diff --git a/src/common/audio_stream.cpp b/src/common/audio_stream.cpp
index 1a2abff0a..6dbe60f48 100644
--- a/src/common/audio_stream.cpp
+++ b/src/common/audio_stream.cpp
@@ -61,10 +61,9 @@ void AudioStream::Shutdown()
 
 void AudioStream::BeginWrite(SampleType** buffer_ptr, u32* num_samples)
 {
-  m_buffer_lock.lock();
+  m_buffer_mutex.lock();
 
-  if (m_num_free_buffers == 0)
-    DropBuffer();
+  EnsureBuffer();
 
   Buffer& buffer = m_buffers[m_first_free_buffer];
   *buffer_ptr = buffer.data.data() + buffer.write_position;
@@ -73,13 +72,12 @@ void AudioStream::BeginWrite(SampleType** buffer_ptr, u32* num_samples)
 
 void AudioStream::WriteSamples(const SampleType* samples, u32 num_samples)
 {
-  std::lock_guard<std::mutex> guard(m_buffer_lock);
   u32 remaining_samples = num_samples;
+  std::unique_lock<std::mutex> lock(m_buffer_mutex);
 
   while (remaining_samples > 0)
   {
-    if (m_num_free_buffers == 0)
-      DropBuffer();
+    EnsureBuffer();
 
     Buffer& buffer = m_buffers[m_first_free_buffer];
     const u32 to_this_buffer = std::min(m_buffer_size - buffer.write_position, remaining_samples);
@@ -120,13 +118,13 @@ void AudioStream::EndWrite(u32 num_samples)
     m_num_available_buffers++;
   }
 
-  m_buffer_lock.unlock();
+  m_buffer_mutex.unlock();
 }
 
 u32 AudioStream::ReadSamples(SampleType* samples, u32 num_samples)
 {
-  std::lock_guard<std::mutex> guard(m_buffer_lock);
   u32 remaining_samples = num_samples;
+  std::unique_lock<std::mutex> lock(m_buffer_mutex);
 
   while (remaining_samples > 0 && m_num_available_buffers > 0)
   {
@@ -148,6 +146,7 @@ u32 AudioStream::ReadSamples(SampleType* samples, u32 num_samples)
       m_num_available_buffers--;
       m_first_available_buffer = (m_first_available_buffer + 1) % m_buffers.size();
       m_num_free_buffers++;
+      m_buffer_available_cv.notify_one();
     }
   }
 
@@ -171,6 +170,23 @@ void AudioStream::AllocateBuffers(u32 buffer_count)
   m_num_free_buffers = buffer_count;
 }
 
+void AudioStream::EnsureBuffer()
+{
+  if (m_num_free_buffers > 0)
+    return;
+
+  if (m_sync)
+  {
+    std::unique_lock<std::mutex> lock(m_buffer_mutex, std::adopt_lock);
+    m_buffer_available_cv.wait(lock, [this]() { return m_num_free_buffers > 0; });
+    lock.release();
+  }
+  else
+  {
+    DropBuffer();
+  }
+}
+
 void AudioStream::DropBuffer()
 {
   DebugAssert(m_num_available_buffers > 0);
diff --git a/src/common/audio_stream.h b/src/common/audio_stream.h
index c502d6b28..7efe496f6 100644
--- a/src/common/audio_stream.h
+++ b/src/common/audio_stream.h
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 #pragma once
 #include "types.h"
+#include <condition_variable>
 #include <memory>
 #include <mutex>
 #include <vector>
@@ -25,9 +26,11 @@ public:
   u32 GetChannels() const { return m_channels; }
   u32 GetBufferSize() const { return m_buffer_size; }
   u32 GetBufferCount() const { return static_cast<u32>(m_buffers.size()); }
+  bool IsSyncing() const { return m_sync; }
 
   bool Reconfigure(u32 output_sample_rate = DefaultOutputSampleRate, u32 channels = 1,
                    u32 buffer_size = DefaultBufferSize, u32 buffer_count = DefaultBufferCount);
+  void SetSync(bool enable) { m_sync = enable; }
 
   void PauseOutput(bool paused);
   void EmptyBuffers();
@@ -60,10 +63,11 @@ private:
   };
 
   void AllocateBuffers(u32 buffer_count);
+  void EnsureBuffer();
   void DropBuffer();
 
   std::vector<Buffer> m_buffers;
-  std::mutex m_buffer_lock;
+  std::mutex m_buffer_mutex;
 
   // For input.
   u32 m_first_free_buffer = 0;
@@ -73,5 +77,9 @@ private:
   u32 m_num_available_buffers = 0;
   u32 m_first_available_buffer = 0;
 
+  // TODO: Switch to semaphore
+  std::condition_variable m_buffer_available_cv;
+
   bool m_output_paused = true;
+  bool m_sync = true;
 };
\ No newline at end of file