diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwsound/sound.hpp b/apps/openmw/mwsound/sound.hpp
index b5d010aa00..2cbd48d961 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwsound/sound.hpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwsound/sound.hpp
@@ -5,9 +5,6 @@ namespace MWSound
 {
     class Sound
     {
-        virtual void stop() = 0;
-        virtual bool isPlaying() = 0;
-        virtual void setVolume(float volume) = 0;
         virtual void update(const float *pos) = 0;
 
         Sound& operator=(const Sound &rhs);
@@ -20,6 +17,10 @@ namespace MWSound
         float mMaxDistance;
 
     public:
+        virtual void stop() = 0;
+        virtual bool isPlaying() = 0;
+        virtual void setVolume(float volume) = 0;
+
         Sound() : mVolume(1.0f)
                 , mBaseVolume(1.0f)
                 , mMinDistance(20.0f) /* 1 * min_range_scale */
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwsound/soundmanager.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwsound/soundmanager.cpp
index 8e2ef3a278..ad9e47f729 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwsound/soundmanager.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwsound/soundmanager.cpp
@@ -185,7 +185,8 @@ namespace MWSound
             std::string filePath = std::string("Sound/")+filename;
             const ESM::Position &pos = ptr.getCellRef().pos;
 
-            SoundPtr sound = mOutput->playSound3D(filePath, pos.pos, basevol, 1.0f, 20.0f, 12750.0f, false);
+            SoundPtr sound = mOutput->playSound3D(filePath, pos.pos, basevol, 1.0f,
+                                                  20.0f, 12750.0f, false);
             sound->mBaseVolume = basevol;
 
             mActiveSounds[sound] = std::make_pair(ptr, std::string("_say_sound"));
@@ -202,15 +203,16 @@ namespace MWSound
     }
 
 
-    void SoundManager::playSound(const std::string& soundId, float volume, float pitch, bool loop)
+    SoundPtr SoundManager::playSound(const std::string& soundId, float volume, float pitch, bool loop)
     {
+        SoundPtr sound;
         try
         {
             float basevol = 1.0f; /* TODO: volume settings */
             float min, max;
             std::string file = lookup(soundId, basevol, min, max);
 
-            SoundPtr sound = mOutput->playSound(file, volume*basevol, pitch, loop);
+            sound = mOutput->playSound(file, volume*basevol, pitch, loop);
             sound->mVolume = volume;
             sound->mBaseVolume = basevol;
             sound->mMinDistance = min;
@@ -222,11 +224,14 @@ namespace MWSound
         {
             std::cout <<"Sound Error: "<<e.what()<< std::endl;
         }
+        return sound;
     }
 
-    void SoundManager::playSound3D(MWWorld::Ptr ptr, const std::string& soundId,
-                                   float volume, float pitch, bool loop, bool untracked)
+    SoundPtr SoundManager::playSound3D(MWWorld::Ptr ptr, const std::string& soundId,
+                                       float volume, float pitch, bool loop,
+                                       bool untracked)
     {
+        SoundPtr sound;
         try
         {
             // Look up the sound in the ESM data
@@ -235,7 +240,7 @@ namespace MWSound
             std::string file = lookup(soundId, basevol, min, max);
             const ESM::Position &pos = ptr.getCellRef().pos;
 
-            SoundPtr sound = mOutput->playSound3D(file, pos.pos, volume*basevol, pitch, min, max, loop);
+            sound = mOutput->playSound3D(file, pos.pos, volume*basevol, pitch, min, max, loop);
             sound->mVolume = volume;
             sound->mBaseVolume = basevol;
             sound->mMinDistance = min;
@@ -248,6 +253,7 @@ namespace MWSound
         {
             std::cout <<"Sound Error: "<<e.what()<< std::endl;
         }
+        return sound;
     }
 
     void SoundManager::stopSound3D(MWWorld::Ptr ptr, const std::string& soundId)
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwsound/soundmanager.hpp b/apps/openmw/mwsound/soundmanager.hpp
index 5808b01421..c023dca4c3 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwsound/soundmanager.hpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwsound/soundmanager.hpp
@@ -87,12 +87,12 @@ namespace MWSound
         bool sayDone(MWWorld::Ptr reference) const;
         ///< Is actor not speaking?
 
-        void playSound(const std::string& soundId, float volume, float pitch, bool loop=false);
+        SoundPtr playSound(const std::string& soundId, float volume, float pitch, bool loop=false);
         ///< Play a sound, independently of 3D-position
 
-        void playSound3D(MWWorld::Ptr reference, const std::string& soundId,
-                         float volume, float pitch, bool loop,
-                         bool untracked=false);
+        SoundPtr playSound3D(MWWorld::Ptr reference, const std::string& soundId,
+                             float volume, float pitch, bool loop,
+                             bool untracked=false);
         ///< Play a sound from an object
 
         void stopSound3D(MWWorld::Ptr reference, const std::string& soundId);