diff --git a/src/core/audio/Player.cpp b/src/core/audio/Player.cpp
index 205a6579b..7e38b4adf 100644
--- a/src/core/audio/Player.cpp
+++ b/src/core/audio/Player.cpp
@@ -267,6 +267,10 @@ void Player::UpdateNextMixPointTime() {
 }
 
 void musik::core::audio::playerThreadLoop(Player* player) {
+#ifdef WIN32
+    SetThreadPriority(GetCurrentThread(), THREAD_PRIORITY_TIME_CRITICAL);
+#endif
+
     player->stream = Stream::Create();
 
     Buffer* buffer = nullptr;
diff --git a/src/musikbox/app/layout/BrowseLayout.cpp b/src/musikbox/app/layout/BrowseLayout.cpp
index b05db7bfc..de7d2ec63 100755
--- a/src/musikbox/app/layout/BrowseLayout.cpp
+++ b/src/musikbox/app/layout/BrowseLayout.cpp
@@ -206,16 +206,11 @@ void BrowseLayout::SetCategory(const std::string& fieldName) {
 
 bool BrowseLayout::KeyPress(const std::string& key) {
     if (key == "KEY_ENTER") {
-        playback::Play(this->trackList, this->playback, this->GetFocus());
-        return true;
-    }
-    else if (Hotkeys::Is(Hotkeys::ContextMenu, key)) {
-        if (this->GetFocus() == this->trackList) {
-            TrackPtr track = this->trackList->GetSelectedTrack();
-            if (track) {
-                PlayQueueOverlays::ShowAddTrackOverlay(this->playback, track->GetId());
-                return true;
-            }
+        /* if the tracklist is NOT focused (i.e. the focus is on a
+        category window), start playback from the top. */
+        if (this->GetFocus() != this->trackList) {
+            playback.Play(*trackList->GetTrackList(), 0);
+            return true;
         }
     }
     else if (Hotkeys::Is(Hotkeys::ViewRefresh, key)) {
diff --git a/src/musikbox/app/layout/TrackSearchLayout.cpp b/src/musikbox/app/layout/TrackSearchLayout.cpp
index dbfbdf692..3c2055523 100755
--- a/src/musikbox/app/layout/TrackSearchLayout.cpp
+++ b/src/musikbox/app/layout/TrackSearchLayout.cpp
@@ -136,23 +136,13 @@ void TrackSearchLayout::OnInputChanged(cursespp::TextInput* sender, std::string
 
 void TrackSearchLayout::OnEnterPressed(cursespp::TextInput* sender) {
     if (this->trackList->GetTrackList()->Count()) {
-        playback::Play(this->trackList, this->playback, this->GetFocus());
+        playback::Play(*(this->trackList.get()), this->playback);
         this->SetFocus(this->trackList);
     }
 }
 
 bool TrackSearchLayout::KeyPress(const std::string& key) {
-    if (key == "KEY_ENTER") {
-        playback::Play(this->trackList, this->playback, this->GetFocus());
-        return true;
-    }
-    else if (Hotkeys::Is(Hotkeys::ContextMenu, key)) {
-        TrackPtr track = this->trackList->GetSelectedTrack();
-        if (track) {
-            PlayQueueOverlays::ShowAddTrackOverlay(this->playback, track->GetId());
-        }
-    }
-    else if (key == "KEY_DOWN") {
+    if (key == "KEY_DOWN") {
         if (this->GetFocus() == this->input) {
             this->FocusNext();
             return true;
diff --git a/src/musikbox/app/util/Playback.cpp b/src/musikbox/app/util/Playback.cpp
index eb499a09b..4bea6726f 100755
--- a/src/musikbox/app/util/Playback.cpp
+++ b/src/musikbox/app/util/Playback.cpp
@@ -43,17 +43,16 @@ namespace musik {
     namespace box {
         namespace playback {
             void Play(
-                std::shared_ptr<musik::box::TrackListView> trackList,
-                musik::core::audio::PlaybackService& playback,
-                cursespp::IWindowPtr focused)
+                musik::box::TrackListView& trackList,
+                musik::core::audio::PlaybackService& playback)
             {
-                auto tracks = trackList->GetTrackList();
+                auto tracks = trackList.GetTrackList();
 
                 if (tracks && tracks->Count()) {
                     size_t index = 0;
-                    if (focused.get() == trackList.get()) {
-                        index = trackList->GetSelectedTrackIndex();
 
+                    if (trackList.IsFocused()) {
+                        index = trackList.GetSelectedTrackIndex();
                         if (index == cursespp::ListWindow::NO_SELECTION) {
                             return;
                         }
diff --git a/src/musikbox/app/util/Playback.h b/src/musikbox/app/util/Playback.h
index c2173fb32..56a3ace36 100755
--- a/src/musikbox/app/util/Playback.h
+++ b/src/musikbox/app/util/Playback.h
@@ -43,9 +43,8 @@ namespace musik {
     namespace box {
         namespace playback {
             void Play(
-                std::shared_ptr<musik::box::TrackListView> trackList,
-                musik::core::audio::PlaybackService& playback,
-                cursespp::IWindowPtr focused);
+                musik::box::TrackListView& trackList,
+                musik::core::audio::PlaybackService& playback);
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/musikbox/app/window/TrackListView.cpp b/src/musikbox/app/window/TrackListView.cpp
index 55f4281c4..1bfeb159d 100755
--- a/src/musikbox/app/window/TrackListView.cpp
+++ b/src/musikbox/app/window/TrackListView.cpp
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@
 #include <glue/util/Duration.h>
 
 #include <app/util/Hotkeys.h>
+#include <app/util/Playback.h>
 #include <app/overlay/PlayQueueOverlays.h>
 
 #include <boost/format.hpp>
@@ -114,7 +115,7 @@ void TrackListView::OnQueryCompleted(IQuery* query) {
     if (this->query && query == this->query.get()) {
         if (this->query->GetStatus() == IQuery::Finished) {
             bool hadTracks = this->tracks && this->tracks->Count() > 0;
-            bool prevQuerySame = this->lastQueryHash != this->query->GetQueryHash();
+            bool prevQuerySame = this->lastQueryHash == this->query->GetQueryHash();
 
             this->tracks = this->query->GetResult();
             this->headers.Set(this->query->GetHeaders());
@@ -217,6 +218,19 @@ bool TrackListView::KeyPress(const std::string& key) {
 
             handled = true;
         }
+        else {
+            playback::Play(*this, this->playback);
+            handled = true;
+        }
+    }
+    else if (Hotkeys::Is(Hotkeys::ContextMenu, key)) {
+        if (!headers.HeaderAt(this->GetSelectedIndex())) {
+            TrackPtr track = this->GetSelectedTrack();
+            if (track) {
+                PlayQueueOverlays::ShowAddTrackOverlay(this->playback, track->GetId());
+                handled = true;
+            }
+        }
     }
     else if (Hotkeys::Is(Hotkeys::NavigateJumpToPlaying, key)) {
         this->ScrollToPlaying();
@@ -242,8 +256,7 @@ void TrackListView::OnTrackChanged(size_t index, musik::core::TrackPtr track) {
     this->playing = track;
     this->OnAdapterChanged();
 
-    if (now() - lastChanged >= AUTO_SCROLL_COOLDOWN)
-    {
+    if (now() - lastChanged >= AUTO_SCROLL_COOLDOWN) {
         this->ScrollToPlaying();
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/musikbox/cursespp/Window.h b/src/musikbox/cursespp/Window.h
index 598d158aa..03ec9c35e 100755
--- a/src/musikbox/cursespp/Window.h
+++ b/src/musikbox/cursespp/Window.h
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@
 #include <core/runtime/IMessageQueue.h>
 
 #ifdef WIN32
-#define IDLE_TIMEOUT_MS 0
+#define IDLE_TIMEOUT_MS 10
 #define REDRAW_DEBOUNCE_MS 100
 #else
 #define IDLE_TIMEOUT_MS 75