPb"))
 
+# TPC loopers are a background effect: with embedding, background and signal get consistent loopers settings
+if doembedding:
+   def loopersKeys(confkey):
+      return [kv.strip() for kv in confkey.split(';') if kv.strip().startswith('GenTPCLoopers.')]
+   def loopersVetoed(confkey):
+      return any(kv.split('=')[0].strip() == 'GenTPCLoopers.loopersVeto' and kv.split('=')[1].strip().lower() in ('true', '1')
+                 for kv in loopersKeys(confkey))
+   if loopersVetoed(args.confKey) or loopersVetoed(args.confKeyBkg):
+      print('o2dpg_sim_workflow: TPC loopers switched off for background and signal')
+      args.confKeyBkg = args.confKeyBkg + ';GenTPCLoopers.loopersVeto=true'
+      args.confKey = args.confKey + ';GenTPCLoopers.loopersVeto=true'
+   else:
+      # Loopers settings given for either transport apply to both; the background's own settings take precedence.
+      # Both transports take colsys from -colBkg, as the loopers are a background effect.
+      # Which transport generates the loopers of a given collision is decided in O2, from the collision context itself.
+      signalLoopersKeys, bkgLoopersKeys = loopersKeys(args.confKey), loopersKeys(args.confKeyBkg)
+      args.confKeyBkg = ';'.join(signalLoopersKeys + ['GenTPCLoopers.colsys=' + COLTYPEBKG, args.confKeyBkg])
+      args.confKey = ';'.join(['GenTPCLoopers.colsys=' + COLTYPEBKG, args.confKey] + bkgLoopersKeys)
+
 workflow={}
 workflow['stages'] = []