diff --git a/app/src/main/java/com/github/damontecres/wholphin/ui/playback/PlaybackViewModel.kt b/app/src/main/java/com/github/damontecres/wholphin/ui/playback/PlaybackViewModel.kt
index 0cefdcdf..1951d1d9 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/com/github/damontecres/wholphin/ui/playback/PlaybackViewModel.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/com/github/damontecres/wholphin/ui/playback/PlaybackViewModel.kt
@@ -219,18 +219,22 @@ class PlaybackViewModel
                     PlayerBackend.PREFER_MPV -> if (isHdr) PlayerBackend.EXO_PLAYER else PlayerBackend.MPV
                 }
 
-            Timber.i("Selected backend: %s", playerBackend)
-            withContext(Dispatchers.Main) {
-                disconnectPlayer()
-            }
+            Timber.d("Selected backend: %s", playerBackend)
+            if (currentPlayer.value?.backend != playerBackend) {
+                Timber.i("Switching player backend to %s", playerBackend)
+                withContext(Dispatchers.Main) {
+                    disconnectPlayer()
+                }
 
-            player =
-                playerFactory.createVideoPlayer(
-                    playerBackend,
-                    preferences.appPreferences.playbackPreferences,
-                )
-            currentPlayer.update {
-                PlayerState(player, playerBackend)
+                player =
+                    playerFactory.createVideoPlayer(
+                        playerBackend,
+                        preferences.appPreferences.playbackPreferences,
+                    )
+                currentPlayer.update {
+                    PlayerState(player, playerBackend)
+                }
+                configurePlayer()
             }
         }
 
@@ -429,7 +433,6 @@ class PlaybackViewModel
 
                 // Create the correct player for the media
                 createPlayer(videoStream?.hdr == true)
-                configurePlayer()
 
                 val subtitleStreams =
                     mediaSource.mediaStreams
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/com/github/damontecres/wholphin/util/mpv/MPVLib.kt b/app/src/main/java/com/github/damontecres/wholphin/util/mpv/MPVLib.kt
index e5b902d7..fad62f2b 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/com/github/damontecres/wholphin/util/mpv/MPVLib.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/com/github/damontecres/wholphin/util/mpv/MPVLib.kt
@@ -39,17 +39,9 @@ object MPVLib {
 
     external fun create(appctx: Context)
 
-    fun initialize() {
-        synchronized(this) { init() }
-    }
+    external fun init()
 
-    private external fun init()
-
-    fun tearDown() {
-        synchronized(this) { destroy() }
-    }
-
-    private external fun destroy()
+    external fun destroy()
 
     external fun attachSurface(surface: Surface)
 
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/com/github/damontecres/wholphin/util/mpv/MpvPlayer.kt b/app/src/main/java/com/github/damontecres/wholphin/util/mpv/MpvPlayer.kt
index 58c976c4..77613be3 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/com/github/damontecres/wholphin/util/mpv/MpvPlayer.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/com/github/damontecres/wholphin/util/mpv/MpvPlayer.kt
@@ -74,6 +74,8 @@ class MpvPlayer(
     SurfaceHolder.Callback {
     companion object {
         private const val DEBUG = false
+
+        private val initLock = Any()
     }
 
     private var surface: Surface? = null
@@ -131,7 +133,7 @@ class MpvPlayer(
         MPVLib.setOptionString("demuxer-max-back-bytes", "${cacheMegs * 1024 * 1024}")
 
         Timber.v("Initializing MPVLib")
-        MPVLib.initialize()
+        MPVLib.init()
 
         MPVLib.setOptionString("force-window", "no")
         MPVLib.setOptionString("idle", "yes")
@@ -1086,14 +1088,18 @@ class MpvPlayer(
             }
 
             MpvCommand.INITIALIZE -> {
-                init()
+                synchronized(initLock) {
+                    init()
+                }
             }
 
             MpvCommand.DESTROY -> {
-                clearVideoSurfaceView(null)
-                MPVLib.removeLogObserver(mpvLogger)
-                MPVLib.tearDown()
-                Timber.d("MPVLib destroyed")
+                synchronized(initLock) {
+                    MPVLib.setPropertyBoolean("pause", true)
+                    MPVLib.removeLogObserver(mpvLogger)
+                    MPVLib.destroy()
+                    Timber.d("MPVLib destroyed")
+                }
             }
         }
     }