diff --git a/src/client/sound/header/local.h b/src/client/sound/header/local.h
index 74e9700b..8e7f95e6 100644
--- a/src/client/sound/header/local.h
+++ b/src/client/sound/header/local.h
@@ -171,6 +171,9 @@ void S_BuildSoundList( int *sounds );
 #define     SOUND_FULLVOLUME    80
 #define     SOUND_LOOPATTENUATE 0.003
 
+// number of buffers in flight (needed for ogg)
+extern int active_buffers;
+
 // for snd_al.c - copied from Q2Pro and adapted
 void AL_SoundInfo( void );
 qboolean AL_Init( void );
diff --git a/src/client/sound/snd_al.c b/src/client/sound/snd_al.c
index 8629c224..75875833 100644
--- a/src/client/sound/snd_al.c
+++ b/src/client/sound/snd_al.c
@@ -37,6 +37,8 @@ Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place - Suite 330, Boston, MA  02111-1307, USA.
 #define MIN_CHANNELS 16
 
 qboolean streamPlaying;
+int active_buffers;
+
 static ALuint streamSource;
 
 static ALuint s_srcnums[MAX_CHANNELS-1];
@@ -142,6 +144,7 @@ sfxcache_t *AL_UploadSfx( sfx_t *s, wavinfo_t *s_info, byte *data ) {
     qalGetError();
     qalGenBuffers( 1, &name );
     qalBufferData( name, format, data, size, s_info->rate );
+	active_buffers++;
     if( qalGetError() != AL_NO_ERROR ) {
         // s->error = Q_ERR_LIBRARY_ERROR; FIXME: do I want this info?
         return NULL;
@@ -169,6 +172,7 @@ void AL_DeleteSfx( sfx_t *s ) {
 
     name = sc->bufnum;
     qalDeleteBuffers( 1, &name );
+	active_buffers--;
 }
 
 void AL_StopChannel( channel_t *ch ) {
@@ -444,6 +448,7 @@ static void S_AL_StreamDie( void )
 		ALuint buffer;
 		qalSourceUnqueueBuffers(streamSource, 1, &buffer);
 		qalDeleteBuffers(1, &buffer);
+		active_buffers--;
 	}
 
 	// S_AL_FreeStreamChannel(stream);
@@ -461,6 +466,7 @@ static void S_AL_StreamUpdate( void )
 		ALuint buffer;
 		qalSourceUnqueueBuffers(streamSource, 1, &buffer);
 		qalDeleteBuffers(1, &buffer);
+		active_buffers--;
 	}
 
 	// Start the streamSource playing if necessary
@@ -516,6 +522,7 @@ void AL_RawSamples( int samples, int rate, int width, int channels, byte *data,
 	// Create a buffer, and stuff the data into it
 	qalGenBuffers(1, &buffer);
 	qalBufferData(buffer, format, (ALvoid *)data, (samples * width * channels), rate);
+	active_buffers++;
 
 	// set volume
 	qalSourcef( streamSource, AL_GAIN, volume );
diff --git a/src/client/sound/snd_vorbis.c b/src/client/sound/snd_vorbis.c
index f22af971..6f616224 100644
--- a/src/client/sound/snd_vorbis.c
+++ b/src/client/sound/snd_vorbis.c
@@ -602,10 +602,38 @@ OGG_Stream ( void )
 		return;
 	}
 
+#ifdef USE_OPENAL
+	/* 
+	 */
+	if ( ogg_status == PLAY )
+	{
+
+		/* active_buffers are all active OpenAL buffers,
+		   buffering normal sfx _and_ ogg/vorbis samples.
+		   Empirical testing showed that there are most
+		   likly never more than 256 sfx buffers active.
+		   Read ogg samples into buffers until there are
+		   384 active buffers. This keeps at least 128
+		   ogg buffers (128 * 4096 Byte = 512 KByte) in 
+		   the memory. That's about 30 second of music
+		   playback, more than enough to rule out buffer
+		   underruns even at very, very, very low frame
+		   rates. */
+		while ( active_buffers <= 384 )
+		{
+			OGG_Read();
+		}
+	}
+#else
+	/* Read that number samples into the buffer, that 
+	   were played since the last call to this function.
+	   This keeps the buffer at all times at an "optimal"
+	   fill level. */
 	while ( ogg_status == PLAY  && paintedtime + MAX_RAW_SAMPLES - 2048 > s_rawend )
 	{
 		OGG_Read();
 	}
+#endif
 }
 
 /*