diff --git a/pubsublite/admin.go b/pubsublite/admin.go
index 8c548d3c41d..5cd00800490 100644
--- a/pubsublite/admin.go
+++ b/pubsublite/admin.go
@@ -29,6 +29,18 @@ var (
 	errNoSubscriptionFieldsUpdated = errors.New("pubsublite: no fields updated for subscription")
 )
 
+// BacklogLocation refers to a location with respect to the message backlog.
+type BacklogLocation int
+
+const (
+	// End refers to the location past all currently published messages. End
+	// skips the entire message backlog.
+	End BacklogLocation = iota + 1
+
+	// Beginning refers to the location of the oldest retained message.
+	Beginning
+)
+
 // AdminClient provides admin operations for Pub/Sub Lite resources within a
 // Google Cloud region. The zone component of resource paths must be within this
 // region. See https://cloud.google.com/pubsub/lite/docs/locations for the list
@@ -147,9 +159,40 @@ func (ac *AdminClient) Topics(ctx context.Context, parent string) *TopicIterator
 	}
 }
 
+type createSubscriptionSettings struct {
+	backlogLocation BacklogLocation
+}
+
+// CreateSubscriptionOption is an option for AdminClient.CreateSubscription.
+type CreateSubscriptionOption interface {
+	Apply(*createSubscriptionSettings)
+}
+
+type startingOffset struct {
+	backlogLocation BacklogLocation
+}
+
+func (so startingOffset) Apply(settings *createSubscriptionSettings) {
+	settings.backlogLocation = so.backlogLocation
+}
+
+// StartingOffset specifies the offset at which a newly created subscription
+// will start receiving messages.
+func StartingOffset(location BacklogLocation) CreateSubscriptionOption {
+	return startingOffset{location}
+}
+
 // CreateSubscription creates a new subscription from the given config. If the
 // subscription already exists an error will be returned.
-func (ac *AdminClient) CreateSubscription(ctx context.Context, config SubscriptionConfig) (*SubscriptionConfig, error) {
+//
+// By default, a new subscription will only receive messages published after
+// the subscription was created. Use StartingOffset to override.
+func (ac *AdminClient) CreateSubscription(ctx context.Context, config SubscriptionConfig, opts ...CreateSubscriptionOption) (*SubscriptionConfig, error) {
+	var settings createSubscriptionSettings
+	for _, opt := range opts {
+		opt.Apply(&settings)
+	}
+
 	subsPath, err := wire.ParseSubscriptionPath(config.Name)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
@@ -161,6 +204,7 @@ func (ac *AdminClient) CreateSubscription(ctx context.Context, config Subscripti
 		Parent:         subsPath.Location().String(),
 		Subscription:   config.toProto(),
 		SubscriptionId: subsPath.SubscriptionID,
+		SkipBacklog:    settings.backlogLocation != Beginning,
 	}
 	subspb, err := ac.admin.CreateSubscription(ctx, req)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/pubsublite/admin_test.go b/pubsublite/admin_test.go
index 522b8091c5d..d0a9b0ee5b5 100644
--- a/pubsublite/admin_test.go
+++ b/pubsublite/admin_test.go
@@ -275,6 +275,13 @@ func TestAdminSubscriptionCRUD(t *testing.T) {
 		Parent:         "projects/my-proj/locations/us-central1-a",
 		SubscriptionId: "my-subscription",
 		Subscription:   subscriptionConfig.toProto(),
+		SkipBacklog:    true,
+	}
+	wantCreateAtBacklogReq := &pb.CreateSubscriptionRequest{
+		Parent:         "projects/my-proj/locations/us-central1-a",
+		SubscriptionId: "my-subscription",
+		Subscription:   subscriptionConfig.toProto(),
+		SkipBacklog:    false,
 	}
 	wantUpdateReq := updateConfig.toUpdateRequest()
 	wantGetReq := &pb.GetSubscriptionRequest{
@@ -286,6 +293,8 @@ func TestAdminSubscriptionCRUD(t *testing.T) {
 
 	verifiers := test.NewVerifiers(t)
 	verifiers.GlobalVerifier.Push(wantCreateReq, subscriptionConfig.toProto(), nil)
+	verifiers.GlobalVerifier.Push(wantCreateReq, subscriptionConfig.toProto(), nil)
+	verifiers.GlobalVerifier.Push(wantCreateAtBacklogReq, subscriptionConfig.toProto(), nil)
 	verifiers.GlobalVerifier.Push(wantUpdateReq, subscriptionConfig.toProto(), nil)
 	verifiers.GlobalVerifier.Push(wantGetReq, subscriptionConfig.toProto(), nil)
 	verifiers.GlobalVerifier.Push(wantDeleteReq, &emptypb.Empty{}, nil)
@@ -301,6 +310,18 @@ func TestAdminSubscriptionCRUD(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("CreateSubscription() got: %v\nwant: %v", gotConfig, subscriptionConfig)
 	}
 
+	if gotConfig, err := admin.CreateSubscription(ctx, subscriptionConfig, StartingOffset(End)); err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("CreateSubscription() got err: %v", err)
+	} else if !testutil.Equal(gotConfig, &subscriptionConfig) {
+		t.Errorf("CreateSubscription() got: %v\nwant: %v", gotConfig, subscriptionConfig)
+	}
+
+	if gotConfig, err := admin.CreateSubscription(ctx, subscriptionConfig, StartingOffset(Beginning)); err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("CreateSubscription() got err: %v", err)
+	} else if !testutil.Equal(gotConfig, &subscriptionConfig) {
+		t.Errorf("CreateSubscription() got: %v\nwant: %v", gotConfig, subscriptionConfig)
+	}
+
 	if gotConfig, err := admin.UpdateSubscription(ctx, updateConfig); err != nil {
 		t.Errorf("UpdateSubscription() got err: %v", err)
 	} else if !testutil.Equal(gotConfig, &subscriptionConfig) {