diff --git a/data/sounds/silence.ogg b/data/sounds/silence.ogg
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d7100cc46
Binary files /dev/null and b/data/sounds/silence.ogg differ
diff --git a/resources.qrc b/resources.qrc
index 8cc61c536..f839b1952 100644
--- a/resources.qrc
+++ b/resources.qrc
@@ -170,5 +170,6 @@
         <file>data/images/downloadbutton.svg</file>
         <file>data/images/nav-back.svg</file>
         <file>data/images/nav-forward.svg</file>
+        <file>data/sounds/silence.ogg</file>
     </qresource>
 </RCC>
diff --git a/src/libtomahawk/audio/AudioEngine.cpp b/src/libtomahawk/audio/AudioEngine.cpp
index d34d760d8..63fc0a1b0 100644
--- a/src/libtomahawk/audio/AudioEngine.cpp
+++ b/src/libtomahawk/audio/AudioEngine.cpp
@@ -167,6 +167,7 @@ AudioEngine::AudioEngine()
 
     d->audioOutput = new AudioOutput( this );
 
+    connect( d->audioOutput, SIGNAL( initialized() ), this, SIGNAL( initialized() ) );
     connect( d->audioOutput, SIGNAL( stateChanged( AudioOutput::AudioState, AudioOutput::AudioState ) ), d_func(), SLOT( onStateChanged( AudioOutput::AudioState, AudioOutput::AudioState ) ) );
     connect( d->audioOutput, SIGNAL( tick( qint64 ) ), SLOT( timerTriggered( qint64 ) ) );
     connect( d->audioOutput, SIGNAL( positionChanged( float ) ), SLOT( onPositionChanged( float ) ) );
@@ -289,8 +290,11 @@ AudioEngine::stop( AudioErrorCode errorCode )
     if ( d->waitingOnNewTrack )
         sendWaitingNotification();
 
-    Tomahawk::InfoSystem::InfoPushData pushData( s_aeInfoIdentifier, Tomahawk::InfoSystem::InfoNowStopped, QVariant(), Tomahawk::InfoSystem::PushNoFlag );
-    Tomahawk::InfoSystem::InfoSystem::instance()->pushInfo( pushData );
+    if ( d->audioOutput->isInitialized() )
+    {
+        Tomahawk::InfoSystem::InfoPushData pushData( s_aeInfoIdentifier, Tomahawk::InfoSystem::InfoNowStopped, QVariant(), Tomahawk::InfoSystem::PushNoFlag );
+        Tomahawk::InfoSystem::InfoSystem::instance()->pushInfo( pushData );
+    }
 }
 
 
@@ -566,6 +570,12 @@ AudioEngine::loadTrack( const Tomahawk::result_ptr& result )
     Q_D( AudioEngine );
     tDebug( LOGEXTRA ) << Q_FUNC_INFO << ( result.isNull() ? QString() : result->url() );
 
+
+    if ( !d->audioOutput->isInitialized() )
+    {
+        return;
+    }
+
     if ( !result )
     {
         stop();
diff --git a/src/libtomahawk/audio/AudioEngine.h b/src/libtomahawk/audio/AudioEngine.h
index bc129c383..403ccb2a4 100644
--- a/src/libtomahawk/audio/AudioEngine.h
+++ b/src/libtomahawk/audio/AudioEngine.h
@@ -149,6 +149,8 @@ public slots:
     void setShuffled( bool enabled );
 
 signals:
+    void initialized();
+
     void loading( const Tomahawk::result_ptr track );
     void started( const Tomahawk::result_ptr track );
     void finished( const Tomahawk::result_ptr track );
diff --git a/src/libtomahawk/audio/AudioOutput.cpp b/src/libtomahawk/audio/AudioOutput.cpp
index 48dbd00fd..063aedce3 100644
--- a/src/libtomahawk/audio/AudioOutput.cpp
+++ b/src/libtomahawk/audio/AudioOutput.cpp
@@ -25,11 +25,13 @@
 
 #include "audio/MediaStream.h"
 #include "utils/Logger.h"
+#include "utils/TomahawkUtils.h"
 
 #include <QApplication>
 #include <QVarLengthArray>
 #include <QFile>
 #include <QDir>
+#include <QTimer>
 
 #include <vlc/libvlc.h>
 #include <vlc/libvlc_media.h>
@@ -58,6 +60,7 @@ AudioOutput::AudioOutput( QObject* parent )
     , m_currentTime( 0 )
     , m_totalTime( 0 )
     , m_justSeeked( false )
+    , m_initialized( false )
     , dspPluginCallback( nullptr )
     , m_vlcInstance( nullptr )
     , m_vlcPlayer( nullptr )
@@ -129,7 +132,25 @@ AudioOutput::AudioOutput( QObject* parent )
     }
 
     m_muted = isMuted();
-    tDebug() << Q_FUNC_INFO << "Init OK";
+
+    // HACK: play silent ogg file and set volume on that to workaround vlc not allowing to set volume before a file is played
+    m_silenceFile.setFileName( RESPATH "sounds/silence.ogg" );
+    Q_ASSERT( m_silenceFile.exists() );
+    Q_ASSERT( m_silenceFile.open( QIODevice::ReadOnly ) );
+
+    setCurrentSource( new MediaStream( &m_silenceFile, true ) );
+    libvlc_media_player_play( m_vlcPlayer );
+
+    #if QT_VERSION >= QT_VERSION_CHECK(5,4,0)
+    // if the silence file did not play for 15 secs, we pretend the AudioOutput is initialized, to allow proper error reporting
+    QTimer::singleShot( 15000, [&]()
+    {
+        if ( !m_initialized ) {
+            m_initialized = true;
+            emit initialized();
+        }
+    } );
+    #endif
 }
 
 
@@ -155,6 +176,27 @@ AudioOutput::~AudioOutput()
 }
 
 
+void
+AudioOutput::onInitVlcEvent( const libvlc_event_t* event )
+{
+    switch ( event->type )
+    {
+        case libvlc_MediaPlayerTimeChanged:
+            setVolume( volume() );
+
+            m_initialized = true;
+            m_silenceFile.close();
+
+            tDebug() << Q_FUNC_INFO << "Init OK";
+            emit initialized();
+            break;
+
+        default:
+            break;
+    }
+}
+
+
 void
 AudioOutput::setAutoDelete( bool ad )
 {
@@ -303,6 +345,13 @@ AudioOutput::setCurrentSource( MediaStream* stream )
 }
 
 
+bool
+AudioOutput::isInitialized() const
+{
+    return m_initialized;
+}
+
+
 AudioOutput::AudioState
 AudioOutput::state() const
 {
@@ -555,7 +604,14 @@ AudioOutput::vlcEventCallback( const libvlc_event_t* event, void* opaque )
     AudioOutput* that = reinterpret_cast < AudioOutput * > ( opaque );
     Q_ASSERT( that );
 
-    that->onVlcEvent( event );
+    if ( !that->isInitialized() )
+    {
+        that->onInitVlcEvent( event );
+    }
+    else
+    {
+        that->onVlcEvent( event );
+    }
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/libtomahawk/audio/AudioOutput.h b/src/libtomahawk/audio/AudioOutput.h
index 504cb6cfb..ee03b7d71 100644
--- a/src/libtomahawk/audio/AudioOutput.h
+++ b/src/libtomahawk/audio/AudioOutput.h
@@ -25,6 +25,8 @@
 #include "DllMacro.h"
 #include "Typedefs.h"
 
+#include <QFile>
+
 #include <functional>
 
 struct libvlc_instance_t;
@@ -44,6 +46,7 @@ public:
     explicit AudioOutput( QObject* parent = nullptr );
     ~AudioOutput();
 
+    bool isInitialized() const;
     AudioState state() const;
 
     void setCurrentSource( const QUrl& stream );
@@ -72,11 +75,14 @@ public:
 public slots:
 
 signals:
+    void initialized();
     void stateChanged( AudioOutput::AudioState, AudioOutput::AudioState );
     void tick( qint64 );
     void positionChanged( float );
 
 private:
+    void onInitVlcEvent( const libvlc_event_t* event );
+
     void setState( AudioState state );
     void setCurrentTime( qint64 time );
     void setCurrentPosition( float position );
@@ -99,6 +105,9 @@ private:
     qint64 m_totalTime;
     bool m_justSeeked;
 
+    bool m_initialized;
+    QFile m_silenceFile;
+
     std::function< void( int state, int frameNumber, float* samples, int nb_channels, int nb_samples ) > dspPluginCallback;
 
     libvlc_instance_t* m_vlcInstance;
diff --git a/src/libtomahawk/audio/MediaStream.cpp b/src/libtomahawk/audio/MediaStream.cpp
index 955c3be9f..97503bcc1 100644
--- a/src/libtomahawk/audio/MediaStream.cpp
+++ b/src/libtomahawk/audio/MediaStream.cpp
@@ -41,12 +41,16 @@ MediaStream::MediaStream( const QUrl &url )
 }
 
 
-MediaStream::MediaStream( QIODevice* device )
+MediaStream::MediaStream( QIODevice* device, bool bufferingFinished )
     : QObject( nullptr )
     , m_type( IODevice )
     , m_ioDevice ( device )
+    , m_bufferingFinished( bufferingFinished )
 {
-    QObject::connect( m_ioDevice, SIGNAL( readChannelFinished() ), this, SLOT( bufferingFinished() ) );
+    if ( !bufferingFinished )
+    {
+        QObject::connect( m_ioDevice, SIGNAL( readChannelFinished() ), this, SLOT( bufferingFinished() ) );
+    }
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/libtomahawk/audio/MediaStream.h b/src/libtomahawk/audio/MediaStream.h
index 831e70a57..379f7eaa4 100644
--- a/src/libtomahawk/audio/MediaStream.h
+++ b/src/libtomahawk/audio/MediaStream.h
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ public:
 
     MediaStream( QObject* parent = nullptr );
     explicit MediaStream( const QUrl &url );
-    explicit MediaStream( QIODevice* device );
+    explicit MediaStream( QIODevice* device, bool bufferingFinished = false );
     virtual ~MediaStream();
 
     MediaType type() const;