diff --git a/openrtx/src/core/audio_codec.c b/openrtx/src/core/audio_codec.c
index 17bfbfaf..a198b371 100644
--- a/openrtx/src/core/audio_codec.c
+++ b/openrtx/src/core/audio_codec.c
@@ -295,6 +295,12 @@ static void *decodeFunc(void *arg)
 
     codec2 = codec2_create(CODEC2_MODE_3200);
 
+    // Ensure that thread start is correctly synchronized with the output
+    // stream to avoid having the decode function writing in a memory area
+    // being read at the same time by the output stream system causing cracking
+    // noises at speaker output. Behaviour observed on both Module17 and MD-UV380
+    outputStream_sync(audioStream, false);
+
     while(stopThread == false)
     {
         // Try popping data from the queue