diff --git a/src/BizHawk.Emulation.Cores/Consoles/Nintendo/NES/APU.cs b/src/BizHawk.Emulation.Cores/Consoles/Nintendo/NES/APU.cs
index c43fd0817c..eb049b0c8b 100644
--- a/src/BizHawk.Emulation.Cores/Consoles/Nintendo/NES/APU.cs
+++ b/src/BizHawk.Emulation.Cores/Consoles/Nintendo/NES/APU.cs
@@ -746,6 +746,7 @@ namespace BizHawk.Emulation.Cores.Nintendo.NES
 							// when called due to empty bueffer while DMC running, there is no delay
 							nes.cpu.RDY = false;
 							nes.dmc_dma_exec = true;
+							nes.DMC_just_started = true;
 
 							if (fill_glitch_2)
 							{
@@ -945,7 +946,7 @@ namespace BizHawk.Emulation.Cores.Nintendo.NES
 						sample_address = user_address;
 						sample_length = user_length;
 					}
-					else if (irq_enabled) apu.dmc_irq = true;
+					else if (irq_enabled) { apu.dmc_irq_countdown = 3; }
 				}
 				// Console.WriteLine("fetching dmc byte: {0:X2}", sample_buffer);
 			}
@@ -955,6 +956,7 @@ namespace BizHawk.Emulation.Cores.Nintendo.NES
 		{
 			ser.Sync(nameof(irq_pending), ref irq_pending);
 			ser.Sync(nameof(dmc_irq), ref dmc_irq);
+			ser.Sync(nameof(dmc_irq_countdown), ref dmc_irq_countdown);
 			ser.Sync(nameof(pending_reg), ref pending_reg);
 			ser.Sync(nameof(pending_val), ref pending_val);
 
@@ -995,6 +997,7 @@ namespace BizHawk.Emulation.Cores.Nintendo.NES
 		public readonly DMCUnit dmc;
 
 		private bool irq_pending;
+		public int dmc_irq_countdown;
 		private bool dmc_irq;
 		private int pending_reg = -1;
 		private bool doing_tick_quarter = false;
@@ -1350,6 +1353,15 @@ namespace BizHawk.Emulation.Cores.Nintendo.NES
 				}
 			}
 
+			if (dmc_irq_countdown > 0)
+			{
+				dmc_irq_countdown--;
+				if (dmc_irq_countdown == 0)
+				{
+					dmc_irq = true;
+				}
+			}
+
 			SyncIRQ();
 			nes._irq_apu = irq_pending;
 
diff --git a/src/BizHawk.Emulation.Cores/Consoles/Nintendo/NES/NES.Core.cs b/src/BizHawk.Emulation.Cores/Consoles/Nintendo/NES/NES.Core.cs
index ca97d8fcdb..79be2fb0c4 100644
--- a/src/BizHawk.Emulation.Cores/Consoles/Nintendo/NES/NES.Core.cs
+++ b/src/BizHawk.Emulation.Cores/Consoles/Nintendo/NES/NES.Core.cs
@@ -453,6 +453,7 @@ namespace BizHawk.Emulation.Cores.Nintendo.NES
 		public int do_the_reread_2002, do_the_reread_2007, do_the_reread_cont_1, do_the_reread_cont_2;
 		public int reread_opp_4016, reread_opp_4017;
 		public byte DB; //old data bus values from previous reads
+		public bool DMC_just_started;
 
 		internal void RunCpuOne()
 		{
@@ -510,6 +511,8 @@ namespace BizHawk.Emulation.Cores.Nintendo.NES
 					apu.dmc_dma_countdown += 2;
 					apu.DMC_RDY_check = -1;
 				}
+
+				if (!dmc_dma_exec) { DMC_just_started = true; }
 				
 				cpu.RDY = false;
 				dmc_dma_exec = true;
@@ -589,10 +592,11 @@ namespace BizHawk.Emulation.Cores.Nintendo.NES
 			{
 				cpu.IRQ = _irq_apu || Board.IrqSignal;
 			}
-			else if (special_case_delay || apu.dmc_dma_countdown == 3)
+			else if (special_case_delay || DMC_just_started)
 			{			
 				cpu.IRQ = _irq_apu || Board.IrqSignal;
 				special_case_delay = false;
+				DMC_just_started = false;
 			}
 
 			cpu.ExecuteOne();
@@ -618,8 +622,7 @@ namespace BizHawk.Emulation.Cores.Nintendo.NES
 				reread_opp_4016 = 0;
 				reread_opp_4017 = 0;
 				reread_trigger = false;
-			}
-				
+			}			
 
 			IRQ_delay = false;
 
diff --git a/src/BizHawk.Emulation.Cores/Consoles/Nintendo/NES/NES.IStatable.cs b/src/BizHawk.Emulation.Cores/Consoles/Nintendo/NES/NES.IStatable.cs
index 7b28199731..b141ccd7f6 100644
--- a/src/BizHawk.Emulation.Cores/Consoles/Nintendo/NES/NES.IStatable.cs
+++ b/src/BizHawk.Emulation.Cores/Consoles/Nintendo/NES/NES.IStatable.cs
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ namespace BizHawk.Emulation.Cores.Nintendo.NES
 			ser.Sync(nameof(do_the_reread_cont_2), ref do_the_reread_cont_2);
 			ser.Sync(nameof(reread_opp_4016), ref reread_opp_4016);
 			ser.Sync(nameof(reread_opp_4017), ref reread_opp_4017);
+			ser.Sync(nameof(DMC_just_started), ref DMC_just_started);
 
 			// VS related
 			ser.Sync("VS", ref _isVS);