diff --git a/src/engine/platform/opl.cpp b/src/engine/platform/opl.cpp
index 13eee6a39..544602b24 100644
--- a/src/engine/platform/opl.cpp
+++ b/src/engine/platform/opl.cpp
@@ -1464,38 +1464,43 @@ void DivPlatformOPL::tick(bool sysTick) {
         chan[i].freqL=(chan[i].freq>>chan[i].freqH)&0x3ff;
         chan[i].freqH=8^chan[i].freqH;
         ctrl|=(chan[i].active?0x80:0)|(chan[i].damp?0x40:0)|(chan[i].lfoReset?0x20:0)|(chan[i].ch?0x10:0)|(isMuted[i]?8:(chan[i].pan&0xf));
-        unsigned int waveNum=chan[i].sample;
-        if (ramSize<=0x200000) {
-          waveNum=CLAMP(waveNum,0,0x7f)|0x180;
-        }
-        if (chan[i].keyOn) {
-          immWrite(PCM_ADDR_KEY_DAMP_LFORST_CH_PAN+PCM_REG(i),ctrl&~0x80); // force keyoff first
-          immWrite(PCM_ADDR_WAVE_H_FN_L+PCM_REG(i),((chan[i].freqL&0x7f)<<1)|((waveNum>>8)&1));
-          immWrite(PCM_ADDR_WAVE_L+PCM_REG(i),waveNum&0xff);
-          immWrite(PCM_ADDR_LFO_VIB+PCM_REG(i),(chan[i].lfo<<3)|(chan[i].vib));
-          immWrite(PCM_ADDR_AR_D1R+PCM_REG(i),(chan[i].ar<<4)|(chan[i].d1r));
-          immWrite(PCM_ADDR_DL_D2R+PCM_REG(i),(chan[i].dl<<4)|(chan[i].d2r));
-          immWrite(PCM_ADDR_RC_RR+PCM_REG(i),(chan[i].rc<<4)|(chan[i].rr));
-          immWrite(PCM_ADDR_AM+PCM_REG(i),chan[i].am);
-          if (!chan[i].std.vol.had) {
-            chan[i].outVol=chan[i].vol;
-            immWrite(PCM_ADDR_TL+(PCM_REG(i)),((0x7f-chan[i].outVol)<<1)|(chan[i].levelDirect?1:0));
+        int waveNum=chan[i].sample;
+        if (waveNum>=0) {
+          if (ramSize<=0x200000) {
+            waveNum=CLAMP(waveNum,0,0x7f)|0x180;
           }
-          chan[i].writeCtrl=true;
-          chan[i].keyOn=false;
-        }
-        if (chan[i].keyOff) {
-          chan[i].writeCtrl=true;
-          chan[i].keyOff=false;
-        }
-        if (chan[i].freqChanged) {
-          immWrite(PCM_ADDR_WAVE_H_FN_L+PCM_REG(i),((chan[i].freqL&0x7f)<<1)|((waveNum>>8)&1));
-          immWrite(PCM_ADDR_FN_H_PR_OCT+PCM_REG(i),((chan[i].freqH&0xf)<<4)|(chan[i].pseudoReverb?0x08:0x00)|((chan[i].freqL>>7)&0x7));
-          chan[i].freqChanged=false;
-        }
-        if (chan[i].writeCtrl) {
-          immWrite(PCM_ADDR_KEY_DAMP_LFORST_CH_PAN+PCM_REG(i),ctrl);
-          chan[i].writeCtrl=false;
+          if (chan[i].keyOn) {
+            immWrite(PCM_ADDR_KEY_DAMP_LFORST_CH_PAN+PCM_REG(i),ctrl&~0x80); // force keyoff first
+            immWrite(PCM_ADDR_WAVE_H_FN_L+PCM_REG(i),((chan[i].freqL&0x7f)<<1)|((waveNum>>8)&1));
+            immWrite(PCM_ADDR_WAVE_L+PCM_REG(i),waveNum&0xff);
+            immWrite(PCM_ADDR_LFO_VIB+PCM_REG(i),(chan[i].lfo<<3)|(chan[i].vib));
+            immWrite(PCM_ADDR_AR_D1R+PCM_REG(i),(chan[i].ar<<4)|(chan[i].d1r));
+            immWrite(PCM_ADDR_DL_D2R+PCM_REG(i),(chan[i].dl<<4)|(chan[i].d2r));
+            immWrite(PCM_ADDR_RC_RR+PCM_REG(i),(chan[i].rc<<4)|(chan[i].rr));
+            immWrite(PCM_ADDR_AM+PCM_REG(i),chan[i].am);
+            if (!chan[i].std.vol.had) {
+              chan[i].outVol=chan[i].vol;
+              immWrite(PCM_ADDR_TL+(PCM_REG(i)),((0x7f-chan[i].outVol)<<1)|(chan[i].levelDirect?1:0));
+            }
+            chan[i].writeCtrl=true;
+            chan[i].keyOn=false;
+          }
+          if (chan[i].keyOff) {
+            chan[i].writeCtrl=true;
+            chan[i].keyOff=false;
+          }
+          if (chan[i].freqChanged) {
+            immWrite(PCM_ADDR_WAVE_H_FN_L+PCM_REG(i),((chan[i].freqL&0x7f)<<1)|((waveNum>>8)&1));
+            immWrite(PCM_ADDR_FN_H_PR_OCT+PCM_REG(i),((chan[i].freqH&0xf)<<4)|(chan[i].pseudoReverb?0x08:0x00)|((chan[i].freqL>>7)&0x7));
+            chan[i].freqChanged=false;
+          }
+          if (chan[i].writeCtrl) {
+            immWrite(PCM_ADDR_KEY_DAMP_LFORST_CH_PAN+PCM_REG(i),ctrl);
+            chan[i].writeCtrl=false;
+          }
+        } else {
+          // cut if we don't have a sample
+          immWrite(PCM_ADDR_KEY_DAMP_LFORST_CH_PAN+PCM_REG(i),ctrl&~0x80);
         }
       }
     } else {