diff --git a/sys/osxaudio/gstosxcoreaudio.c b/sys/osxaudio/gstosxcoreaudio.c
index b425fb2471..10fcd9c361 100644
--- a/sys/osxaudio/gstosxcoreaudio.c
+++ b/sys/osxaudio/gstosxcoreaudio.c
@@ -168,7 +168,8 @@ gst_core_audio_open (GstCoreAudio * core_audio)
         "listener for AudioUnit: %d", (int) status);
   }
 
-  /* Initialize the AudioUnit */
+  /* Initialize the AudioUnit. We keep the audio unit initialized early so that
+   * we can probe the underlying device. */
   status = AudioUnitInitialize (core_audio->audiounit);
   if (status) {
     GST_ERROR_OBJECT (core_audio, "Failed to initialize AudioUnit: %d",
diff --git a/sys/osxaudio/gstosxcoreaudiocommon.c b/sys/osxaudio/gstosxcoreaudiocommon.c
index b81af9cb19..39d03ac5b4 100644
--- a/sys/osxaudio/gstosxcoreaudiocommon.c
+++ b/sys/osxaudio/gstosxcoreaudiocommon.c
@@ -238,6 +238,7 @@ _core_audio_set_property (GstCoreAudio * core_audio, AudioUnitPropertyID inID,
   return TRUE;
 }
 
+/* The AudioUnit must be uninitialized before calling this */
 gboolean
 gst_core_audio_set_channel_layout (GstCoreAudio * core_audio,
     gint channels, GstCaps * caps)
@@ -297,6 +298,7 @@ gst_core_audio_set_channel_layout (GstCoreAudio * core_audio,
   return ret;
 }
 
+/* The AudioUnit must be uninitialized before calling this */
 gboolean
 gst_core_audio_set_format (GstCoreAudio * core_audio,
     AudioStreamBasicDescription format)
diff --git a/sys/osxaudio/gstosxcoreaudiohal.c b/sys/osxaudio/gstosxcoreaudiohal.c
index a05f384615..c1fefcc3c9 100644
--- a/sys/osxaudio/gstosxcoreaudiohal.c
+++ b/sys/osxaudio/gstosxcoreaudiohal.c
@@ -1123,6 +1123,15 @@ gst_core_audio_initialize_impl (GstCoreAudio * core_audio,
     gboolean is_passthrough, guint32 * frame_size)
 {
   gboolean ret = FALSE;
+  OSStatus status;
+
+  /* Uninitialize the AudioUnit before changing formats */
+  status = AudioUnitUninitialize (core_audio->audiounit);
+  if (status) {
+    GST_ERROR_OBJECT (core_audio, "Failed to uninitialize AudioUnit: %d",
+        (int) status);
+    return FALSE;
+  }
 
   core_audio->is_passthrough = is_passthrough;
   if (is_passthrough) {
@@ -1157,9 +1166,18 @@ gst_core_audio_initialize_impl (GstCoreAudio * core_audio,
   ret = TRUE;
 
 done:
+  /* Format changed, initialise the AudioUnit again */
+  status = AudioUnitInitialize (core_audio->audiounit);
+  if (status) {
+    GST_ERROR_OBJECT (core_audio, "Failed to initialize AudioUnit: %d",
+        (int) status);
+    ret = FALSE;
+  }
+
   if (ret) {
     GST_DEBUG_OBJECT (core_audio, "osxbuf ring buffer acquired");
   }
+
   return ret;
 }
 
diff --git a/sys/osxaudio/gstosxcoreaudioremoteio.c b/sys/osxaudio/gstosxcoreaudioremoteio.c
index d2f2f0bde9..76b0eba32d 100644
--- a/sys/osxaudio/gstosxcoreaudioremoteio.c
+++ b/sys/osxaudio/gstosxcoreaudioremoteio.c
@@ -84,10 +84,22 @@ gst_core_audio_initialize_impl (GstCoreAudio * core_audio,
     AudioStreamBasicDescription format, GstCaps * caps,
     gboolean is_passthrough, guint32 * frame_size)
 {
+  gboolean ret = FALSE;
+  OSStatus status;
+
+  /* Uninitialize the AudioUnit before changing formats */
+  status = AudioUnitUninitialize (core_audio->audiounit);
+  if (status) {
+    GST_ERROR_OBJECT (core_audio, "Failed to uninitialize AudioUnit: %d",
+        (int) status);
+    return FALSE;
+  }
+
   core_audio->is_passthrough = is_passthrough;
   core_audio->stream_idx = 0;
+
   if (!gst_core_audio_set_format (core_audio, format))
-    return FALSE;
+    goto done;
 
   /* FIXME: Use kAudioSessionProperty_CurrentHardwareSampleRate and
    * kAudioSessionProperty_CurrentHardwareIOBufferDuration with property
@@ -96,7 +108,18 @@ gst_core_audio_initialize_impl (GstCoreAudio * core_audio,
   *frame_size = 4196;
 
   GST_DEBUG_OBJECT (core_audio, "osxbuf ring buffer acquired");
-  return TRUE;
+  ret = TRUE;
+
+done:
+  /* Format changed, initialise the AudioUnit again */
+  status = AudioUnitInitialize (core_audio->audiounit);
+  if (status) {
+    GST_ERROR_OBJECT (core_audio, "Failed to initialize AudioUnit: %d",
+        (int) status);
+    ret = FALSE;
+  }
+
+  return ret;
 }
 
 static gboolean