diff --git a/src/player/Control.hxx b/src/player/Control.hxx
index 798aeacce..0db6698dd 100644
--- a/src/player/Control.hxx
+++ b/src/player/Control.hxx
@@ -369,6 +369,22 @@ public:
 	 */
 	void SetError(PlayerError type, std::exception_ptr &&_error);
 
+	/**
+	 * Set the error and set state to PlayerState::PAUSE.
+	 */
+	void SetOutputError(std::exception_ptr &&_error) {
+		SetError(PlayerError::OUTPUT, std::move(_error));
+
+		/* pause: the user may resume playback as soon as an
+		   audio output becomes available */
+		state = PlayerState::PAUSE;
+	}
+
+	void LockSetOutputError(std::exception_ptr &&_error) {
+		const ScopeLock lock(mutex);
+		SetOutputError(std::move(_error));
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * Checks whether an error has occurred, and if so, rethrows
 	 * it.
diff --git a/src/player/Thread.cxx b/src/player/Thread.cxx
index 320f12859..e1144a55c 100644
--- a/src/player/Thread.cxx
+++ b/src/player/Thread.cxx
@@ -461,10 +461,7 @@ Player::OpenOutput()
 		   audio output becomes available */
 		paused = true;
 
-		pc.Lock();
-		pc.SetError(PlayerError::OUTPUT, std::current_exception());
-		pc.state = PlayerState::PAUSE;
-		pc.Unlock();
+		pc.LockSetOutputError(std::current_exception());
 
 		idle_add(IDLE_PLAYER);
 
@@ -911,16 +908,11 @@ Player::PlayNextChunk()
 
 		buffer.Return(chunk);
 
-		pc.Lock();
-
-		pc.SetError(PlayerError::OUTPUT, std::current_exception());
-
 		/* pause: the user may resume playback as soon as an
 		   audio output becomes available */
-		pc.state = PlayerState::PAUSE;
 		paused = true;
 
-		pc.Unlock();
+		pc.LockSetOutputError(std::current_exception());
 
 		idle_add(IDLE_PLAYER);