diff --git a/stepmania/src/arch/Sound/DSoundHelpers.cpp b/stepmania/src/arch/Sound/DSoundHelpers.cpp
index 61d44d8448..7044119766 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/arch/Sound/DSoundHelpers.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/arch/Sound/DSoundHelpers.cpp
@@ -176,7 +176,7 @@ DSoundBuf::DSoundBuf( DSound &ds, DSoundBuf::hw hardware,
 	samplerate = samplerate_;
 	samplebits = samplebits_;
 	writeahead = writeahead_ * bytes_per_frame();
-	volume = 0;
+	volume = -1; /* unset */
 	buffer_locked = false;
 	last_cursor_pos = write_cursor = buffer_bytes_filled = 0;
 	LastPosition = 0;
@@ -302,7 +302,7 @@ void DSoundBuf::SetVolume(float vol)
 	float vl2 = log10f(vol) / log10f(2); /* vol log 2 */
 
 	/* Volume is a multiplier; SetVolume wants attenuation in hundredths of a decibel. */
-	const int new_volume = max( int(100 * vl2), DSBVOLUME_MIN );
+	const int new_volume = max( int(1000 * vl2), DSBVOLUME_MIN );
 
 	if( volume == new_volume )
 		return;