diff --git a/engine/client/cl_parse.c b/engine/client/cl_parse.c
index 879cb68dc..91cc7c368 100644
--- a/engine/client/cl_parse.c
+++ b/engine/client/cl_parse.c
@@ -3464,9 +3464,9 @@ void CLNQ_ParseStartSoundPacket(void)
 		attenuation = DEFAULT_SOUND_PACKET_ATTENUATION;
 
 	if (field_mask & FTESND_PITCHADJ)
-		pitchadj = MSG_ReadChar();
+		pitchadj = MSG_ReadByte();
 	else
-		pitchadj = 0;
+		pitchadj = 100;
 
 	if (field_mask & DPSND_LARGEENTITY)
 	{
diff --git a/engine/client/snd_dma.c b/engine/client/snd_dma.c
index 807adc53f..0a28b3cf8 100644
--- a/engine/client/snd_dma.c
+++ b/engine/client/snd_dma.c
@@ -880,6 +880,8 @@ void S_StartSoundCard(soundcardinfo_t *sc, int entnum, int entchannel, sfx_t *sf
 #endif
 
 	vol = fvol*255;
+	if (!pitchadj)
+		pitchadj = 100;
 
 // pick a channel to play on
 	target_chan = SND_PickChannel(sc, entnum, entchannel);
@@ -919,7 +921,7 @@ void S_StartSoundCard(soundcardinfo_t *sc, int entnum, int entchannel, sfx_t *sf
 		startpos = scache->length - snd_speed*10;
 	}
 	target_chan->sfx = sfx;
-	target_chan->rate = (1<<PITCHSHIFT) + pitchadj;
+	target_chan->rate = ((1<<PITCHSHIFT) * pitchadj) / 100;
 	target_chan->pos = startpos*target_chan->rate;
 	target_chan->end = sc->paintedtime + ((scache->length - startpos)<<PITCHSHIFT)/target_chan->rate;
 	target_chan->looping = false;
diff --git a/engine/common/protocol.h b/engine/common/protocol.h
index 9ba28c00f..7182c20e4 100644
--- a/engine/common/protocol.h
+++ b/engine/common/protocol.h
@@ -603,7 +603,7 @@ enum clcq2_ops_e
 #define DPSND_LOOPING		(1<<2)		// a long, supposedly
 #define DPSND_LARGEENTITY	(1<<3)
 #define DPSND_LARGESOUND	(1<<4)
-#define FTESND_PITCHADJ		(1<<7)		//a char (final rate is (1<<8)+pitch as 24.8 fixed point)
+#define FTESND_PITCHADJ		(1<<7)		//a byte (speed percent (0=100%))
 
 #define DEFAULT_SOUND_PACKET_VOLUME 255
 #define DEFAULT_SOUND_PACKET_ATTENUATION 1.0
diff --git a/engine/server/sv_send.c b/engine/server/sv_send.c
index 4afb6843f..b322ce921 100644
--- a/engine/server/sv_send.c
+++ b/engine/server/sv_send.c
@@ -857,7 +857,7 @@ void SV_StartSound (int ent, vec3_t origin, int seenmask, int channel, char *sam
 		extfield_mask |= DPSND_LARGEENTITY;
 	if (sound_num > 0xff)
 		extfield_mask |= DPSND_LARGESOUND;
-	if (pitchadj)
+	if (pitchadj && (pitchadj != 100))
 		extfield_mask |= FTESND_PITCHADJ;
 
 #ifdef PEXT_SOUNDDBL
@@ -871,7 +871,7 @@ void SV_StartSound (int ent, vec3_t origin, int seenmask, int channel, char *sam
 		if (extfield_mask & NQSND_ATTENUATION)
 			MSG_WriteByte (&sv.multicast, attenuation*64);
 		if (extfield_mask & FTESND_PITCHADJ)
-			MSG_WriteChar (&sv.multicast, pitchadj);
+			MSG_WriteByte (&sv.multicast, pitchadj);
 		if (extfield_mask & DPSND_LARGEENTITY)
 		{
 			MSG_WriteShort (&sv.multicast, ent);
@@ -926,7 +926,7 @@ void SV_StartSound (int ent, vec3_t origin, int seenmask, int channel, char *sam
 	if (extfield_mask & NQSND_ATTENUATION)
 		MSG_WriteByte (&sv.nqmulticast, attenuation*64);
 	if (extfield_mask & FTESND_PITCHADJ)
-		MSG_WriteChar (&sv.nqmulticast, pitchadj);
+		MSG_WriteByte (&sv.nqmulticast, pitchadj);
 	if (extfield_mask & DPSND_LARGEENTITY)
 	{
 		MSG_WriteShort (&sv.nqmulticast, ent);