diff --git a/d2x-rebirth/libmve/mveplay.cpp b/d2x-rebirth/libmve/mveplay.cpp
index e4ce5ce8b..7c0167595 100644
--- a/d2x-rebirth/libmve/mveplay.cpp
+++ b/d2x-rebirth/libmve/mveplay.cpp
@@ -261,7 +261,7 @@ struct MVE_audio_clamp
 static int audiobuf_created = 0;
 static void mve_audio_callback(void *userdata, unsigned char *stream, int len);
 static array<std::unique_ptr<short[], MVE_audio_deleter>, TOTAL_AUDIO_BUFFERS> mve_audio_buffers;
-static int    mve_audio_buflens[TOTAL_AUDIO_BUFFERS];
+static array<unsigned, TOTAL_AUDIO_BUFFERS> mve_audio_buflens;
 static int    mve_audio_curbuf_curpos=0;
 static int mve_audio_bufhead=0;
 static int mve_audio_buftail=0;
@@ -393,8 +393,7 @@ static int create_audiobuf_handler(unsigned char, unsigned char minor, const uns
 #endif
 
 	mve_audio_buffers = {};
-	memset(mve_audio_buflens, 0, sizeof(mve_audio_buflens));
-
+	mve_audio_buflens = {};
 	return 1;
 }
 
@@ -415,17 +414,6 @@ static int play_audio_handler(unsigned char, unsigned char, const unsigned char
 
 static int audio_data_handler(unsigned char major, unsigned char, const unsigned char *data, int, void *)
 {
-
-#if DXX_USE_SDLMIXER
-	// MD2211: for audio conversion
-	SDL_AudioCVT cvt;
-	int clen;
-	int out_freq;
-	Uint16 out_format;
-	int out_channels;
-	// end MD2211
-#endif
-
 	static const int selected_chan=1;
 	int chan;
 	int nsamp;
@@ -474,37 +462,44 @@ static int audio_data_handler(unsigned char major, unsigned char, const unsigned
 				p.reset(reinterpret_cast<int16_t *>(mve_alloc(nsamp)));
 				memset(p.get(), 0, nsamp); /* XXX */
 			}
-			mve_audio_buflens[mve_audio_buftail] = nsamp;
-			mve_audio_buffers[mve_audio_buftail] = std::move(p);
+			unsigned buflen = nsamp;
 
 			// MD2211: the following block does on-the-fly audio conversion for SDL_mixer
 #if DXX_USE_SDLMIXER
 			if (!CGameArg.SndDisableSdlMixer) {
 				// build converter: in = MVE format, out = SDL_mixer output
+				int out_freq;
+				Uint16 out_format;
+				int out_channels;
 				Mix_QuerySpec(&out_freq, &out_format, &out_channels); // get current output settings
 
+				SDL_AudioCVT cvt{};
 				SDL_BuildAudioCVT(&cvt, mve_audio_spec->format, mve_audio_spec->channels, mve_audio_spec->freq,
 					out_format, out_channels, out_freq);
 
-				clen = nsamp * cvt.len_mult;
 				RAIIdmem<uint8_t[]> cvtbuf;
-				MALLOC(cvtbuf, uint8_t[], clen);
+				MALLOC(cvtbuf, uint8_t[], nsamp * cvt.len_mult);
 				cvt.buf = cvtbuf.get();
 				cvt.len = nsamp;
 
 				// read the audio buffer into the conversion buffer
-				memcpy(cvt.buf, mve_audio_buffers[mve_audio_buftail].get(), nsamp);
+				memcpy(cvt.buf, p.get(), nsamp);
 
 				// do the conversion
 				if (SDL_ConvertAudio(&cvt))
-					con_puts(CON_DEBUG,"audio conversion failed!");
-
+					con_printf(CON_URGENT, "%s:%u: SDL_ConvertAudio failed: nsamp=%u out_format=%i out_channels=%i out_freq=%i", __FILE__, __LINE__, nsamp, out_format, out_channels, out_freq);
+				else
+				{
 				// copy back to the audio buffer
-				mve_audio_buffers[mve_audio_buftail].reset(reinterpret_cast<int16_t *>(mve_alloc(clen))); // free the old audio buffer
-				mve_audio_buflens[mve_audio_buftail] = clen;
-				memcpy(mve_audio_buffers[mve_audio_buftail].get(), cvt.buf, clen);
+					const std::size_t converted_buffer_size = cvt.len_cvt;
+					p.reset(reinterpret_cast<int16_t *>(mve_alloc(converted_buffer_size))); // free the old audio buffer
+					buflen = converted_buffer_size;
+					memcpy(p.get(), cvt.buf, converted_buffer_size);
+				}
 			}
 #endif
+			mve_audio_buffers[mve_audio_buftail] = std::move(p);
+			mve_audio_buflens[mve_audio_buftail] = buflen;
 
 			if (++mve_audio_buftail == TOTAL_AUDIO_BUFFERS)
 				mve_audio_buftail = 0;
@@ -775,7 +770,7 @@ void MVE_rmEndMovie(std::unique_ptr<MVESTREAM>)
 		mve_audio_canplay = 0;
 	}
 	mve_audio_buffers = {};
-	memset(mve_audio_buflens, 0, sizeof(mve_audio_buflens));
+	mve_audio_buflens = {};
 
 	mve_audio_curbuf_curpos=0;
 	mve_audio_bufhead=0;