diff --git a/audio/out/ao.c b/audio/out/ao.c
index 8685260204..e87fc52d0e 100644
--- a/audio/out/ao.c
+++ b/audio/out/ao.c
@@ -188,13 +188,6 @@ static struct ao *ao_create(bool probing, struct mpv_global *global,
         ao->device_buffer = ao->driver->get_space(ao);
         MP_VERBOSE(ao, "device buffer: %d samples.\n", ao->device_buffer);
     }
-
-    if (ao->device_buffer <= 0) {
-        MP_FATAL(ao, "Couldn't probe device buffer size.\n");
-        ao->driver->uninit(ao);
-        goto error;
-    }
-
     ao->buffer = MPMAX(ao->device_buffer, ao->def_buffer * ao->samplerate);
     MP_VERBOSE(ao, "using soft-buffer of %d samples.\n", ao->buffer);
 
diff --git a/audio/out/push.c b/audio/out/push.c
index 3285543f24..2a84028e13 100644
--- a/audio/out/push.c
+++ b/audio/out/push.c
@@ -394,6 +394,11 @@ static int init(struct ao *ao)
     pthread_cond_init(&p->wakeup_drain, NULL);
     mp_make_wakeup_pipe(p->wakeup_pipe);
 
+    if (ao->device_buffer <= 0) {
+        MP_FATAL(ao, "Couldn't probe device buffer size.\n");
+        goto err;
+    }
+
     p->buffer = mp_audio_buffer_create(ao);
     mp_audio_buffer_reinit_fmt(p->buffer, ao->format,
                                &ao->channels, ao->samplerate);