diff --git a/libs/audio/renderer/snd_channels.c b/libs/audio/renderer/snd_channels.c
index a34b88b4c..9f2aff704 100644
--- a/libs/audio/renderer/snd_channels.c
+++ b/libs/audio/renderer/snd_channels.c
@@ -686,7 +686,7 @@ SND_StaticSound (sfx_t *sfx, const vec3_t origin, float vol,
 	VectorCopy (origin, ss->origin);
 	ss->master_vol = vol;
 	ss->dist_mult = (attenuation / 64) / sound_nominal_clip_dist;
-	ss->end = snd_paintedtime + osfx->length;
+	ss->end = 0;
 
 	s_spatialize (ss);
 	ss->oldphase = ss->phase;
diff --git a/libs/audio/renderer/snd_mem.c b/libs/audio/renderer/snd_mem.c
index 9a5f7c0fb..6c63d598a 100644
--- a/libs/audio/renderer/snd_mem.c
+++ b/libs/audio/renderer/snd_mem.c
@@ -98,6 +98,8 @@ SND_CacheRetain (sfx_t *sfx)
 {
 	sfxblock_t *block = (sfxblock_t *) sfx->data;
 	block->buffer = Cache_TryGet (&block->cache);
+	if (!block->buffer)
+		Sys_Printf ("failed to cache sound!\n");
 	return block->buffer;
 }
 
@@ -105,7 +107,6 @@ void
 SND_CacheRelease (sfx_t *sfx)
 {
 	sfxblock_t *block = (sfxblock_t *) sfx->data;
-	block->buffer = 0;
 	// due to the possibly asynchronous nature of the mixer, the cache
 	// may have been flushed behind our backs
 	if (block->cache.data) {
@@ -115,6 +116,8 @@ SND_CacheRelease (sfx_t *sfx)
 			return;
 		}
 		Cache_Release (&block->cache);
+		if (!Cache_ReadLock (&block->cache))
+			block->buffer = 0;
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/libs/audio/renderer/snd_mix.c b/libs/audio/renderer/snd_mix.c
index 1999935b9..0588372ce 100644
--- a/libs/audio/renderer/snd_mix.c
+++ b/libs/audio/renderer/snd_mix.c
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ snd_paint_channel (channel_t *ch, sfxbuffer_t *sc, int count)
 		ch->pos += count;
 		if ((int) ch->pos <= 0)
 			return;
-		offs = ch->pos;
+		offs = count - ch->pos;
 		count -= offs;
 		ch->pos = 0;
 	}
@@ -135,11 +135,13 @@ SND_PaintChannels (unsigned endtime)
 			if (ch->pause)
 				continue;
 			sc = sfx->getbuffer (sfx);
-			if (!sc)				// something went wrong with the sfx
+			if (!sc) {				// something went wrong with the sfx
+				printf ("XXXX sfx blew up!!!!\n");
 				continue;
+			}
 
 			if (!ch->end)
-				ch->end = snd_paintedtime + sfx->length;
+				ch->end = snd_paintedtime + sfx->length - ch->pos;
 
 			ltime = snd_paintedtime;