diff --git a/src/output/plugins/wasapi/WasapiOutputPlugin.cxx b/src/output/plugins/wasapi/WasapiOutputPlugin.cxx
index 4f6068a5e..d049ad802 100644
--- a/src/output/plugins/wasapi/WasapiOutputPlugin.cxx
+++ b/src/output/plugins/wasapi/WasapiOutputPlugin.cxx
@@ -187,6 +187,7 @@ public:
 		 spsc_buffer(_buffer_size_in_frames * 4 * _frame_size)
 	{
 		SetEventHandle(client, event.handle());
+		Start();
 	}
 
 	void Finish() noexcept {
@@ -535,8 +536,6 @@ WasapiOutput::DoOpen(AudioFormat &audio_format)
 	watermark = buffer_size_in_frames * 3 * FrameSize();
 	thread.emplace(*client, std::move(render_client), FrameSize(),
 		       buffer_size_in_frames, is_exclusive);
-
-	thread->Start();
 }
 
 void