diff --git a/ext/alsa/gstalsasink.c b/ext/alsa/gstalsasink.c
index e2eca1948..26cd1fca8 100644
--- a/ext/alsa/gstalsasink.c
+++ b/ext/alsa/gstalsasink.c
@@ -1089,6 +1089,10 @@ gst_alsasink_write (GstAudioSink * asink, gpointer data, guint length)
         goto write_error;
       }
       continue;
+    } else if (err == 0 && alsa->hw_support_pause) {
+      /* We might be already paused, if so, just bail */
+      if (snd_pcm_state (alsa->handle) == SND_PCM_STATE_PAUSED)
+        break;
     }
 
     ptr += snd_pcm_frames_to_bytes (alsa->handle, err);
diff --git a/gst-libs/gst/audio/gstaudiosink.c b/gst-libs/gst/audio/gstaudiosink.c
index bda51fe08..d7b26f1d9 100644
--- a/gst-libs/gst/audio/gstaudiosink.c
+++ b/gst-libs/gst/audio/gstaudiosink.c
@@ -254,6 +254,9 @@ audioringbuffer_thread_func (GstAudioRingBuffer * buf)
               GST_DEBUG_FUNCPTR_NAME (writefunc),
               (errno > 1 ? g_strerror (errno) : "unknown"), left, written);
           break;
+        } else if (written == 0 && G_UNLIKELY (g_atomic_int_get (&buf->state) !=
+                GST_AUDIO_RING_BUFFER_STATE_STARTED)) {
+          break;
         }
         left -= written;
         readptr += written;