diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 972b633..f71f899 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,9 @@
+User johns
+Date:
+
+    Add Workaround for alsa blocking audio device.
+    Improves thread handling for audio flush and close.
+
 User mini73
 Date: Fri Jan 24 11:30:49 CET 2014
 
diff --git a/audio.c b/audio.c
index 6ad2907..78463fb 100644
--- a/audio.c
+++ b/audio.c
@@ -123,6 +123,8 @@ static const AudioModule NoopModule;	///< forward definition of noop module
 //----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 char AudioAlsaDriverBroken;		///< disable broken driver message
+char AudioAlsaNoCloseOpen;		///< disable alsa close/open fix
+char AudioAlsaCloseOpenDelay;		///< enable alsa close/open delay fix
 
 static const char *AudioModuleName;	///< which audio module to use
 
@@ -1189,13 +1191,17 @@ static int AlsaSetup(int *freq, int *channels, int passthrough)
 	// FIXME: if open fails for fe. pass-through, we never recover
 	return -1;
     }
-    if (1) {				// close+open to fix HDMI no sound bug
+    if (!AudioAlsaNoCloseOpen) {	// close+open to fix HDMI no sound bug
 	snd_pcm_t *handle;
 
 	handle = AlsaPCMHandle;
 	// FIXME: need lock
 	AlsaPCMHandle = NULL;		// other threads should check handle
 	snd_pcm_close(handle);
+	if (AudioAlsaCloseOpenDelay) {
+	    usleep(50 * 1000);		// 50ms delay for alsa recovery
+	}
+	// FIXME: can use multiple retries
 	if (!(handle = AlsaOpenPCM(passthrough))) {
 	    return -1;
 	}
@@ -2043,25 +2049,27 @@ static void *AudioPlayHandlerThread(void *dummy)
 	    int read;
 	    int flush;
 	    int err;
+	    int i;
 
 	    // look if there is a flush command in the queue
 	    flush = 0;
 	    filled = atomic_read(&AudioRingFilled);
 	    read = AudioRingRead;
-	    while (filled--) {
+	    i = filled;
+	    while (i--) {
 		read = (read + 1) % AUDIO_RING_MAX;
 		if (AudioRing[read].FlushBuffers) {
 		    AudioRing[read].FlushBuffers = 0;
 		    AudioRingRead = read;
-		    atomic_set(&AudioRingFilled, filled);
 		    // handle all flush in queue
-		    flush = 1;
+		    flush = filled - i;
 		}
 	    }
 
 	    if (flush) {
-		Debug(3, "audio: flush\n");
+		Debug(3, "audio: flush %d ring buffer(s)\n", flush);
 		AudioUsedModule->FlushBuffers();
+		atomic_sub(flush, &AudioRingFilled);
 		if (AudioNextRing()) {
 		    Debug(3, "audio: break after flush\n");
 		    break;
@@ -2421,8 +2429,23 @@ void AudioFlushBuffers(void)
     int old;
     int i;
 
+    if (atomic_read(&AudioRingFilled) >= AUDIO_RING_MAX) {
+	// wait for space in ring buffer, should never happen
+	for (i = 0; i < 24 * 2; ++i) {
+	    if (atomic_read(&AudioRingFilled) < AUDIO_RING_MAX) {
+		break;
+	    }
+	    Debug(3, "audio: flush out of ring buffers\n");
+	    usleep(1 * 1000);		// avoid hot polling
+	}
+	if (atomic_read(&AudioRingFilled) >= AUDIO_RING_MAX) {
+	    // FIXME: We can set the flush flag in the last wrote ring buffer
+	    Error(_("audio: flush out of ring buffers\n"));
+	    return;
+	}
+    }
+
     old = AudioRingWrite;
-    // FIXME: check ring buffer overflow
     AudioRingWrite = (AudioRingWrite + 1) % AUDIO_RING_MAX;
     AudioRing[AudioRingWrite].FlushBuffers = 1;
     AudioRing[AudioRingWrite].Passthrough = AudioRing[old].Passthrough;
@@ -2439,12 +2462,13 @@ void AudioFlushBuffers(void)
 
     atomic_inc(&AudioRingFilled);
 
-    // FIXME: wait for flush complete?
+    // FIXME: wait for flush complete needed?
     for (i = 0; i < 24 * 2; ++i) {
 	if (!AudioRunning) {		// wakeup thread to flush buffers
 	    AudioRunning = 1;
 	    pthread_cond_signal(&AudioStartCond);
 	}
+	// FIXME: waiting on zero isn't correct, but currently works
 	if (!atomic_read(&AudioRingFilled)) {
 	    break;
 	}
diff --git a/audio.h b/audio.h
index 4a0ac51..30fefae 100644
--- a/audio.h
+++ b/audio.h
@@ -60,5 +60,7 @@ extern void AudioExit(void);		///< cleanup and exit audio module
 //----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 extern char AudioAlsaDriverBroken;	///< disable broken driver message
+extern char AudioAlsaNoCloseOpen;	///< disable alsa close/open fix
+extern char AudioAlsaCloseOpenDelay;	///< enable alsa close/open delay fix
 
 /// @}
diff --git a/po/de_DE.po b/po/de_DE.po
index 7edfebb..1f3d0a1 100644
--- a/po/de_DE.po
+++ b/po/de_DE.po
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ msgid ""
 msgstr ""
 "Project-Id-Version: VDR \n"
 "Report-Msgid-Bugs-To: <see README>\n"
-"POT-Creation-Date: 2013-10-06 22:20+0200\n"
+"POT-Creation-Date: 2013-12-05 12:15+0100\n"
 "PO-Revision-Date: YEAR-MO-DA HO:MI+ZONE\n"
 "Last-Translator: FULL NAME <EMAIL@ADDRESS>\n"
 "Language-Team: LANGUAGE <LL@li.org>\n"
@@ -239,6 +239,9 @@ msgstr ""
 msgid "audio: can't place %d samples in ring buffer\n"
 msgstr ""
 
+msgid "audio: flush out of ring buffers\n"
+msgstr ""
+
 #, c-format
 msgid "audio: '%s' output module used\n"
 msgstr ""
diff --git a/softhddev.c b/softhddev.c
index 2631df7..b88290e 100644
--- a/softhddev.c
+++ b/softhddev.c
@@ -2888,6 +2888,8 @@ const char *CommandLineHelp(void)
 	"\tstill-hw-decoder\tenable hardware decoder for still-pictures\n"
 	"\tstill-h264-hw-decoder\tenable h264 hw decoder for still-pictures\n"
 	"\talsa-driver-broken\tdisable broken alsa driver message\n"
+	"-talsa-no-close-open\tdisable close open to fix alsa no sound bug\n"
+	"-talsa-close-open-delay\tenable close open delay to fix no sound bug\n"
 	"\tignore-repeat-pict\tdisable repeat pict message\n"
 	"  -D\t\tstart in detached mode\n";
 }
@@ -2964,6 +2966,10 @@ int ProcessArgs(int argc, char *const argv[])
 		    ConfigStillDecoder = 1;
 		} else if (!strcasecmp("alsa-driver-broken", optarg)) {
 		    AudioAlsaDriverBroken = 1;
+		} else if (!strcasecmp("alsa-no-close-open", optarg)) {
+		    AudioAlsaNoCloseOpen = 1;
+		} else if (!strcasecmp("alsa-close-open-delay", optarg)) {
+		    AudioAlsaCloseOpenDelay = 1;
 		} else if (!strcasecmp("ignore-repeat-pict", optarg)) {
 		    VideoIgnoreRepeatPict = 1;
 		} else {