diff --git a/libs/pbd/pbd/playback_buffer.h b/libs/pbd/pbd/playback_buffer.h
index d9f2232144..3ec7d57897 100644
--- a/libs/pbd/pbd/playback_buffer.h
+++ b/libs/pbd/pbd/playback_buffer.h
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ class /*LIBPBD_API*/ PlaybackBuffer
 public:
 	PlaybackBuffer (int32_t sz, guint res = 8191)
 	: reservation (res)
-	, _writepos_lock ()
+	, _reservation_lock ()
 	{
 		sz += reservation;
 
@@ -46,24 +46,28 @@ public:
 		buf = new T[size];
 
 		read_idx = 0;
-		reset (0);
+		reset ();
 	}
 
 	virtual ~PlaybackBuffer () {
 		delete [] buf;
 	}
 
-	/* non-linear write needs to reset() the buffer and set the
-	 * position that write() will commence at */
-	void reset (int64_t start = 0) {
+	/* init (mlock) */
+	T *buffer () { return buf; }
+	/* init (mlock) */
+	guint bufsize () const { return size; }
+
+	/* write-thread */
+	void reset () {
 		/* writer, when seeking, may block */
 		Glib::Threads::Mutex::Lock lm (_reset_lock);
-		SpinLock sl (_writepos_lock);
-		write_pos = start;
-
+		SpinLock sl (_reservation_lock);
 		g_atomic_int_set (&write_idx, g_atomic_int_get (&read_idx));
+		g_atomic_int_set (&reserved, 0);
 	}
 
+	/* write-thread */
 	guint write_space () const {
 		guint w, r;
 
@@ -92,6 +96,7 @@ public:
 		return 0;
 	}
 
+	/* read-thread */
 	guint read_space () const {
 		guint w, r;
 
@@ -105,37 +110,77 @@ public:
 		}
 	}
 
+	/* read-thead */
 	guint read  (T *dest, guint cnt, bool commit = true);
+
+	/* write-thead */
 	guint write (T const * src, guint cnt);
+	/* write-thead */
 	guint write_zero (guint cnt);
 
-	T *buffer () { return buf; }
-	guint bufsize () const { return size; }
-
-	guint get_write_idx () const { return g_atomic_int_get (&write_idx); }
-	guint get_read_idx () const { return g_atomic_int_get (&read_idx); }
-
-	void read_flush () { g_atomic_int_set (&read_idx, g_atomic_int_get (&write_idx)); }
-
-	void increment_read_ptr (guint cnt) {
-		cnt = std::min (cnt, read_space ());
-		g_atomic_int_set (&read_idx, (g_atomic_int_get (&read_idx) + cnt) & size_mask);
+	/* read-thead */
+	void read_flush ()
+	{
+		SpinLock sl (_reservation_lock);
+		g_atomic_int_set (&read_idx, g_atomic_int_get (&write_idx));
+		g_atomic_int_set (&reserved, 0);
 	}
 
-protected:
+	/* read-thead */
+	guint decrement_read_ptr (guint cnt)
+	{
+		SpinLock sl (_reservation_lock);
+		guint r = g_atomic_int_get (&read_idx);
+		guint res = g_atomic_int_get (&reserved);
+
+		cnt = std::min (cnt, res);
+
+		r = (r + size - cnt) & size_mask;
+		res -= cnt;
+
+		g_atomic_int_set (&read_idx, r);
+		g_atomic_int_set (&reserved, res);
+
+		return cnt;
+	}
+
+	/* read-thead */
+	guint increment_read_ptr (guint cnt)
+	{
+		cnt = std::min (cnt, read_space ());
+
+		SpinLock sl (_reservation_lock);
+		g_atomic_int_set (&read_idx, (g_atomic_int_get (&read_idx) + cnt) & size_mask);
+		g_atomic_int_set (&reserved, std::min (reservation, g_atomic_int_get (&reserved) + cnt));
+
+		return cnt;
+	}
+
+	/* read-thead */
+	bool can_seek (int cnt) {
+		if (cnt > 0) {
+			return read_space() >= cnt;
+		}
+		else if (cnt < 0) {
+			return g_atomic_int_get (&reserved) >= cnt;
+		}
+		else {
+			return true;
+		}
+	}
+
+private:
 	T *buf;
 	guint reservation;
 	guint size;
 	guint size_mask;
 
-	int64_t write_pos; // samplepos_t
-
-	mutable gint write_idx; // corresponds to (write_pos)
+	mutable gint write_idx;
 	mutable gint read_idx;
+	mutable gint reserved;
 
-private:
-	/* spinlock will be used to update write_pos and write_idx in sync */
-	mutable spinlock_t   _writepos_lock;
+	/* spinlock will be used to update write_idx and reserved in sync */
+	spinlock_t _reservation_lock;
 	/* reset_lock is used to prevent concurrent reading and reset (seek, transport reversal etc). */
 	Glib::Threads::Mutex _reset_lock;
 };
@@ -170,11 +215,7 @@ PlaybackBuffer<T>::write (T const *src, guint cnt)
 		w = n2;
 	}
 
-	{
-		SpinLock sl (_writepos_lock);
-		write_pos += to_write;
-		g_atomic_int_set (&write_idx, w);
-	}
+	g_atomic_int_set (&write_idx, w);
 	return to_write;
 }
 
@@ -208,11 +249,7 @@ PlaybackBuffer<T>::write_zero (guint cnt)
 		w = n2;
 	}
 
-	{
-		SpinLock sl (_writepos_lock);
-		write_pos += to_write;
-		g_atomic_int_set (&write_idx, w);
-	}
+	g_atomic_int_set (&write_idx, w);
 	return to_write;
 }
 
@@ -251,10 +288,11 @@ PlaybackBuffer<T>::read (T *dest, guint cnt, bool commit)
 	}
 
 	if (commit) {
-		/* set read-pointer to position of last read's end */
+		SpinLock sl (_reservation_lock);
 		g_atomic_int_set (&read_idx, r);
+		g_atomic_int_set (&reserved, std::min (reservation, g_atomic_int_get (&reserved) + to_read));
 	}
-	return cnt;
+	return to_read;
 }
 
 } /* end namespace */