diff --git a/mopidy/audio/actor.py b/mopidy/audio/actor.py
index 162e2a05..a23c4c43 100644
--- a/mopidy/audio/actor.py
+++ b/mopidy/audio/actor.py
@@ -42,8 +42,10 @@ class Audio(pykka.ThreadingActor):
         self._mixer = None
         self._mixer_track = None
         self._software_mixing = False
+        self._appsrc = None
 
         self._notify_source_signal_id = None
+        self._about_to_finish_id = None
         self._message_signal_id = None
 
     def on_start(self):
@@ -67,9 +69,14 @@ class Audio(pykka.ThreadingActor):
         fakesink = gst.element_factory_make('fakesink')
         self._playbin.set_property('video-sink', fakesink)
 
+        self._about_to_finish_id = self._playbin.connect(
+            'about-to-finish', self._on_about_to_finish)
         self._notify_source_signal_id = self._playbin.connect(
             'notify::source', self._on_new_source)
 
+    def _on_about_to_finish(self, element):
+        self._appsrc = None
+
     def _on_new_source(self, element, pad):
         uri = element.get_property('uri')
         if not uri or not uri.startswith('appsrc://'):
@@ -82,8 +89,13 @@ class Audio(pykka.ThreadingActor):
             b'rate=(int)44100')
         source = element.get_property('source')
         source.set_property('caps', default_caps)
+        source.set_property('format', b'time') # Gstreamer does not like unicode
+
+        self._appsrc = source
 
     def _teardown_playbin(self):
+        if self._about_to_finish_id:
+            self._playbin.disconnect(self._about_to_finish_id)
         if self._notify_source_signal_id:
             self._playbin.disconnect(self._notify_source_signal_id)
         self._playbin.set_state(gst.STATE_NULL)
@@ -225,23 +237,21 @@ class Audio(pykka.ThreadingActor):
         """
         self._playbin.set_property('uri', uri)
 
-    def emit_data(self, capabilities, data):
+    def emit_data(self, buffer_):
         """
         Call this to deliver raw audio data to be played.
 
         Note that the uri must be set to ``appsrc://`` for this to work.
 
-        :param capabilities: a GStreamer capabilities string
-        :type capabilities: string
-        :param data: raw audio data to be played
-        """
-        caps = gst.caps_from_string(capabilities)
-        buffer_ = gst.Buffer(buffer(data))
-        buffer_.set_caps(caps)
+        Returns true if data was delivered.
 
-        source = self._playbin.get_property('source')
-        source.set_property('caps', caps)
-        source.emit('push-buffer', buffer_)
+        :param buffer_: buffer to pass to appsrc
+        :type buffer_: :class:`gst.Buffer`
+        :rtype: boolean
+        """
+        if not self._appsrc:
+            return False
+        return self._appsrc.emit('push-buffer', buffer_) == gst.FLOW_OK
 
     def emit_end_of_stream(self):
         """
diff --git a/mopidy/backends/spotify/session_manager.py b/mopidy/backends/spotify/session_manager.py
index cd3d97db..998e4d5e 100644
--- a/mopidy/backends/spotify/session_manager.py
+++ b/mopidy/backends/spotify/session_manager.py
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 from __future__ import unicode_literals
 
+import pygst
+pygst.require('0.10')
+import gst
+
 import logging
 import os
 import threading
@@ -108,8 +112,13 @@ class SpotifySessionManager(process.BaseThread, PyspotifySessionManager):
             'sample_rate': sample_rate,
             'channels': channels,
         }
-        self.audio.emit_data(capabilites, bytes(frames))
-        return num_frames
+        buffer_ = gst.Buffer(bytes(frames))
+        buffer_.set_caps(gst.caps_from_string(capabilites))
+
+        if self.audio.emit_data(buffer_).get():
+            return num_frames
+        else:
+            return 0
 
     def play_token_lost(self, session):
         """Callback used by pyspotify"""