diff --git a/src/libespeak-ng/synthdata.c b/src/libespeak-ng/synthdata.c
index 2e9ba5fb..0f802b9c 100644
--- a/src/libespeak-ng/synthdata.c
+++ b/src/libespeak-ng/synthdata.c
@@ -55,9 +55,6 @@ int n_phoneme_tables;
 PHONEME_TAB_LIST phoneme_tab_list[N_PHONEME_TABS];
 int phoneme_tab_number = 0;
 
-int wavefile_ix; // a wavefile to play along with the synthesis
-int wavefile_amp;
-
 int seq_len_adjust;
 
 static espeak_ng_STATUS ReadPhFile(void **ptr, const char *fname, int *size, espeak_ng_ERROR_CONTEXT *context)
@@ -271,7 +268,6 @@ frameref_t *LookupSpect(PHONEME_TAB *this_ph, int which, FMT_PARAMS *fmt_params,
 			}
 			nf++;
 		}
-		wavefile_ix = 0;
 	}
 
 	if (length1 > 0) {
diff --git a/src/libespeak-ng/synthesize.c b/src/libespeak-ng/synthesize.c
index 80409331..b2b00d78 100644
--- a/src/libespeak-ng/synthesize.c
+++ b/src/libespeak-ng/synthesize.c
@@ -902,14 +902,7 @@ int DoSpect2(PHONEME_TAB *this_ph, int which, FMT_PARAMS *fmt_params,  PHONEME_L
 	if (voice->klattv[0])
 		wcmd_spect = WCMD_KLATT;
 
-	wavefile_ix = fmt_params->wav_addr;
-
-	if (fmt_params->wav_amp == 0)
-		wavefile_amp = 32;
-	else
-		wavefile_amp = (fmt_params->wav_amp * 32)/100;
-
-	if (wavefile_ix == 0) {
+	if (fmt_params->wav_addr == 0) {
 		if (wave_flag) {
 			// cancel any wavefile that was playing previously
 			wcmd_spect = WCMD_SPECT2;
@@ -976,9 +969,15 @@ int DoSpect2(PHONEME_TAB *this_ph, int which, FMT_PARAMS *fmt_params,  PHONEME_L
 		if ((fmt_params->wav_addr != 0) && ((frame1->frflags & FRFLAG_DEFER_WAV) == 0)) {
 			// there is a wave file to play along with this synthesis
 			seq_len_adjust = 0;
+	
+			int wavefile_amp;
+			if (fmt_params->wav_amp == 0)
+				wavefile_amp = 32;
+			else
+				wavefile_amp = (fmt_params->wav_amp * 32)/100;
+
 			DoSample2(fmt_params->wav_addr, which+0x100, 0, fmt_params->fmt_control, 0, wavefile_amp);
 			wave_flag = 1;
-			wavefile_ix = 0;
 			fmt_params->wav_addr = 0;
 		}
 
diff --git a/src/libespeak-ng/synthesize.h b/src/libespeak-ng/synthesize.h
index 01a6ef6d..133aa3b9 100644
--- a/src/libespeak-ng/synthesize.h
+++ b/src/libespeak-ng/synthesize.h
@@ -446,9 +446,6 @@ extern unsigned char *wavefile_data;
 extern int samplerate;
 extern int samplerate_native;
 
-extern int wavefile_ix;
-extern int wavefile_amp;
-
 #define N_ECHO_BUF 5500   // max of 250mS at 22050 Hz
 extern int echo_head;
 extern int echo_tail;