diff --git a/player/sub.c b/player/sub.c
index 0a55936f54..c2a3e80cb3 100644
--- a/player/sub.c
+++ b/player/sub.c
@@ -222,8 +222,8 @@ static void update_subtitle(struct MPContext *mpctx, int order)
             if (subpts_s > curpts_s) {
                 MP_DBG(mpctx, "Sub early: c_pts=%5.3f s_pts=%5.3f\n",
                        curpts_s, subpts_s);
-                // Libass handled subs can be fed to it in advance
-                if (!sub_accept_packets_in_advance(dec_sub))
+                // Often subs can be handled in advance
+                if (!sub_accepts_packet_in_advance(dec_sub))
                     break;
                 // Try to avoid demuxing whole file at once
                 if (subpts_s > curpts_s + 1 && !interleaved)
diff --git a/sub/dec_sub.c b/sub/dec_sub.c
index c357f1d369..9261e2570d 100644
--- a/sub/dec_sub.c
+++ b/sub/dec_sub.c
@@ -415,7 +415,9 @@ bool sub_read_all_packets(struct dec_sub *sub, struct sh_stream *sh)
 
     pthread_mutex_lock(&sub->lock);
 
-    if (!sub_accept_packets_in_advance(sub) || sub->num_sd < 1) {
+    // Converters are assumed to always accept packets in advance
+    struct sd *sd = sub_get_last_sd(sub);
+    if (!(sd && sd->driver->accept_packets_in_advance)) {
         pthread_mutex_unlock(&sub->lock);
         return false;
     }
@@ -486,14 +488,16 @@ bool sub_read_all_packets(struct dec_sub *sub, struct sh_stream *sh)
     return true;
 }
 
-bool sub_accept_packets_in_advance(struct dec_sub *sub)
+bool sub_accepts_packet_in_advance(struct dec_sub *sub)
 {
+    bool res = true;
     pthread_mutex_lock(&sub->lock);
-    // Converters are assumed to always accept packets in advance
-    struct sd *sd = sub_get_last_sd(sub);
-    bool r = sd && sd->driver->accept_packets_in_advance;
+    for (int n = 0; n < sub->num_sd; n++) {
+        if (sub->sd[n]->driver->accepts_packet)
+            res &= sub->sd[n]->driver->accepts_packet(sub->sd[n]);
+    }
     pthread_mutex_unlock(&sub->lock);
-    return r;
+    return res;
 }
 
 // You must call sub_lock/sub_unlock if more than 1 thread access sub.
diff --git a/sub/dec_sub.h b/sub/dec_sub.h
index b9f81a77b7..0c4d59f395 100644
--- a/sub/dec_sub.h
+++ b/sub/dec_sub.h
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ void sub_init_from_sh(struct dec_sub *sub, struct sh_stream *sh);
 bool sub_is_initialized(struct dec_sub *sub);
 
 bool sub_read_all_packets(struct dec_sub *sub, struct sh_stream *sh);
-bool sub_accept_packets_in_advance(struct dec_sub *sub);
+bool sub_accepts_packet_in_advance(struct dec_sub *sub);
 void sub_decode(struct dec_sub *sub, struct demux_packet *packet);
 void sub_get_bitmaps(struct dec_sub *sub, struct mp_osd_res dim, double pts,
                      struct sub_bitmaps *res);
diff --git a/sub/sd.h b/sub/sd.h
index a77028a43c..4be48fedb8 100644
--- a/sub/sd.h
+++ b/sub/sd.h
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ struct sd_functions {
     void (*reset)(struct sd *sd);
     void (*uninit)(struct sd *sd);
 
+    bool (*accepts_packet)(struct sd *sd); // implicit default if NULL: true
     void (*fix_events)(struct sd *sd);
     int (*control)(struct sd *sd, enum sd_ctrl cmd, void *arg);
 
diff --git a/sub/sd_lavc.c b/sub/sd_lavc.c
index 88c45856b4..1e6180b074 100644
--- a/sub/sd_lavc.c
+++ b/sub/sd_lavc.c
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@ struct sd_lavc_priv {
     int64_t displayed_id;
     int64_t new_id;
     struct mp_image_params video_params;
+    double current_pts;
 };
 
 static bool supports_format(const char *format)
@@ -116,6 +117,7 @@ static int init(struct sd *sd)
     priv->avctx = ctx;
     sd->priv = priv;
     priv->displayed_id = -1;
+    priv->current_pts = MP_NOPTS_VALUE;
     return 0;
 
  error:
@@ -138,8 +140,10 @@ static void clear_sub(struct sub *sub)
 static void alloc_sub(struct sd_lavc_priv *priv)
 {
     clear_sub(&priv->subs[MAX_QUEUE - 1]);
+    struct sub tmp = priv->subs[MAX_QUEUE - 1];
     for (int n = MAX_QUEUE - 1; n > 0; n--)
         priv->subs[n] = priv->subs[n - 1];
+    priv->subs[0] = tmp;
     // clear only some fields; the memory allocs can be reused
     priv->subs[0].valid = false;
     priv->subs[0].count = 0;
@@ -239,8 +243,10 @@ static void get_bitmaps(struct sd *sd, struct mp_osd_res d, double pts,
     struct sd_lavc_priv *priv = sd->priv;
     struct MPOpts *opts = sd->opts;
 
+    priv->current_pts = pts;
+
     struct sub *current = NULL;
-    for (int n = 0; n < MAX_QUEUE; n++) {
+    for (int n = MAX_QUEUE - 1; n >= 0; n--) {
         struct sub *sub = &priv->subs[n];
         if (!sub->valid)
             continue;
@@ -297,6 +303,28 @@ static void get_bitmaps(struct sd *sd, struct mp_osd_res d, double pts,
     osd_rescale_bitmaps(res, insize[0], insize[1], d, video_par);
 }
 
+static bool accepts_packet(struct sd *sd)
+{
+    struct sd_lavc_priv *priv = sd->priv;
+
+    double pts = priv->current_pts;
+    int last_needed = -1;
+    for (int n = 0; n < MAX_QUEUE; n++) {
+        struct sub *sub = &priv->subs[n];
+        if (!sub->valid)
+            continue;
+        if (pts == MP_NOPTS_VALUE ||
+            ((sub->pts == MP_NOPTS_VALUE || sub->pts >= pts) ||
+             (sub->endpts == MP_NOPTS_VALUE || pts < sub->endpts)))
+        {
+            last_needed = n;
+        }
+    }
+    // We can accept a packet if it wouldn't overflow the fixed subtitle queue.
+    // We assume that get_bitmaps() never decreases the PTS.
+    return last_needed + 1 < MAX_QUEUE;
+}
+
 static void reset(struct sd *sd)
 {
     struct sd_lavc_priv *priv = sd->priv;
@@ -305,6 +333,8 @@ static void reset(struct sd *sd)
         clear_sub(&priv->subs[n]);
     // lavc might not do this right for all codecs; may need close+reopen
     avcodec_flush_buffers(priv->avctx);
+
+    priv->current_pts = MP_NOPTS_VALUE;
 }
 
 static void uninit(struct sd *sd)
@@ -340,6 +370,7 @@ const struct sd_functions sd_lavc = {
     .init = init,
     .decode = decode,
     .get_bitmaps = get_bitmaps,
+    .accepts_packet = accepts_packet,
     .control = control,
     .reset = reset,
     .uninit = uninit,