diff --git a/core/src/main/java/de/danoeh/antennapod/core/event/PlaybackPositionEvent.java b/core/src/main/java/de/danoeh/antennapod/core/event/PlaybackPositionEvent.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a12c2b8ad
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/src/main/java/de/danoeh/antennapod/core/event/PlaybackPositionEvent.java
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+package de.danoeh.antennapod.core.event;
+
+public class PlaybackPositionEvent {
+
+    public PlaybackPositionEvent() {
+
+    }
+}
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/de/danoeh/antennapod/core/service/playback/PlaybackService.java b/core/src/main/java/de/danoeh/antennapod/core/service/playback/PlaybackService.java
index ace89e40a..e72629971 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/de/danoeh/antennapod/core/service/playback/PlaybackService.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/de/danoeh/antennapod/core/service/playback/PlaybackService.java
@@ -45,10 +45,14 @@ import com.bumptech.glide.request.target.Target;
 
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.List;
+import java.util.concurrent.ScheduledFuture;
+import java.util.concurrent.ScheduledThreadPoolExecutor;
+import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
 
 import de.danoeh.antennapod.core.ClientConfig;
 import de.danoeh.antennapod.core.R;
 import de.danoeh.antennapod.core.event.MessageEvent;
+import de.danoeh.antennapod.core.event.PlaybackPositionEvent;
 import de.danoeh.antennapod.core.event.ServiceEvent;
 import de.danoeh.antennapod.core.feed.Chapter;
 import de.danoeh.antennapod.core.feed.Feed;
@@ -213,6 +217,9 @@ public class PlaybackService extends MediaBrowserServiceCompat {
     private PlaybackServiceFlavorHelper flavorHelper;
     private PlaybackServiceStateManager stateManager;
 
+    private final ScheduledThreadPoolExecutor positionEventDistributorExecutor = new ScheduledThreadPoolExecutor(1);
+    private ScheduledFuture<?> positionEventDistributorFuture;
+
     /**
      * Used for Lollipop notifications, Android Wear, and Android Auto.
      */
@@ -734,6 +741,7 @@ public class PlaybackService extends MediaBrowserServiceCompat {
                         // remove notification on pause
                         stateManager.stopForeground(true);
                     }
+                    cancelPositionObserver();
                     writePlayerStatusPlaybackPreferences();
                     break;
 
@@ -745,6 +753,7 @@ public class PlaybackService extends MediaBrowserServiceCompat {
                 case PLAYING:
                     writePlayerStatusPlaybackPreferences();
                     setupNotification(newInfo);
+                    setupPositionUpdater();
                     stateManager.validStartCommandWasReceived();
                     // set sleep timer if auto-enabled
                     if (newInfo.oldPlayerStatus != null && newInfo.oldPlayerStatus != PlayerStatus.SEEKING &&
@@ -1653,6 +1662,23 @@ public class PlaybackService extends MediaBrowserServiceCompat {
         return mediaPlayer.getVideoSize();
     }
 
+    private void setupPositionUpdater() {
+        if (positionEventDistributorFuture == null ||
+                positionEventDistributorFuture.isCancelled() ||
+                positionEventDistributorFuture.isDone()) {
+            Log.d(TAG, "Setting up position observer");
+            positionEventDistributorFuture = positionEventDistributorExecutor.scheduleWithFixedDelay(
+                    () -> EventBus.getDefault().post(new PlaybackPositionEvent()), 1000, 1000, TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS);
+        }
+    }
+
+    private void cancelPositionObserver() {
+        if (positionEventDistributorFuture != null) {
+            boolean result = positionEventDistributorFuture.cancel(true);
+            Log.d(TAG, "PositionObserver cancelled. Result: " + result);
+        }
+    }
+
     private final MediaSessionCompat.Callback sessionCallback = new MediaSessionCompat.Callback() {
 
         private static final String TAG = "MediaSessionCompat";
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/de/danoeh/antennapod/core/util/playback/PlaybackController.java b/core/src/main/java/de/danoeh/antennapod/core/util/playback/PlaybackController.java
index ac5418dd0..1456ebd8d 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/de/danoeh/antennapod/core/util/playback/PlaybackController.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/de/danoeh/antennapod/core/util/playback/PlaybackController.java
@@ -21,11 +21,10 @@ import android.widget.ImageButton;
 import android.widget.SeekBar;
 import android.widget.TextView;
 
-import java.util.concurrent.ScheduledFuture;
 import java.util.concurrent.ScheduledThreadPoolExecutor;
-import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
 
 import de.danoeh.antennapod.core.R;
+import de.danoeh.antennapod.core.event.PlaybackPositionEvent;
 import de.danoeh.antennapod.core.event.ServiceEvent;
 import de.danoeh.antennapod.core.feed.Chapter;
 import de.danoeh.antennapod.core.feed.FeedMedia;
@@ -69,9 +68,6 @@ public class PlaybackController {
     private final ScheduledThreadPoolExecutor schedExecutor;
     private static final int SCHED_EX_POOLSIZE = 1;
 
-    private MediaPositionObserver positionObserver;
-    private ScheduledFuture<?> positionObserverFuture;
-
     private boolean mediaInfoLoaded = false;
     private boolean released = false;
     private boolean initialized = false;
@@ -177,7 +173,6 @@ public class PlaybackController {
         } catch (IllegalArgumentException e) {
             // ignore
         }
-        cancelPositionObserver();
         schedExecutor.shutdownNow();
         media = null;
         released = true;
@@ -254,29 +249,6 @@ public class PlaybackController {
                 .getIntent());
     }
 
-
-
-    private void setupPositionObserver() {
-        if (positionObserverFuture == null ||
-                positionObserverFuture.isCancelled() ||
-                positionObserverFuture.isDone()) {
-
-            Log.d(TAG, "Setting up position observer");
-            positionObserver = new MediaPositionObserver();
-            positionObserverFuture = schedExecutor.scheduleWithFixedDelay(
-                    positionObserver, MediaPositionObserver.WAITING_INTERVALL,
-                    MediaPositionObserver.WAITING_INTERVALL,
-                    TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS);
-        }
-    }
-
-    private void cancelPositionObserver() {
-        if (positionObserverFuture != null) {
-            boolean result = positionObserverFuture.cancel(true);
-            Log.d(TAG, "PositionObserver cancelled. Result: " + result);
-        }
-    }
-
     private final ServiceConnection mConnection = new ServiceConnection() {
         public void onServiceConnected(ComponentName className, IBinder service) {
             if(service instanceof PlaybackService.LocalBinder) {
@@ -337,7 +309,6 @@ public class PlaybackController {
                     onBufferUpdate(progress);
                     break;
                 case PlaybackService.NOTIFICATION_TYPE_RELOAD:
-                    cancelPositionObserver();
                     mediaInfoLoaded = false;
                     queryService();
                     onReloadNotification(intent.getIntExtra(
@@ -447,7 +418,6 @@ public class PlaybackController {
             case PAUSED:
                 clearStatusMsg();
                 checkMediaInfoLoaded();
-                cancelPositionObserver();
                 onPositionObserverUpdate();
                 updatePlayButtonAppearance(playResource, playText);
                 if (!PlaybackService.isCasting() &&
@@ -463,7 +433,6 @@ public class PlaybackController {
                     onAwaitingVideoSurface();
                     setScreenOn(true);
                 }
-                setupPositionObserver();
                 updatePlayButtonAppearance(pauseResource, pauseText);
                 break;
             case PREPARING:
@@ -581,7 +550,6 @@ public class PlaybackController {
      */
     public void onSeekBarStartTrackingTouch(SeekBar seekBar) {
         // interrupt position Observer, restart later
-        cancelPositionObserver();
     }
 
     /**
@@ -590,7 +558,6 @@ public class PlaybackController {
     public void onSeekBarStopTrackingTouch(SeekBar seekBar, float prog) {
         if (playbackService != null && media != null) {
             playbackService.seekTo((int) (prog * media.getDuration()));
-            setupPositionObserver();
         }
     }
 
@@ -836,19 +803,4 @@ public class PlaybackController {
                 }
             }, error -> Log.e(TAG, Log.getStackTraceString(error)));
     }
-
-    /**
-     * Refreshes the current position of the media file that is playing.
-     */
-    public class MediaPositionObserver implements Runnable {
-
-        static final int WAITING_INTERVALL = 1000;
-
-        @Override
-        public void run() {
-            if (playbackService != null && playbackService.getStatus() == PlayerStatus.PLAYING) {
-                activity.runOnUiThread(PlaybackController.this::onPositionObserverUpdate);
-            }
-        }
-    }
 }