diff --git a/us144mkii_playback.c b/us144mkii_playback.c
index cbdf1a4..cd2832b 100644
--- a/us144mkii_playback.c
+++ b/us144mkii_playback.c
@@ -140,24 +140,19 @@ static int tascam_playback_prepare(struct snd_pcm_substream *substream)
 {
 	struct tascam_card *tascam = snd_pcm_substream_chip(substream);
 
-	if (!tascam->running_ghost_playback) {
-		usb_kill_anchored_urbs(&tascam->playback_anchor);
-		usb_kill_anchored_urbs(&tascam->feedback_anchor);
-	}
+	usb_kill_anchored_urbs(&tascam->playback_anchor);
+	usb_kill_anchored_urbs(&tascam->feedback_anchor);
 
 	tascam->driver_playback_pos = 0;
 	tascam->playback_frames_consumed = 0;
 	tascam->last_pb_period_pos = 0;
 	tascam->feedback_synced = false;
+	tascam->running_ghost_playback = false;
 	tascam->feedback_urb_skip_count = 4;
 	tascam->phase_accum = 0;
 	tascam->freq_q16 = div_u64(((u64)tascam->current_rate << 16), 8000);
 
-	if (!tascam->running_ghost_playback) {
-		tascam->running_ghost_playback = false;
-		prepare_urb_descriptors(tascam);
-	}
-
+	prepare_urb_descriptors(tascam);
 	return 0;
 }
 
@@ -186,7 +181,9 @@ static int tascam_playback_trigger(struct snd_pcm_substream *substream, int cmd)
 		case SNDRV_PCM_TRIGGER_SUSPEND:
 		case SNDRV_PCM_TRIGGER_PAUSE_PUSH:
 			atomic_set(&tascam->playback_active, 0);
-			tascam->running_ghost_playback = true;
+			/* Fall back to ghost playback if capture/midi active */
+			if (atomic_read(&tascam->stream_refs) > 0)
+				tascam->running_ghost_playback = true;
 		break;
 		default:
 			ret = -EINVAL;
@@ -202,15 +199,8 @@ static snd_pcm_uframes_t tascam_playback_pointer(struct snd_pcm_substream *subst
 	unsigned long flags;
 	u64 pos;
 
-	if (!atomic_read(&tascam->playback_active)) {
-		if (tascam->running_ghost_playback) {
-			spin_lock_irqsave(&tascam->lock, flags);
-			pos = tascam->playback_frames_consumed;
-			spin_unlock_irqrestore(&tascam->lock, flags);
-			return (snd_pcm_uframes_t)pos;
-		}
+	if (!atomic_read(&tascam->playback_active))
 		return 0;
-	}
 
 	spin_lock_irqsave(&tascam->lock, flags);
 	pos = tascam->playback_frames_consumed;