diff --git a/src/core/mutation.ts b/src/core/mutation.ts
index ee5d778bf1..37c514a917 100644
--- a/src/core/mutation.ts
+++ b/src/core/mutation.ts
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import type { MutationObserver } from './mutationObserver'
 import { getLogger } from './logger'
 import { notifyManager } from './notifyManager'
 import { Removable } from './removable'
-import { Retryer } from './retryer'
+import { canFetch, Retryer } from './retryer'
 import { noop } from './utils'
 
 // TYPES
@@ -291,7 +291,7 @@ export class Mutation<
   }
 
   private dispatch(action: Action<TData, TError, TVariables, TContext>): void {
-    this.state = reducer(this.state, action)
+    this.state = this.reducer(action)
 
     notifyManager.batch(() => {
       this.observers.forEach(observer => {
@@ -304,6 +304,62 @@ export class Mutation<
       })
     })
   }
+
+  private reducer(
+    action: Action<TData, TError, TVariables, TContext>
+  ): MutationState<TData, TError, TVariables, TContext> {
+    switch (action.type) {
+      case 'failed':
+        return {
+          ...this.state,
+          failureCount: this.state.failureCount + 1,
+        }
+      case 'pause':
+        return {
+          ...this.state,
+          isPaused: true,
+        }
+      case 'continue':
+        return {
+          ...this.state,
+          isPaused: false,
+        }
+      case 'loading':
+        return {
+          ...this.state,
+          context: action.context,
+          data: undefined,
+          error: null,
+          isPaused: !canFetch(this.options.networkMode),
+          status: 'loading',
+          variables: action.variables,
+        }
+      case 'success':
+        return {
+          ...this.state,
+          data: action.data,
+          error: null,
+          status: 'success',
+          isPaused: false,
+        }
+      case 'error':
+        return {
+          ...this.state,
+          data: undefined,
+          error: action.error,
+          failureCount: this.state.failureCount + 1,
+          isPaused: false,
+          status: 'error',
+        }
+      case 'setState':
+        return {
+          ...this.state,
+          ...action.state,
+        }
+      default:
+        return this.state
+    }
+  }
 }
 
 export function getDefaultState<
@@ -322,60 +378,3 @@ export function getDefaultState<
     variables: undefined,
   }
 }
-
-function reducer<TData, TError, TVariables, TContext>(
-  state: MutationState<TData, TError, TVariables, TContext>,
-  action: Action<TData, TError, TVariables, TContext>
-): MutationState<TData, TError, TVariables, TContext> {
-  switch (action.type) {
-    case 'failed':
-      return {
-        ...state,
-        failureCount: state.failureCount + 1,
-      }
-    case 'pause':
-      return {
-        ...state,
-        isPaused: true,
-      }
-    case 'continue':
-      return {
-        ...state,
-        isPaused: false,
-      }
-    case 'loading':
-      return {
-        ...state,
-        context: action.context,
-        data: undefined,
-        error: null,
-        isPaused: false,
-        status: 'loading',
-        variables: action.variables,
-      }
-    case 'success':
-      return {
-        ...state,
-        data: action.data,
-        error: null,
-        status: 'success',
-        isPaused: false,
-      }
-    case 'error':
-      return {
-        ...state,
-        data: undefined,
-        error: action.error,
-        failureCount: state.failureCount + 1,
-        isPaused: false,
-        status: 'error',
-      }
-    case 'setState':
-      return {
-        ...state,
-        ...action.state,
-      }
-    default:
-      return state
-  }
-}
diff --git a/src/reactjs/tests/useMutation.test.tsx b/src/reactjs/tests/useMutation.test.tsx
index 799be48033..cae6d06d4f 100644
--- a/src/reactjs/tests/useMutation.test.tsx
+++ b/src/reactjs/tests/useMutation.test.tsx
@@ -445,6 +445,101 @@ describe('useMutation', () => {
     onlineMock.mockRestore()
   })
 
+  it('should call onMutate even if paused', async () => {
+    const onlineMock = mockNavigatorOnLine(false)
+    const onMutate = jest.fn()
+    let count = 0
+
+    function Page() {
+      const mutation = useMutation(
+        async (_text: string) => {
+          count++
+          await sleep(10)
+          return count
+        },
+        {
+          onMutate,
+        }
+      )
+
+      return (
+        <div>
+          <button onClick={() => mutation.mutate('todo')}>mutate</button>
+          <div>
+            data: {mutation.data ?? 'null'}, status: {mutation.status},
+            isPaused: {String(mutation.isPaused)}
+          </div>
+        </div>
+      )
+    }
+
+    const rendered = renderWithClient(queryClient, <Page />)
+
+    await rendered.findByText('data: null, status: idle, isPaused: false')
+
+    rendered.getByRole('button', { name: /mutate/i }).click()
+
+    await rendered.findByText('data: null, status: loading, isPaused: true')
+
+    expect(onMutate).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
+    expect(onMutate).toHaveBeenCalledWith('todo')
+
+    onlineMock.mockReturnValue(true)
+    window.dispatchEvent(new Event('online'))
+
+    await rendered.findByText('data: 1, status: success, isPaused: false')
+
+    expect(onMutate).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
+    expect(count).toBe(1)
+
+    onlineMock.mockRestore()
+  })
+
+  it('should optimistically go to paused state if offline', async () => {
+    const onlineMock = mockNavigatorOnLine(false)
+    let count = 0
+    const states: Array<string> = []
+
+    function Page() {
+      const mutation = useMutation(async (_text: string) => {
+        count++
+        await sleep(10)
+        return count
+      })
+
+      states.push(`${mutation.status}, ${mutation.isPaused}`)
+
+      return (
+        <div>
+          <button onClick={() => mutation.mutate('todo')}>mutate</button>
+          <div>
+            data: {mutation.data ?? 'null'}, status: {mutation.status},
+            isPaused: {String(mutation.isPaused)}
+          </div>
+        </div>
+      )
+    }
+
+    const rendered = renderWithClient(queryClient, <Page />)
+
+    await rendered.findByText('data: null, status: idle, isPaused: false')
+
+    rendered.getByRole('button', { name: /mutate/i }).click()
+
+    await rendered.findByText('data: null, status: loading, isPaused: true')
+
+    // no intermediate 'loading, false' state is expected because we don't start mutating!
+    expect(states[0]).toBe('idle, false')
+    expect(states[1]).toBe('loading, true')
+
+    onlineMock.mockReturnValue(true)
+    window.dispatchEvent(new Event('online'))
+
+    await rendered.findByText('data: 1, status: success, isPaused: false')
+
+    onlineMock.mockRestore()
+  })
+
   it('should be able to retry a mutation when online', async () => {
     const consoleMock = mockConsoleError()
     const onlineMock = mockNavigatorOnLine(false)