diff --git a/src/playbin.vala b/src/playbin.vala
index 70a11cd..9fc9407 100644
--- a/src/playbin.vala
+++ b/src/playbin.vala
@@ -158,13 +158,22 @@ class Playbin : GLib.Object {
     public void pause () {
         assert (this.state != PlaybinState.STOPPED);
         this.state = PlaybinState.PAUSED;
-        assert (this.mpv.command ({"pause"}) >= 0);
+        GLib.debug ("setting state to paused");
+        // TODO: abstract away this handling around mpv api a bit for auto debug printing
+        var ret = this.mpv.set_property_flag("pause", true);
+        if (ret != 0) {
+            GLib.debug ("failed to set state to paused (%d): %s\n", ret, ret.to_string());
+        }
     }
 
     public void play () {
         assert (this.state != PlaybinState.STOPPED);
         this.state = PlaybinState.PLAYING;
-        assert (this.mpv.command ({"play"}) >= 0);
+        GLib.debug ("setting state to playing");
+        var ret = this.mpv.set_property_flag("pause", false);
+        if (ret != 0) {
+            GLib.debug ("failed to set state to playing (%d): %s\n", ret, ret.to_string());
+        }
     }
 
     public void next_track () {