diff --git a/src/win32/DirectSound.cpp b/src/win32/DirectSound.cpp
index 5ad5067b..6b9b74fb 100644
--- a/src/win32/DirectSound.cpp
+++ b/src/win32/DirectSound.cpp
@@ -62,11 +62,6 @@ public:
 
 DirectSound::DirectSound()
 {
-	if( S_OK != CoInitializeEx( NULL, COINIT_MULTITHREADED ) ) {
-		systemMessage( IDS_COM_FAILURE, NULL );
-		return;
-	}
-
 	pDirectSound  = NULL;
 	dsbPrimary    = NULL;
 	dsbSecondary  = NULL;
@@ -103,8 +98,6 @@ DirectSound::~DirectSound()
 		pDirectSound->Release();
 		pDirectSound = NULL;
 	}
-
-	CoUninitialize();
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/win32/Directories.cpp b/src/win32/Directories.cpp
index bdfde831..8b05e453 100644
--- a/src/win32/Directories.cpp
+++ b/src/win32/Directories.cpp
@@ -271,7 +271,6 @@ CString Directories::browseForDir(CString title)
     bi.lpfn = browseCallbackProc;
     bi.lParam = (LPARAM)(LPCTSTR)initialFolderDir;
 
-	CoInitialize( NULL ); // required by BIF_USENEWUI
     pidl = SHBrowseForFolder(&bi);
 
     if(pidl) {
diff --git a/src/win32/VBA.cpp b/src/win32/VBA.cpp
index 7b1e3a7c..1acc4fea 100644
--- a/src/win32/VBA.cpp
+++ b/src/win32/VBA.cpp
@@ -219,6 +219,11 @@ BEGIN_MESSAGE_MAP(VBA, CWinApp)
 
 VBA::VBA()
 {
+  // COINIT_MULTITHREADED is not supported by SHBrowseForFolder with BIF_USENEWUI
+  // OpenAL also causes trouble when COINIT_MULTITHREADED is used
+  if( S_OK != CoInitializeEx( NULL, COINIT_APARTMENTTHREADED ) ) {
+	  systemMessage( IDS_COM_FAILURE, NULL );
+  }
   mode320Available = false;
   mode640Available = false;
   mode800Available = false;
@@ -419,6 +424,8 @@ VBA::~VBA()
 	  free( oalDevice );
   }
 #endif
+  
+  CoUninitialize();
 }
 
 /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
diff --git a/src/win32/XAudio2.cpp b/src/win32/XAudio2.cpp
index a95df28f..0b4f9f82 100644
--- a/src/win32/XAudio2.cpp
+++ b/src/win32/XAudio2.cpp
@@ -45,10 +45,22 @@ class XAudio2_BufferNotify : public IXAudio2VoiceCallback
 public:
 	HANDLE hBufferEndEvent;
 
-	XAudio2_BufferNotify() { hBufferEndEvent = CreateEvent( NULL, FALSE, FALSE, NULL ); }
-	~XAudio2_BufferNotify() { CloseHandle( hBufferEndEvent ); }
+	XAudio2_BufferNotify() {
+		hBufferEndEvent = NULL;
+		hBufferEndEvent = CreateEvent( NULL, FALSE, FALSE, NULL );
+		ASSERT( hBufferEndEvent != NULL );
+	}
+
+	~XAudio2_BufferNotify() {
+		CloseHandle( hBufferEndEvent );
+		hBufferEndEvent = NULL;
+	}
+
+    STDMETHOD_( void, OnBufferEnd ) ( void *pBufferContext ) {
+		ASSERT( hBufferEndEvent != NULL );
+		SetEvent( hBufferEndEvent );
+	}
 
-    STDMETHOD_( void, OnBufferEnd ) ( void *pBufferContext ) { SetEvent( hBufferEndEvent ); }
 
 	// dummies:
 	STDMETHOD_( void, OnVoiceProcessingPassStart ) () {}
@@ -115,12 +127,6 @@ XAudio2_Output::XAudio2_Output()
 	sVoice = NULL;
 	ZeroMemory( &buf, sizeof( buf ) );
 	ZeroMemory( &vState, sizeof( vState ) );
-
-	if( S_OK != CoInitializeEx( NULL, COINIT_MULTITHREADED ) ) {
-		systemMessage( IDS_COM_FAILURE, NULL );
-		failed = true;
-		return;
-	}
 }
 
 
@@ -146,8 +152,6 @@ XAudio2_Output::~XAudio2_Output()
 	if( xaud ) {
 		xaud->Release();
 	}
-
-	CoUninitialize();
 }