diff --git a/src/playbin.vala b/src/playbin.vala
index f789bba..0d4a9bc 100644
--- a/src/playbin.vala
+++ b/src/playbin.vala
@@ -166,6 +166,10 @@ class Playbin : GLib.Object {
             assert (this.playbin.query_duration (Gst.Format.TIME, out duration));
             this.duration = duration;
 
+            // cancel any queued seeks
+            this.queued_seek = -1;
+            this.update_position = true;
+
             this.position = 0;
 
             bool continues = this.next_gapless;
@@ -202,7 +206,17 @@ class Playbin : GLib.Object {
             Gst.State new_state;
             message.parse_state_changed (null, out new_state, null);
 
-            this.update_position = new_state == Gst.State.PLAYING;
+            if (new_state == Gst.State.PLAYING) {
+                if (queued_seek != -1) {
+                    if (this.playbin.seek_simple (Gst.Format.TIME, Gst.SeekFlags.FLUSH | Gst.SeekFlags.ACCURATE, this.queued_seek)) {
+                        this.queued_seek = -1;
+                    } else {
+                        warning ("could not reapply queued seek after state changed changed to playing, retrying later");
+                    }
+                } else {
+                    this.update_position = true;
+                }
+            }
         });
         
         bus.message["eos"].connect ((message) => {
@@ -210,9 +224,14 @@ class Playbin : GLib.Object {
         });
     }
 
+    private int64 queued_seek = -1;
+
     public void seek (int64 position) {
+        this.position = position;
+        this.update_position = false;
         if (!this.playbin.seek_simple (Gst.Format.TIME, Gst.SeekFlags.FLUSH | Gst.SeekFlags.ACCURATE, position)) {
-            warning ("could not seek");
+            // try to queue this seek for later
+            queued_seek = position;
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/src/ui/window.blp b/src/ui/window.blp
index af97d78..3bf3376 100644
--- a/src/ui/window.blp
+++ b/src/ui/window.blp
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ template $UiWindow: Adw.ApplicationWindow {
               "numeric",
             ]
 
-            label: bind $format_timestamp (template.position) as <string>;
+            label: bind $format_timestamp (template.playbin as <$Playbin>.position) as <string>;
           }
 
           [center]
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ template $UiWindow: Adw.ApplicationWindow {
 
             adjustment: Adjustment {
               lower: 0;
-              value: bind template.position;
+              value: bind template.playbin as <$Playbin>.position;
               upper: bind template.playbin as <$Playbin>.duration;
             };
 
diff --git a/src/ui/window.vala b/src/ui/window.vala
index 862670a..b0dcba6 100644
--- a/src/ui/window.vala
+++ b/src/ui/window.vala
@@ -10,8 +10,6 @@ class Ui.Window : Adw.ApplicationWindow {
     private Setup setup;
 
     private Subsonic.Client api;
-    
-    public int64 position { get; private set; }
 
     public double volume {
         get { return this.playbin.volume; }
@@ -114,13 +112,6 @@ class Ui.Window : Adw.ApplicationWindow {
                 });
             }
         });
-
-        this.playbin.notify["position"].connect (() => {
-            // only set if we aren't seeking
-            if (this.seek_timeout_id == 0) {
-                this.position = this.playbin.position;
-            }
-        });
     }
 
     [GtkCallback] private void on_sidebar_row_activated (Gtk.ListBoxRow row) {
@@ -137,22 +128,9 @@ class Ui.Window : Adw.ApplicationWindow {
         int s = (int) (ns / Gst.SECOND);
         return "%02d:%02d".printf (s/60, s%60);
     }
-    
-    private void seek_impl (int64 position) {
-        this.position = position;
-        if (this.seek_timeout_id == 0) {
-            this.seek_timeout_id = Timeout.add (500, () => {
-                playbin.seek(this.position);
-                this.seek_timeout_id = 0;
-                return false;
-            });
-        }
-    }
 
-    // same timeout logic as https://code.videolan.org/videolan/npapi-vlc/blob/6eae0ffb9cbaf8f6e04423de2ff38daabdf7cae3/npapi/vlcplugin_gtk.cpp#L312
-    private uint seek_timeout_id = 0;
     [GtkCallback] private bool on_play_position_seek (Gtk.Range range, Gtk.ScrollType scroll_type, double value) {
-        this.seek_impl((int64) value);
+        this.playbin.seek ((int64) value);
         return false;
     }
 
@@ -202,16 +180,16 @@ class Ui.Window : Adw.ApplicationWindow {
 
     [GtkCallback] private void seek_backward () {
         // 10 seconds
-        int64 new_position = position - 10 * Gst.SECOND;
+        int64 new_position = playbin.position - 10 * Gst.SECOND;
         if (new_position < 0) new_position = 0;
-        this.seek_impl (new_position);
+        this.playbin.seek (new_position);
     }
 
     [GtkCallback] private void seek_forward () {
         // 10 seconds
-        int64 new_position = position + 10 * Gst.SECOND;
+        int64 new_position = playbin.position + 10 * Gst.SECOND;
         if (new_position > this.playbin.duration) new_position = this.playbin.duration;
-        this.seek_impl (new_position);
+        this.playbin.seek (new_position);
     }
 
     [GtkCallback] private string song_title (Subsonic.Song? song) {