Individualized gain control of uplink paths in remote units in a distributed antenna system (DAS) based on individual remote unit contribution to combined uplink power is disclosed. The gain level is reduced for uplink paths of individual remote units that provide higher power contribution to the combined uplink power of a combined uplink communications signal received in the central unit. This allows the initial uplink gain of all remote units to be set higher to increase sensitivity, because the gain of the remote units that provide higher power contributions to the combined uplink power in the central unit can be reduced if the combined uplink power exceeds the desired threshold power level. The gain of the remote units that provide higher power contributions to the combined uplink power in the central unit can be reduced without reducing the gain in the other remote units that would otherwise reduce their sensitivity.