diff --git a/source/client/StarClientApplication.cpp b/source/client/StarClientApplication.cpp
index b264f15..33327fa 100644
--- a/source/client/StarClientApplication.cpp
+++ b/source/client/StarClientApplication.cpp
@@ -214,6 +214,7 @@ void ClientApplication::applicationInit(ApplicationControllerPtr appController)
     m_voice->loadJson(jVoice.toObject(), true);
 
   m_voice->init();
+  m_voice->setLocalSpeaker(0);
 }
 
 void ClientApplication::renderInit(RendererPtr renderer) {
@@ -375,13 +376,12 @@ void ClientApplication::update() {
     updateTitle();
   else if (m_state > MainAppState::Title)
     updateRunning();
-
-  // swallow leftover encoded data incase we aren't in-game yet to allow mic read to continue.
-  // TODO: directly disable encoding at menu so we don't have to do this
-  {
+  
+  // Swallow leftover encoded voice data if we aren't in-game to allow mic read to continue for settings.
+  if (m_state <= MainAppState::Title) {
     DataStreamBuffer ext;
     m_voice->send(ext);
-  }
+  } // TODO: directly disable encoding at menu so we don't have to do this
 
   m_guiContext->cleanup();
   m_edgeKeyEvents.clear();
diff --git a/source/frontend/StarVoice.cpp b/source/frontend/StarVoice.cpp
index 843203f..4a0e344 100644
--- a/source/frontend/StarVoice.cpp
+++ b/source/frontend/StarVoice.cpp
@@ -314,22 +314,18 @@ void Voice::readAudioData(uint8_t* stream, int len) {
 	if (active) {
 		float decibels = getAudioLoudness((int16_t*)stream, sampleCount);
 
-		if (!m_loopback)
-			m_clientSpeaker->decibelLevel = getAudioLoudness((int16_t*)stream, sampleCount, m_inputVolume);
-
 		if (m_inputMode == VoiceInputMode::VoiceActivity) {
 			if (decibels > m_threshold)
 				m_lastThresholdTime = now;
 			active = now - m_lastThresholdTime < 50;
 		}
 	}
-	else if (!m_loopback)
-		m_clientSpeaker->decibelLevel = -96.0f;
 
 	if (!m_loopback) {
 		if (active && !m_clientSpeaker->playing)
 			m_clientSpeaker->lastPlayTime = now;
 
+		m_clientSpeaker->decibelLevel = getAudioLoudness((int16_t*)stream, sampleCount, m_inputVolume);
 		m_clientSpeaker->playing = active;
 	}