diff --git a/src/synth_mbrola.cpp b/src/synth_mbrola.cpp
index f3533f0e..cf599bd5 100644
--- a/src/synth_mbrola.cpp
+++ b/src/synth_mbrola.cpp
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ static MBROLA_TAB *mbrola_tab = NULL;
 static int mbrola_control = 0;
 static int mbr_name_prefix = 0;
 
-espeak_ERROR LoadMbrolaTable(const char *mbrola_voice, const char *phtrans, int srate)
+espeak_ERROR LoadMbrolaTable(const char *mbrola_voice, const char *phtrans, int *srate)
 {//===================================================================================
 // Load a phoneme name translation table from espeak-data/mbrola
 
@@ -189,9 +189,8 @@ espeak_ERROR LoadMbrolaTable(const char *mbrola_voice, const char *phtrans, int
 	fclose(f_in);
 
 	setVolumeRatio_MBR((float)(mbrola_control & 0xff) /16.0f);
-//	srate = getFreq_MBR();
-	samplerate = srate;
-	if(srate == 22050)
+	samplerate = *srate = getFreq_MBR();
+	if(*srate == 22050)
 		SetParameter(espeakVOICETYPE,0,0);
 	else
 		SetParameter(espeakVOICETYPE,1,0);
diff --git a/src/synthesize.h b/src/synthesize.h
index e3f5643c..b3ce5471 100644
--- a/src/synthesize.h
+++ b/src/synthesize.h
@@ -565,7 +565,7 @@ extern SOUND_ICON soundicon_tab[N_SOUNDICON_TAB];
 
 espeak_ERROR SetVoiceByName(const char *name);
 espeak_ERROR SetVoiceByProperties(espeak_VOICE *voice_selector);
-espeak_ERROR LoadMbrolaTable(const char *mbrola_voice, const char *phtrans, int srate);
+espeak_ERROR LoadMbrolaTable(const char *mbrola_voice, const char *phtrans, int *srate);
 void SetParameter(int parameter, int value, int relative);
 int MbrolaTranslate(PHONEME_LIST *plist, int n_phonemes, int resume, FILE *f_mbrola);
 int MbrolaGenerate(PHONEME_LIST *phoneme_list, int *n_ph, int resume);
diff --git a/src/voices.cpp b/src/voices.cpp
index 5c2a327f..293a2a85 100644
--- a/src/voices.cpp
+++ b/src/voices.cpp
@@ -994,7 +994,7 @@ voice_t *LoadVoice(const char *vname, int control)
 
 			name2[0] = 0;
 			sscanf(p,"%s %s %d",name1,name2,&srate);
-			if(LoadMbrolaTable(name1,name2,srate) != EE_OK)
+			if(LoadMbrolaTable(name1,name2,&srate) != EE_OK)
 			{
 				fprintf(stderr,"mbrola voice not found\n");
 			}