diff --git a/src/playbin.vala b/src/playbin.vala
index 5e71bec..a9baf39 100644
--- a/src/playbin.vala
+++ b/src/playbin.vala
@@ -40,8 +40,8 @@ public class Playbin : GLib.Object {
         }
     }
 
-    // invariant: equal to play queue length iff state is STOPPED
-    public uint play_queue_position { get; private set; }
+    // invariant: negative iff stopped, otherwise < play queue length
+    public int play_queue_position { get; private set; default = -1; }
 
     // signalled when a new track is current
     public signal void new_track ();
@@ -125,15 +125,15 @@ public class Playbin : GLib.Object {
                             int64 playlist_pos = data.parse_int64 ();
                             if (playlist_pos < 0) {
                                 if (this.state != PlaybinState.STOPPED) {
-                                    error ("mpv has no current playlist entry, but we think it's index %u", this.play_queue_position);
+                                    error ("mpv has no current playlist entry, but we think it's index %d", this.play_queue_position);
                                 }
-                                assert (this.play_queue_position == this.play_queue.get_n_items ());
+                                assert (this.play_queue_position < 0);
                             } else {
                                 if (this.state == PlaybinState.STOPPED) {
-                                    error ("mpv is at playlist entry %u, but we're stopped", (uint) playlist_pos);
+                                    error ("mpv is at playlist entry %d, but we're stopped", (int) playlist_pos);
                                 }
-                                if (this.play_queue_position != (uint) playlist_pos) {
-                                    error ("mpv is at playlist entry %u, but we think it's %u", (uint) playlist_pos, this.play_queue_position);
+                                if (this.play_queue_position != (int) playlist_pos) {
+                                    error ("mpv is at playlist entry %d, but we think it's %d", (int) playlist_pos, this.play_queue_position);
                                 }
                             }
                             break;
@@ -182,6 +182,7 @@ public class Playbin : GLib.Object {
                             if (this.play_queue_position == this._play_queue.get_n_items ()) {
                                 // reached the end (?)
                                 this.state = PlaybinState.STOPPED;
+                                this.play_queue_position = -1;
                                 this.stopped ();
                             }
                         }
@@ -220,7 +221,7 @@ public class Playbin : GLib.Object {
             requires (position < this.play_queue.get_n_items ())
     {
         assert (this.mpv.command ({"playlist-play-index", position.to_string ()}) >= 0);
-        this.play_queue_position = position;
+        this.play_queue_position = (int) position;
         this.state = PlaybinState.PLAYING;
         this.play (); // make sure mpv actually starts playing the track
     }
@@ -283,6 +284,7 @@ public class Playbin : GLib.Object {
         if (this.play_queue_position == this._play_queue.get_n_items ()) {
             // we just killed the last track
             this.state = PlaybinState.STOPPED;
+            this.play_queue_position = -1;
             this.stopped ();
         }
     }
@@ -294,7 +296,7 @@ public class Playbin : GLib.Object {
         }
         this.state = PlaybinState.STOPPED;
         this._play_queue.remove_all ();
-        this.play_queue_position = 0;
+        this.play_queue_position = -1;
 
         this.stopped ();
     }
@@ -305,7 +307,6 @@ public class Playbin : GLib.Object {
             this.api.stream_uri (song.id),
             "append",
         }) >= 0);
-        if (this.state == STOPPED) this.play_queue_position += 1;
         this._play_queue.append (song);
     }
 
@@ -317,7 +318,6 @@ public class Playbin : GLib.Object {
         });
         assert (err >= 0);
 
-        if (this.state == STOPPED) this.play_queue_position += 1;
         this._play_queue.append (song);
     }
 
@@ -348,8 +348,8 @@ public class Playbin : GLib.Object {
             additions[to-from] = this._play_queue.get_item (from);
             this._play_queue.splice(from, to-from+1, additions);
 
-            if (this.play_queue_position == from) this.play_queue_position = to;
-            else if (this.play_queue_position > from && this.play_queue_position <= to) this.play_queue_position -= 1;
+            if (this.play_queue_position == (int) from) this.play_queue_position = (int) to;
+            else if (this.play_queue_position > (int) from && this.play_queue_position <= (int) to) this.play_queue_position -= 1;
         } else if (from > to) {
             assert(this.mpv.command({
                 "playlist-move",
@@ -365,8 +365,8 @@ public class Playbin : GLib.Object {
             }
             this._play_queue.splice (to, from-to+1, additions);
 
-            if (this.play_queue_position == from) this.play_queue_position = to;
-            else if (this.play_queue_position >= to && this.play_queue_position < from) this.play_queue_position += 1;
+            if (this.play_queue_position == (int) from) this.play_queue_position = (int) to;
+            else if (this.play_queue_position >= (int) to && this.play_queue_position < (int) from) this.play_queue_position += 1;
         }
     }
 
@@ -375,7 +375,7 @@ public class Playbin : GLib.Object {
         // don't clear the playlist, just in case (less state changes to sync)
         assert(this.mpv.command({"stop", "keep-playlist"}) >= 0);
         this.state = PlaybinState.STOPPED;
-        this.play_queue_position = this._play_queue.get_n_items ();
+        this.play_queue_position = -1;
         this.stopped ();
     }