diff --git a/game/overlord/jak2/dma.cpp b/game/overlord/jak2/dma.cpp
index 93b4942f13..4d2b7fa4f3 100644
--- a/game/overlord/jak2/dma.cpp
+++ b/game/overlord/jak2/dma.cpp
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ int SpuDmaIntr(int, void*) {
 
   // if we just finished the first upload, start playing! I'm not entirely sure if this is playing
   // sound yet, or if we're just looping and waiting for the second upload to actually start.
-  // (we don't set the appropriate volumes here, so this is probably not the real playback)
+  // (this is probably not the real playback)
   if (DmaVagCmd->num_processed_chunks == 1) {
     int pitch = CalculateVAGPitch(DmaVagCmd->pitch1, DmaVagCmd->unk_256_pitch2);
     if (!DmaStereoVagCmd) {
@@ -107,6 +107,10 @@ int SpuDmaIntr(int, void*) {
       sceSdSetParam(SD_VP_ADSR2 | DmaVagCmd->voice, 0x1fc0);
       sceSdSetParam(SD_VP_PITCH | DmaVagCmd->voice, pitch);
 
+      // setting volume to 0 on first chunk to avoid unpleasant initial chirps of audio.
+      sceSdSetParam(SD_VP_VOLL | DmaVagCmd->voice, 0x0);
+      sceSdSetParam(SD_VP_VOLR | DmaVagCmd->voice, 0x0);
+
       sceSdSetSwitch(SD_S_KON | (DmaVagCmd->voice & 1), VOICE_BIT(DmaVagCmd->voice));
     } else {
       // same for stereo, but we start both voices.
@@ -123,6 +127,12 @@ int SpuDmaIntr(int, void*) {
       sceSdSetParam(SD_VP_PITCH | DmaVagCmd->voice, pitch);
       sceSdSetParam(SD_VP_PITCH | DmaStereoVagCmd->voice, pitch);
 
+      // setting volume to 0 on first chunk to avoid unpleasant initial chirps of audio.
+      sceSdSetParam(SD_VP_VOLL | DmaVagCmd->voice, 0x0);
+      sceSdSetParam(SD_VP_VOLL | DmaStereoVagCmd->voice, 0x0);
+      sceSdSetParam(SD_VP_VOLR | DmaVagCmd->voice, 0x0);
+      sceSdSetParam(SD_VP_VOLR | DmaStereoVagCmd->voice, 0x0);
+
       sceSdSetSwitch(SD_S_KON | (DmaVagCmd->voice & 1),
                      VOICE_BIT(DmaVagCmd->voice) | VOICE_BIT(DmaStereoVagCmd->voice));
     }
diff --git a/game/system/IOP_Kernel.cpp b/game/system/IOP_Kernel.cpp
index 149c1f4d7c..38acbe6abc 100644
--- a/game/system/IOP_Kernel.cpp
+++ b/game/system/IOP_Kernel.cpp
@@ -72,6 +72,7 @@ s32 IOP_Kernel::CreateThread(std::string name, void (*func)(), u32 priority) {
  * Start a thread. Marking it to run on each dispatch of the IOP kernel.
  */
 void IOP_Kernel::StartThread(s32 id) {
+  threads.at(id).waitType = IopThread::Wait::None;
   threads.at(id).state = IopThread::State::Ready;
 }
 
@@ -114,6 +115,7 @@ void IOP_Kernel::SleepThread() {
 
 void IOP_Kernel::YieldThread() {
   ASSERT(_currentThread);
+  _currentThread->waitType = IopThread::Wait::None;
   _currentThread->state = IopThread::State::Ready;
   leaveThread();
 }
@@ -130,6 +132,7 @@ void IOP_Kernel::WakeupThread(s32 id) {
     return;
   }
 
+  threads.at(id).waitType = IopThread::Wait::None;
   threads.at(id).state = IopThread::State::Ready;
 }