diff --git a/audio/audio_driver.c b/audio/audio_driver.c
index 66205bc53d..b1ce0c0a52 100644
--- a/audio/audio_driver.c
+++ b/audio/audio_driver.c
@@ -978,12 +978,21 @@ bool audio_driver_start(bool is_shutdown)
    settings_t *settings      = config_get_ptr();
    if (!current_audio || !current_audio->start 
          || !audio_driver_context_audio_data)
-      return false;
+      goto error;
    if (audio_driver_alive())
-      return false;
+      goto error;
    if (!settings || settings->audio.mute_enable)
-      return false;
-   return current_audio->start(audio_driver_context_audio_data, is_shutdown);
+      goto error;
+   if (!current_audio->start(audio_driver_context_audio_data, is_shutdown))
+      goto error;
+
+   return true;
+
+error:
+   RARCH_ERR("%s\n",
+         msg_hash_to_str(MSG_FAILED_TO_START_AUDIO_DRIVER));
+   audio_driver_unset_active();
+   return false;
 }
 
 bool audio_driver_alive(void)
diff --git a/command.c b/command.c
index 3d99290183..020e7236e7 100644
--- a/command.c
+++ b/command.c
@@ -2080,12 +2080,7 @@ bool command_event(enum event_command cmd, void *data)
             return false;
          break;
       case CMD_EVENT_AUDIO_START:
-         if (!audio_driver_start(runloop_ctl(RUNLOOP_CTL_IS_SHUTDOWN, NULL)))
-         {
-            RARCH_ERR("%s\n",
-                  msg_hash_to_str(MSG_FAILED_TO_START_AUDIO_DRIVER));
-            audio_driver_unset_active();
-         }
+         audio_driver_start(runloop_ctl(RUNLOOP_CTL_IS_SHUTDOWN, NULL));
          break;
       case CMD_EVENT_AUDIO_MUTE_TOGGLE:
          {