diff --git a/source/blender/blenkernel/intern/sound.cc b/source/blender/blenkernel/intern/sound.cc
index d25fcd806ff..4c796638275 100644
--- a/source/blender/blenkernel/intern/sound.cc
+++ b/source/blender/blenkernel/intern/sound.cc
@@ -427,6 +427,11 @@ static void sound_device_use_begin()
 
 static void sound_device_use_end_after(const std::chrono::milliseconds after_ms)
 {
+  BLI_assert(g_state.num_device_users > 0);
+  if (g_state.num_device_users == 0) {
+    return;
+  }
+
   --g_state.num_device_users;
   if (g_state.num_device_users == 0) {
     g_state.last_user_disconnect_time_point = std::chrono::steady_clock::now() + after_ms;
diff --git a/source/blender/editors/screen/screen_ops.cc b/source/blender/editors/screen/screen_ops.cc
index 2fd8cc7a89c..acec6f615b5 100644
--- a/source/blender/editors/screen/screen_ops.cc
+++ b/source/blender/editors/screen/screen_ops.cc
@@ -6039,15 +6039,46 @@ bScreen *ED_screen_animation_no_scrub(const wmWindowManager *wm)
   return nullptr;
 }
 
-wmOperatorStatus ED_screen_animation_play(bContext *C, int sync, int mode)
+static void stop_playback(bContext *C)
 {
+  Main *bmain = CTX_data_main(C);
+  bScreen *screen = ED_screen_animation_playing(CTX_wm_manager(C));
+  wmTimer *wt = screen->animtimer;
+  ScreenAnimData *sad = static_cast<ScreenAnimData *>(wt->customdata);
+  Scene *scene = sad->scene;
+
+  ViewLayer *view_layer = sad->view_layer;
+  Depsgraph *depsgraph = BKE_scene_ensure_depsgraph(bmain, scene, view_layer);
+  BKE_scene_graph_evaluated_ensure(depsgraph, bmain);
+  Scene *scene_eval = DEG_get_evaluated_scene(depsgraph);
+
+  /* Only stop sound playback, when playing forward, since there is no sound for reverse
+   * playback. */
+  if ((sad->flag & ANIMPLAY_FLAG_REVERSE) == 0) {
+    BKE_sound_stop_scene(scene_eval);
+  }
+
+  ED_screen_animation_timer(C, scene, view_layer, 0, 0, 0);
+  ED_scene_fps_average_clear(scene);
+  BKE_callback_exec_id_depsgraph(bmain, &scene->id, depsgraph, BKE_CB_EVT_ANIMATION_PLAYBACK_POST);
+
+  /* Triggers redraw of sequencer preview so that it does not show to fps anymore after stopping
+   * playback. */
+  WM_event_add_notifier(C, NC_SPACE | ND_SPACE_SEQUENCER, scene);
+  WM_event_add_notifier(C, NC_SPACE | ND_SPACE_SPREADSHEET, scene);
+  WM_event_add_notifier(C, NC_SCENE | ND_TRANSFORM, scene);
+}
+
+static wmOperatorStatus start_playback(bContext *C, int sync, int mode)
+{
+  Main *bmain = CTX_data_main(C);
   bScreen *screen = CTX_wm_screen(C);
+
   const bool is_sequencer = CTX_wm_space_seq(C) != nullptr;
   Scene *scene = is_sequencer ? CTX_data_sequencer_scene(C) : CTX_data_scene(C);
   if (!scene) {
     return OPERATOR_CANCELLED;
   }
-  Main *bmain = CTX_data_main(C);
   ViewLayer *view_layer = is_sequencer ? BKE_view_layer_default_render(scene) :
                                          CTX_data_view_layer(C);
   Depsgraph *depsgraph = is_sequencer ? BKE_scene_ensure_depsgraph(bmain, scene, view_layer) :
@@ -6057,61 +6088,36 @@ wmOperatorStatus ED_screen_animation_play(bContext *C, int sync, int mode)
   }
   Scene *scene_eval = DEG_get_evaluated_scene(depsgraph);
 
-  if (ED_screen_animation_playing(CTX_wm_manager(C))) {
-    /* stop playback now */
-    ED_screen_animation_timer(C, scene, view_layer, 0, 0, 0);
-    ED_scene_fps_average_clear(scene);
-    BKE_sound_stop_scene(scene_eval);
+  BKE_callback_exec_id_depsgraph(bmain, &scene->id, depsgraph, BKE_CB_EVT_ANIMATION_PLAYBACK_PRE);
 
-    if (is_sequencer) {
-      /* Stop sound for active scene in window. */
-      BKE_sound_stop_scene(DEG_get_evaluated_scene(CTX_data_ensure_evaluated_depsgraph(C)));
-    }
-    else {
-      /* Stop sound for sequencer scene. */
-      WorkSpace *workspace = CTX_wm_workspace(C);
-      if (workspace->sequencer_scene) {
-        Depsgraph *depsgraph = BKE_scene_ensure_depsgraph(
-            bmain,
-            workspace->sequencer_scene,
-            BKE_view_layer_default_render(workspace->sequencer_scene));
-        Scene *seq_scene_eval = DEG_get_evaluated_scene(depsgraph);
-        BKE_sound_stop_scene(seq_scene_eval);
-      }
-    }
-
-    BKE_callback_exec_id_depsgraph(
-        bmain, &scene->id, depsgraph, BKE_CB_EVT_ANIMATION_PLAYBACK_POST);
-
-    /* Triggers redraw of sequencer preview so that it does not show to fps anymore after stopping
-     * playback. */
-    WM_event_add_notifier(C, NC_SPACE | ND_SPACE_SEQUENCER, scene);
-    WM_event_add_notifier(C, NC_SPACE | ND_SPACE_SPREADSHEET, scene);
-    WM_event_add_notifier(C, NC_SCENE | ND_TRANSFORM, scene);
+  /* Only play sound when playing forward. Reverse sound playback is not implemented. */
+  if (mode == 1) {
+    BKE_sound_play_scene(scene_eval);
   }
-  else {
-    BKE_callback_exec_id_depsgraph(
-        bmain, &scene->id, depsgraph, BKE_CB_EVT_ANIMATION_PLAYBACK_PRE);
 
-    /* these settings are currently only available from a menu in the TimeLine */
-    if (mode == 1) { /* XXX only play audio forwards!? */
-      BKE_sound_play_scene(scene_eval);
-    }
+  ED_screen_animation_timer(C, scene, view_layer, screen->redraws_flag, sync, mode);
+  ED_scene_fps_average_clear(scene);
 
-    ED_screen_animation_timer(C, scene, view_layer, screen->redraws_flag, sync, mode);
-    ED_scene_fps_average_clear(scene);
+  if (screen->animtimer) {
+    wmTimer *wt = screen->animtimer;
+    ScreenAnimData *sad = static_cast<ScreenAnimData *>(wt->customdata);
 
-    if (screen->animtimer) {
-      wmTimer *wt = screen->animtimer;
-      ScreenAnimData *sad = static_cast<ScreenAnimData *>(wt->customdata);
-
-      sad->region = CTX_wm_region(C);
-    }
+    sad->region = CTX_wm_region(C);
   }
 
   return OPERATOR_FINISHED;
 }
 
+wmOperatorStatus ED_screen_animation_play(bContext *C, int sync, int mode)
+{
+  if (ED_screen_animation_playing(CTX_wm_manager(C))) {
+    stop_playback(C);
+    return OPERATOR_FINISHED;
+  }
+
+  return start_playback(C, sync, mode);
+}
+
 static wmOperatorStatus screen_animation_play_exec(bContext *C, wmOperator *op)
 {
   int mode = RNA_boolean_get(op->ptr, "reverse") ? -1 : 1;