diff --git a/app/src/main/java/de/danoeh/antennapod/activity/VideoplayerActivity.java b/app/src/main/java/de/danoeh/antennapod/activity/VideoplayerActivity.java
index 78cc15b2c..d6983eac2 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/de/danoeh/antennapod/activity/VideoplayerActivity.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/de/danoeh/antennapod/activity/VideoplayerActivity.java
@@ -91,12 +91,22 @@ public class VideoplayerActivity extends MediaplayerActivity {
 
     @Override
     protected void onStop() {
+        stopPlaybackIfUserPreferencesSpecified(); // MUST be called before super.onStop(), while it still has member variable controller
         super.onStop();
         if (!PictureInPictureUtil.isInPictureInPictureMode(this)) {
             videoControlsHider.stop();
         }
     }
 
+    void stopPlaybackIfUserPreferencesSpecified() {
+        if (controller != null && !destroyingDueToReload
+                && UserPreferences.getVideoBackgroundBehavior()
+                != UserPreferences.VideoBackgroundBehavior.CONTINUE_PLAYING) {
+            Log.v(TAG, "stop video playback per UserPreference");
+            controller.notifyVideoSurfaceAbandoned();
+        }
+    }
+
     @Override
     public void onUserLeaveHint () {
         if (!PictureInPictureUtil.isInPictureInPictureMode(this) && UserPreferences.getVideoBackgroundBehavior()
@@ -275,13 +285,12 @@ public class VideoplayerActivity extends MediaplayerActivity {
 
         @Override
         public void surfaceDestroyed(SurfaceHolder holder) {
-            Log.d(TAG, "Videosurface was destroyed");
+            Log.d(TAG, "Videosurface was destroyed." );
+            Log.v(TAG, "    hasController=" + (controller != null)
+                    + " , destroyingDueToReload=" + destroyingDueToReload
+                    + " , videoBackgroundBehavior=" + UserPreferences.getVideoBackgroundBehavior());
             videoSurfaceCreated = false;
-            if (controller != null && !destroyingDueToReload
-                    && UserPreferences.getVideoBackgroundBehavior()
-                    != UserPreferences.VideoBackgroundBehavior.CONTINUE_PLAYING) {
-                controller.notifyVideoSurfaceAbandoned();
-            }
+            stopPlaybackIfUserPreferencesSpecified();
         }
     };
 
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 632d0d41b..b0b3aee1c 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
@@ -605,6 +605,7 @@ public class PlaybackService extends MediaBrowserServiceCompat {
     }
 
     public void notifyVideoSurfaceAbandoned() {
+        Log.v(TAG, "notifyVideoSurfaceAbandoned()");
         mediaPlayer.pause(true, false);
         mediaPlayer.resetVideoSurface();
     }
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 81110da7b..3f538da84 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
@@ -764,6 +764,7 @@ public abstract class PlaybackController {
     }
 
     public void notifyVideoSurfaceAbandoned() {
+        Log.v(TAG, "notifyVideoSurfaceAbandoned() - hasPlaybackService=" + (playbackService != null));
         if (playbackService != null) {
             playbackService.notifyVideoSurfaceAbandoned();
         }