diff --git a/src/de/danoeh/antennapod/service/playback/PlaybackService.java b/src/de/danoeh/antennapod/service/playback/PlaybackService.java
index 6cebce02c..f71ab0f95 100644
--- a/src/de/danoeh/antennapod/service/playback/PlaybackService.java
+++ b/src/de/danoeh/antennapod/service/playback/PlaybackService.java
@@ -363,6 +363,10 @@ public class PlaybackService extends Service {
         public void statusChanged(PlaybackServiceMediaPlayer.PSMPInfo newInfo) {
             currentMediaType = mediaPlayer.getCurrentMediaType();
             switch (newInfo.playerStatus) {
+                case INITIALIZED:
+                    writePlaybackPreferences();
+                    break;
+
                 case PREPARED:
                     taskManager.startChapterLoader(newInfo.playable);
                     break;
@@ -385,7 +389,6 @@ public class PlaybackService extends Service {
                     if (AppConfig.DEBUG)
                         Log.d(TAG, "Resuming/Starting playback");
 
-                    writePlaybackPreferences();
                     taskManager.startPositionSaver();
                     taskManager.startWidgetUpdater();
                     setupNotification(newInfo);
@@ -444,7 +447,7 @@ public class PlaybackService extends Service {
 
         @Override
         public boolean endPlayback(boolean playNextEpisode) {
-            endPlayback(true);
+            PlaybackService.this.endPlayback(true);
             return true;
         }
 
diff --git a/src/de/danoeh/antennapod/service/playback/PlaybackServiceMediaPlayer.java b/src/de/danoeh/antennapod/service/playback/PlaybackServiceMediaPlayer.java
index f6e749324..da273cc0e 100644
--- a/src/de/danoeh/antennapod/service/playback/PlaybackServiceMediaPlayer.java
+++ b/src/de/danoeh/antennapod/service/playback/PlaybackServiceMediaPlayer.java
@@ -112,8 +112,13 @@ public class PlaybackServiceMediaPlayer {
             @Override
             public void run() {
                 playerLock.lock();
-                playMediaObject(playable, false, stream, startWhenPrepared, prepareImmediately);
-                playerLock.unlock();
+                try {
+                    playMediaObject(playable, false, stream, startWhenPrepared, prepareImmediately);
+                } catch (RuntimeException e) {
+                    throw e;
+                } finally {
+                    playerLock.unlock();
+                }
             }
         });
     }
@@ -145,11 +150,12 @@ public class PlaybackServiceMediaPlayer {
                 setPlayerStatus(PlayerStatus.INDETERMINATE, null);
             }
         }
-        createMediaPlayer();
+
         this.media = playable;
         this.stream = stream;
         this.mediaType = media.getMediaType();
         this.videoSize = null;
+        createMediaPlayer();
         PlaybackServiceMediaPlayer.this.startWhenPrepared.set(startWhenPrepared);
         setPlayerStatus(PlayerStatus.INITIALIZING, media);
         try {
@@ -313,8 +319,10 @@ public class PlaybackServiceMediaPlayer {
     void onPrepared(final boolean startWhenPrepared) {
         playerLock.lock();
 
-        if (playerStatus != PlayerStatus.PREPARING)
+        if (playerStatus != PlayerStatus.PREPARING) {
+            playerLock.unlock();
             throw new IllegalStateException("Player is not in PREPARING state");
+        }
 
         if (AppConfig.DEBUG)
             Log.d(TAG, "Resource prepared");
@@ -760,34 +768,9 @@ public class PlaybackServiceMediaPlayer {
         public RemoteControlClient getRemoteControlClient();
     }
 
-    private final com.aocate.media.MediaPlayer.OnPreparedListener audioPreparedListener = new com.aocate.media.MediaPlayer.OnPreparedListener() {
-        @Override
-        public void onPrepared(final com.aocate.media.MediaPlayer mp) {
-            executor.submit(new Runnable() {
-                @Override
-                public void run() {
-                    PlaybackServiceMediaPlayer.this.onPrepared(startWhenPrepared.get());
-                }
-            });
-        }
-    };
-
-    private final android.media.MediaPlayer.OnPreparedListener videoPreparedListener = new android.media.MediaPlayer.OnPreparedListener() {
-        @Override
-        public void onPrepared(android.media.MediaPlayer mp) {
-            executor.submit(new Runnable() {
-                @Override
-                public void run() {
-                    PlaybackServiceMediaPlayer.this.onPrepared(startWhenPrepared.get());
-                }
-            });
-        }
-    };
-
     private IPlayer setMediaPlayerListeners(IPlayer mp) {
         if (mp != null && media != null) {
             if (media.getMediaType() == MediaType.AUDIO) {
-                ((AudioPlayer) mp).setOnPreparedListener(audioPreparedListener);
                 ((AudioPlayer) mp)
                         .setOnCompletionListener(audioCompletionListener);
                 ((AudioPlayer) mp)
@@ -797,7 +780,6 @@ public class PlaybackServiceMediaPlayer {
                         .setOnBufferingUpdateListener(audioBufferingUpdateListener);
                 ((AudioPlayer) mp).setOnInfoListener(audioInfoListener);
             } else {
-                ((VideoPlayer) mp).setOnPreparedListener(videoPreparedListener);
                 ((VideoPlayer) mp)
                         .setOnCompletionListener(videoCompletionListener);
                 ((VideoPlayer) mp)