diff --git a/src/libespeak-ng/speak_lib.c b/src/libespeak-ng/speak_lib.c
index 46dccad5..b7df6d98 100644
--- a/src/libespeak-ng/speak_lib.c
+++ b/src/libespeak-ng/speak_lib.c
@@ -108,12 +108,12 @@ static int dispatch_audio(short *outbuf, int length, espeak_EVENT *event)
 					sleep(1);
 				}
 				out_samplerate = voice_samplerate;
-				if (!wave_init(voice_samplerate)) {
+				my_audio = wave_open(voice_samplerate);
+				if (!my_audio) {
 					err = EE_INTERNAL_ERROR;
 					return -1;
 				}
 				wave_set_callback_is_output_enabled(fifo_is_command_enabled);
-				my_audio = wave_open();
 				event_init();
 			}
 		}
@@ -216,9 +216,6 @@ static void select_output(espeak_AUDIO_OUTPUT output_type)
 	switch (my_mode)
 	{
 	case AUDIO_OUTPUT_PLAYBACK:
-		// wave_init() is now called just before the first wave_write()
-		synchronous_mode = 0;
-		break;
 	case AUDIO_OUTPUT_RETRIEVAL:
 		synchronous_mode = 0;
 		break;
diff --git a/src/libespeak-ng/wave.c b/src/libespeak-ng/wave.c
index fd33bace..548b0607 100644
--- a/src/libespeak-ng/wave.c
+++ b/src/libespeak-ng/wave.c
@@ -65,12 +65,11 @@ enum { ONE_BILLION = 1000000000 };
 #ifdef USE_PULSEAUDIO
 // create some wrappers for runtime detection
 
-// checked on wave_init
+// checked on wave_open
 static int pulse_running;
 
 // wave.cpp (this file)
-int wave_port_init(int);
-void *wave_port_open();
+void *wave_port_open(int);
 size_t wave_port_write(void *theHandler, char *theMono16BitsWaveBuffer, size_t theSize);
 int wave_port_close(void *theHandler);
 int wave_port_is_busy(void *theHandler);
@@ -84,8 +83,7 @@ int wave_port_get_remaining_time(uint32_t sample, uint32_t *time);
 
 // wave_pulse.cpp
 int is_pulse_running();
-int wave_pulse_init(int);
-void *wave_pulse_open();
+void *wave_pulse_open(int);
 size_t wave_pulse_write(void *theHandler, char *theMono16BitsWaveBuffer, size_t theSize);
 int wave_pulse_close(void *theHandler);
 int wave_pulse_is_busy(void *theHandler);
@@ -98,22 +96,12 @@ void *wave_pulse_test_get_write_buffer();
 int wave_pulse_get_remaining_time(uint32_t sample, uint32_t *time);
 
 // wrappers
-int wave_init(int srate)
-{
-	pulse_running = is_pulse_running();
-
-	if (pulse_running)
-		return wave_pulse_init(srate);
-	else
-		return wave_port_init(srate);
-}
-
-void *wave_open()
+void *wave_open(int srate)
 {
 	if (pulse_running)
-		return wave_pulse_open();
+		return wave_pulse_open(srate);
 	else
-		return wave_port_open();
+		return wave_port_open(srate);
 }
 
 size_t wave_write(void *theHandler, char *theMono16BitsWaveBuffer, size_t theSize)
@@ -197,7 +185,6 @@ int wave_get_remaining_time(uint32_t sample, uint32_t *time)
 }
 
 // rename functions to be wrapped
-#define wave_init wave_port_init
 #define wave_open wave_port_open
 #define wave_write wave_port_write
 #define wave_close wave_port_close
@@ -580,7 +567,7 @@ void wave_set_callback_is_output_enabled(t_wave_callback *cb)
 	my_callback_is_output_enabled = cb;
 }
 
-int wave_init(int srate)
+void *wave_open(int srate)
 {
 	PaError err;
 
@@ -592,17 +579,16 @@ int wave_init(int srate)
 	// PortAudio sound output library
 	err = Pa_Initialize();
 	pa_init_err = err;
-	return err == paNoError;
-}
+	if (err != paNoError)
+		return NULL;
 
-void *wave_open()
-{
 	static int once = 0;
 
 	if (!once) {
 		select_device();
 		once = 1;
 	}
+
 	return (void *)1;
 }
 
@@ -861,15 +847,10 @@ void *wave_test_get_write_buffer()
 
 #else
 
-int wave_init(int srate)
+void *wave_open(int srate)
 {
 	(void)srate; // unused
 
-	return 1;
-}
-
-void *wave_open()
-{
 	return (void *)1;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/libespeak-ng/wave.h b/src/libespeak-ng/wave.h
index 47046658..703b099a 100644
--- a/src/libespeak-ng/wave.h
+++ b/src/libespeak-ng/wave.h
@@ -31,8 +31,7 @@ extern "C"
 
 extern int option_device_number;
 
-extern int wave_init(int samplerate);
-extern void *wave_open();
+extern void *wave_open(int samplerate);
 
 extern size_t wave_write(void *theHandler, char *theMono16BitsWaveBuffer, size_t theSize);
 extern int wave_close(void *theHandler);
diff --git a/src/libespeak-ng/wave_pulse.c b/src/libespeak-ng/wave_pulse.c
index a0ecf474..5fbe79ea 100644
--- a/src/libespeak-ng/wave_pulse.c
+++ b/src/libespeak-ng/wave_pulse.c
@@ -71,7 +71,6 @@ static t_wave_callback *my_callback_is_output_enabled = NULL;
 
 #ifdef USE_PORTAUDIO
 // rename functions to be wrapped
-#define wave_init wave_pulse_init
 #define wave_open wave_pulse_open
 #define wave_write wave_pulse_write
 #define wave_close wave_pulse_close
@@ -525,16 +524,14 @@ void wave_set_callback_is_output_enabled(t_wave_callback *cb)
 	my_callback_is_output_enabled = cb;
 }
 
-int wave_init(int srate)
+void *wave_open(int srate)
 {
 	stream = NULL;
 	wave_samplerate = srate;
 
-	return pulse_open() == PULSE_OK;
-}
+	if (pulse_open() != PULSE_OK)
+		return NULL;
 
-void *wave_open()
-{
 	return (void *)1;
 }
 
@@ -676,15 +673,10 @@ void *wave_test_get_write_buffer()
 
 #else
 
-int wave_init(int srate)
+void *wave_open(int srate)
 {
 	(void)srate; // unused
 
-	return 1;
-}
-
-void *wave_open()
-{
 	return (void *)1;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/libespeak-ng/wave_sada.c b/src/libespeak-ng/wave_sada.c
index ba36b815..8b5f9be5 100644
--- a/src/libespeak-ng/wave_sada.c
+++ b/src/libespeak-ng/wave_sada.c
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ static uint32_t last_play_position = 0;
 
 static uint32_t wave_samplerate;
 
-// wave_init
+// wave_open
 //
 // DESCRIPTION:
 //
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ static uint32_t wave_samplerate;
 // sun_audio_fd: modified to hold the file descriptor of the opened
 // audio device.
 //
-int wave_init(int srate)
+void *wave_open(int srate)
 {
 	audio_info_t ainfo;
 	char *audio_device = NULL;
@@ -84,20 +84,20 @@ int wave_init(int srate)
 	audio_device = getenv("AUDIODEV");
 	if (audio_device != NULL) {
 		if ((sun_audio_fd = open(audio_device, O_WRONLY)) < 0) {
-			fprintf(stderr, "wave_init() could not open: %s (%d)\n",
+			fprintf(stderr, "wave_open() could not open: %s (%d)\n",
 			        audio_device, sun_audio_fd);
 		}
 	}
 
 	if (sun_audio_fd < 0) {
 		if ((sun_audio_fd = open(sun_audio_device, O_WRONLY)) < 0) {
-			fprintf(stderr, "wave_init() could not open: %s (%d)\n",
+			fprintf(stderr, "wave_open() could not open: %s (%d)\n",
 			        sun_audio_device, sun_audio_fd);
 		}
 	}
 
 	if (sun_audio_fd < 0)
-		return 0;
+		return NULL;
 
 	ioctl(sun_audio_fd, AUDIO_GETINFO, &ainfo);
 	ainfo.play.encoding = AUDIO_ENCODING_LINEAR;
@@ -106,32 +106,11 @@ int wave_init(int srate)
 	ainfo.play.precision = SAMPLE_SIZE;
 
 	if (ioctl(sun_audio_fd, AUDIO_SETINFO, &ainfo) == -1) {
-		fprintf(stderr, "wave_init() failed to set audio params: %s\n", strerror(errno));
+		fprintf(stderr, "wave_open() failed to set audio params: %s\n", strerror(errno));
 		close(sun_audio_fd);
-		return 0;
+		return NULL;
 	}
-	return 1;
-}
 
-// wave_open
-//
-// DESCRIPTION:
-//
-// opens the audio subsystem. We just return the sun_audio_fd we
-// opened in wave_init.  This return value will be passed in as the
-// theHandler parameter in all other methods.
-//
-// GLOBALS USED/MODIFIED:
-//
-// sun_audio_fd: used as return value
-//
-// RETURNS:
-//
-// sun_audio_fd opened in wave_init, which is passed in as theHandler
-// parameter in all other methods
-//
-void *wave_open()
-{
 	return (void *)sun_audio_fd;
 }
 
@@ -458,15 +437,10 @@ int wave_get_remaining_time(uint32_t sample, uint32_t *time)
 
 #else
 
-int wave_init(int srate)
+void *wave_open(int srate)
 {
 	(void)srate; // unused
 
-	return 1;
-}
-
-void *wave_open()
-{
 	return (void *)1;
 }