diff --git a/desmume/src/SPU.cpp b/desmume/src/SPU.cpp
index 4f0850097..281b248b9 100644
--- a/desmume/src/SPU.cpp
+++ b/desmume/src/SPU.cpp
@@ -1021,7 +1021,7 @@ void SPU_Emulate_core()
 		SPU_MixAudio<false>(SPU_core,spu_core_samples);
 }
 
-void SPU_Emulate_user()
+void SPU_Emulate_user(bool mix)
 {
 	if(!SPU_user)
 		return;
@@ -1037,7 +1037,7 @@ void SPU_Emulate_user()
 		//printf("mix %i samples\n", audiosize);
 		if (audiosize > SPU_user->bufsize)
 			audiosize = SPU_user->bufsize;
-		SPU_MixAudio<true>(SPU_user,audiosize);
+		if (mix) SPU_MixAudio<true>(SPU_user,audiosize);
 		SNDCore->UpdateAudio(SPU_user->outbuf, audiosize);
 	}
 }
diff --git a/desmume/src/SPU.h b/desmume/src/SPU.h
index 21d8f38e8..aa679df57 100644
--- a/desmume/src/SPU.h
+++ b/desmume/src/SPU.h
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ void SPU_WriteByte(u32 addr, u8 val);
 void SPU_WriteWord(u32 addr, u16 val);
 void SPU_WriteLong(u32 addr, u32 val);
 void SPU_Emulate_core(void);
-void SPU_Emulate_user(void);
+void SPU_Emulate_user(bool mix = true);
 
 extern SPU_struct *SPU_core, *SPU_user;
 extern int spu_core_samples;
diff --git a/desmume/src/windows/main.cpp b/desmume/src/windows/main.cpp
index 3473448a3..fd3b26fdb 100644
--- a/desmume/src/windows/main.cpp
+++ b/desmume/src/windows/main.cpp
@@ -265,6 +265,7 @@ extern bool userTouchesScreen;
 int sndcoretype=SNDCORE_DIRECTX;
 int sndbuffersize=735*4;
 int sndvolume=100;
+HANDLE hSoundThreadWakeup = INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE;
 
 SoundInterface_struct *SNDCoreList[] = {
 	&SNDDummy,
@@ -1199,7 +1200,7 @@ static void StepRunLoop_Core()
 		Lock lock;
 		NDS_exec<false>();
 		win_sound_samplecounter = 735;
-		SPU_Emulate_user();
+		SetEvent(hSoundThreadWakeup);
 	}
 	inFrameBoundary = true;
 	DRV_AviVideoUpdate((u16*)GPU_screen);
@@ -1819,6 +1820,8 @@ int _main()
 	display_invoke_done_event = CreateEvent(NULL, FALSE, FALSE, NULL);
 	display_wakeup_event = CreateEvent(NULL, FALSE, FALSE, NULL);
 
+	hSoundThreadWakeup = CreateEvent(NULL, FALSE, FALSE, NULL);
+
 #ifdef GDB_STUB
 	gdbstub_handle_t arm9_gdb_stub;
 	gdbstub_handle_t arm7_gdb_stub;
@@ -2273,6 +2276,8 @@ int _main()
 
 	UnregWndClass("DeSmuME");
 
+	CloseHandle(hSoundThreadWakeup);
+
 	return 0;
 }
 
@@ -2990,8 +2995,6 @@ LRESULT CALLBACK WindowProcedure (HWND hwnd, UINT message, WPARAM wParam, LPARAM
 	{
 		case WM_ENTERMENULOOP:		  //Update menu items that needs to be updated dynamically
 		{
-			SPU_Pause(1);
-
 			UpdateHotkeyAssignments();	//Add current hotkey mappings to menu item names
 
 			MENUITEMINFO mii;
@@ -3127,11 +3130,6 @@ LRESULT CALLBACK WindowProcedure (HWND hwnd, UINT message, WPARAM wParam, LPARAM
 
 			return 0;
 		}
-	case WM_EXITMENULOOP:
-		{
-			SPU_Pause(0);
-			return 0;
-		}
 
 	case WM_CREATE:
 		{
diff --git a/desmume/src/windows/snddx.cpp b/desmume/src/windows/snddx.cpp
index 8aad1d8f4..3aced1660 100755
--- a/desmume/src/windows/snddx.cpp
+++ b/desmume/src/windows/snddx.cpp
@@ -71,7 +71,37 @@ static int issoundmuted;
 //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
 //extern volatile int win_sound_samplecounter;
+HANDLE hSNDDXThread = INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE;
+extern HANDLE hSoundThreadWakeup;
+bool bTerminateSoundThread = false;
+bool bSilence = false;
 
+DWORD WINAPI SNDDXThread( LPVOID )
+{
+	for(;;) 
+	{
+		if(bTerminateSoundThread) break;
+
+		if (bSilence)
+		{
+			if (WaitForSingleObject(hSoundThreadWakeup, 10) == WAIT_OBJECT_0)
+				bSilence = false;
+		}
+		else
+		{
+			// If the sound thread wakeup event is not signaled after a quarter second, output silence
+			if (WaitForSingleObject(hSoundThreadWakeup, 250) == WAIT_TIMEOUT)
+				bSilence = true;
+		}
+
+		{
+			Lock lock;
+			SPU_Emulate_user(!bSilence);
+		}
+	}
+
+	return 0;
+}
 
 int SNDDXInit(int buffersize)
 {
@@ -169,6 +199,10 @@ int SNDDXInit(int buffersize)
 	soundvolume = DSBVOLUME_MAX;
 	issoundmuted = 0;
 
+	bSilence = false;
+	bTerminateSoundThread = false;
+	hSNDDXThread = CreateThread(0, 0, SNDDXThread, 0, 0, 0);
+
 	return 0;
 }
 
@@ -178,6 +212,10 @@ void SNDDXDeInit()
 {
 	DWORD status=0;
 
+	bTerminateSoundThread = true;
+	SetEvent(hSoundThreadWakeup);
+	WaitForSingleObject(hSNDDXThread, INFINITE);
+
 	if (lpDSB2)
 	{
 		lpDSB2->GetStatus(&status);
@@ -200,6 +238,8 @@ void SNDDXDeInit()
 		lpDS8->Release();
 		lpDS8 = NULL;
 	}
+
+	delete stereodata16;
 }
 
 //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
@@ -211,14 +251,6 @@ void SNDDXUpdateAudio(s16 *buffer, u32 num_samples)
 	DWORD buffer1_size, buffer2_size;
 	DWORD status;
 
-/*	int samplecounter;
-	{
-		Lock lock;
-		samplecounter = win_sound_samplecounter -= num_samples;
-	}
-
-	bool silence = (samplecounter<-44100*15/60); //behind by more than a quarter second -> silence
-*/
 	lpDSB2->GetStatus(&status);
 
 	if (status & DSBSTATUS_BUFFERLOST)
@@ -226,12 +258,13 @@ void SNDDXUpdateAudio(s16 *buffer, u32 num_samples)
 
 	lpDSB2->Lock(soundoffset, num_samples * sizeof(s16) * 2, &buffer1, &buffer1_size, &buffer2, &buffer2_size, 0);
 
-/*	if(silence) {
+	if(bSilence) 
+	{
 		memset(buffer1, 0, buffer1_size);
 		if(buffer2)
 			memset(buffer2, 0, buffer2_size);
 	}
-	else*/
+	else
 	{
 		memcpy(buffer1, buffer, buffer1_size);
 		if (buffer2)