diff --git a/player/audio.c b/player/audio.c
index 3a7d26daa7..ab42573fad 100644
--- a/player/audio.c
+++ b/player/audio.c
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ void reinit_audio_chain(struct MPContext *mpctx)
 {
     struct MPOpts *opts = mpctx->opts;
     struct track *track = mpctx->current_track[0][STREAM_AUDIO];
-    struct sh_stream *sh = init_demux_stream(mpctx, track);
+    struct sh_stream *sh = track ? track->stream : NULL;
     if (!sh) {
         uninit_player(mpctx, INITIALIZED_AO);
         goto no_audio;
diff --git a/player/core.h b/player/core.h
index 49ca1e042c..0c4f50e1d2 100644
--- a/player/core.h
+++ b/player/core.h
@@ -414,8 +414,6 @@ struct track *mp_track_by_tid(struct MPContext *mpctx, enum stream_type type,
                               int tid);
 bool timeline_set_part(struct MPContext *mpctx, int i, bool force);
 double timeline_set_from_time(struct MPContext *mpctx, double pts, bool *need_reset);
-struct sh_stream *init_demux_stream(struct MPContext *mpctx, struct track *track);
-void reselect_demux_streams(struct MPContext *mpctx);
 void add_demuxer_tracks(struct MPContext *mpctx, struct demuxer *demuxer);
 bool mp_remove_track(struct MPContext *mpctx, struct track *track);
 struct playlist_entry *mp_next_file(struct MPContext *mpctx, int direction,
diff --git a/player/loadfile.c b/player/loadfile.c
index 657e50f6da..6c89057432 100644
--- a/player/loadfile.c
+++ b/player/loadfile.c
@@ -60,6 +60,8 @@
 #include "command.h"
 #include "libmpv/client.h"
 
+static void reselect_demux_streams(struct MPContext *mpctx);
+
 static void uninit_sub(struct MPContext *mpctx, int order)
 {
     if (mpctx->d_sub[order])
@@ -264,41 +266,41 @@ void update_demuxer_properties(struct MPContext *mpctx)
     demuxer->events = 0;
 }
 
+static bool need_init_seek(struct demuxer *demux)
+{
+    for (int n = 0; n < demux->num_streams; n++) {
+        struct sh_stream *stream = demux->streams[n];
+        // Subtitle streams are not properly interleaved -> force init. seek.
+        if (stream->type != STREAM_SUB && demux_stream_is_selected(stream))
+            return false;
+    }
+    return true;
+}
+
 // Enable needed streams, disable others.
 // Note that switching all tracks at once (instead when initializing something)
 // can be important, because reading from a demuxer stream (e.g. during init)
 // will implicitly discard interleaved packets from unselected streams.
-void reselect_demux_streams(struct MPContext *mpctx)
+// Also initializes position for external streams.
+static void reselect_demux_streams(struct MPContext *mpctx)
 {
     // Note: we assume that all demuxer streams are covered by the track list.
     for (int t = 0; t < mpctx->num_tracks; t++) {
         struct track *track = mpctx->tracks[t];
-        if (track->demuxer && track->stream)
+        if (track->demuxer && track->stream) {
+            bool need_init = track->selected &&
+                mpctx->demuxer != track->demuxer &&
+                need_init_seek(track->demuxer);
             demuxer_select_track(track->demuxer, track->stream, track->selected);
-    }
-}
-
-// External demuxers might need a seek to the current playback position.
-static void external_track_seek(struct MPContext *mpctx, struct track *track)
-{
-    if (track && track->demuxer && track->selected && track->is_external) {
-        for (int t = 0; t < mpctx->num_tracks; t++) {
-            struct track *other = mpctx->tracks[t];
-            if (other->demuxer == track->demuxer &&
-                demux_stream_is_selected(other->stream))
-                return;
+            if (need_init) {
+                double pts = get_main_demux_pts(mpctx);
+                if (pts != MP_NOPTS_VALUE)
+                    demux_seek(track->demuxer, pts, SEEK_ABSOLUTE);
+            }
         }
-        double pts = get_main_demux_pts(mpctx);
-        demux_seek(track->demuxer, pts, SEEK_ABSOLUTE);
     }
 }
 
-struct sh_stream *init_demux_stream(struct MPContext *mpctx, struct track *track)
-{
-    external_track_seek(mpctx, track);
-    return track ? track->stream : NULL;
-}
-
 static struct sh_stream *select_fallback_stream(struct demuxer *d,
                                                 enum stream_type type,
                                                 int index)
diff --git a/player/misc.c b/player/misc.c
index e50ea6b143..3ae4a8ab9a 100644
--- a/player/misc.c
+++ b/player/misc.c
@@ -100,8 +100,9 @@ double get_main_demux_pts(struct MPContext *mpctx)
     double main_new_pos = MP_NOPTS_VALUE;
     if (mpctx->demuxer) {
         for (int n = 0; n < mpctx->demuxer->num_streams; n++) {
-            if (main_new_pos == MP_NOPTS_VALUE)
-                main_new_pos = demux_get_next_pts(mpctx->demuxer->streams[n]);
+            struct sh_stream *stream = mpctx->demuxer->streams[n];
+            if (main_new_pos == MP_NOPTS_VALUE && stream->type != STREAM_SUB)
+                main_new_pos = demux_get_next_pts(stream);
         }
     }
     return main_new_pos;
diff --git a/player/sub.c b/player/sub.c
index 2018e6ed7b..2ee928794c 100644
--- a/player/sub.c
+++ b/player/sub.c
@@ -194,10 +194,7 @@ void reinit_subs(struct MPContext *mpctx, int order)
 
     assert(!(mpctx->initialized_flags & init_flag));
 
-    struct sh_stream *sh = init_demux_stream(mpctx, track);
-
-    // No track selected, or lazily added DVD track (will actually be created
-    // on first sub packet)
+    struct sh_stream *sh = track ? track->stream : NULL;
     if (!sh)
         return;
 
diff --git a/player/video.c b/player/video.c
index 40e8e956d3..09fc61fcf0 100644
--- a/player/video.c
+++ b/player/video.c
@@ -174,7 +174,7 @@ int reinit_video_chain(struct MPContext *mpctx)
     assert(!(mpctx->initialized_flags & INITIALIZED_VCODEC));
     assert(!mpctx->d_video);
     struct track *track = mpctx->current_track[0][STREAM_VIDEO];
-    struct sh_stream *sh = init_demux_stream(mpctx, track);
+    struct sh_stream *sh = track ? track->stream : NULL;
     if (!sh)
         goto no_video;