diff --git a/Engine/source/T3D/assets/SoundAsset.cpp b/Engine/source/T3D/assets/SoundAsset.cpp
index 06a30b7e4..a3b1aed81 100644
--- a/Engine/source/T3D/assets/SoundAsset.cpp
+++ b/Engine/source/T3D/assets/SoundAsset.cpp
@@ -228,6 +228,9 @@ bool SoundAsset::loadSound()
          mSFXProfile.setDescription(&mProfileDesc);
          mSFXProfile.setSoundFileName(mSoundPath);
          mSFXProfile.setPreload(mPreload);
+
+         //give it a nudge to preload if required
+         mSFXProfile.getBuffer();
       }
 
    }
@@ -341,7 +344,10 @@ DefineEngineMethod(SoundAsset, playSound, S32, (Point3F position), (Point3F::Zer
       MatrixF transform;
       transform.setPosition(position);
       SFXSource* source = SFX->playOnce(object->getSfxProfile(), &transform, NULL, -1);
-      return source->getId();
+      if(source)
+         return source->getId();
+      else
+         return 0;
    }
    else
       return 0;
diff --git a/Engine/source/T3D/gameBase/gameConnection.cpp b/Engine/source/T3D/gameBase/gameConnection.cpp
index 0331e3764..b88bde05e 100644
--- a/Engine/source/T3D/gameBase/gameConnection.cpp
+++ b/Engine/source/T3D/gameBase/gameConnection.cpp
@@ -1566,12 +1566,7 @@ void GameConnection::play2D(StringTableEntry assetId)
 {
    if (AssetDatabase.isDeclaredAsset(assetId))
    {
-
-      AssetPtr<SoundAsset> tempSoundAsset;
-      tempSoundAsset = assetId;
-
-      postNetEvent(new SimSoundAssetEvent(tempSoundAsset));
-
+      postNetEvent(new SimSoundAssetEvent(assetId));
    }
 }
 
@@ -1587,7 +1582,7 @@ void GameConnection::play3D(StringTableEntry assetId, const MatrixF *transform)
       tempSoundAsset = assetId;
 
       if (!mControlObject)
-         postNetEvent(new SimSoundAssetEvent(tempSoundAsset, transform));
+         postNetEvent(new SimSoundAssetEvent(assetId, *transform));
       else
       {
          // TODO: Maybe improve this to account for the duration
@@ -1601,7 +1596,7 @@ void GameConnection::play3D(StringTableEntry assetId, const MatrixF *transform)
          transform->getColumn(3, &pos);
          mControlObject->getTransform().getColumn(3, &ear);
          if ((ear - pos).len() < tempSoundAsset->getSfxDescription()->mMaxDistance)
-            postNetEvent(new SimSoundAssetEvent(tempSoundAsset, transform));
+            postNetEvent(new SimSoundAssetEvent(assetId, *transform));
       }
 
    }
diff --git a/Engine/source/T3D/gameBase/gameConnectionEvents.cpp b/Engine/source/T3D/gameBase/gameConnectionEvents.cpp
index d2c3badce..184d504bf 100644
--- a/Engine/source/T3D/gameBase/gameConnectionEvents.cpp
+++ b/Engine/source/T3D/gameBase/gameConnectionEvents.cpp
@@ -297,13 +297,13 @@ void SimDataBlockEvent::process(NetConnection *cptr)
 static F32 SoundPosAccuracy = 0.5;
 static S32 SoundRotBits = 8;
 
-SimSoundAssetEvent::SimSoundAssetEvent(AssetPtr<SoundAsset> asset, const MatrixF* mat)
+SimSoundAssetEvent::SimSoundAssetEvent(StringTableEntry assetId, const MatrixF& mat)
 {
    // cant get here unless the asset is declared.
-   mAsset = asset;
+   mAsset = assetId;
 
    if (mat)
-      mTransform = *mat;
+      mTransform = mat;
 }
 
 void SimSoundAssetEvent::pack(NetConnection* con, BitStream* stream)
diff --git a/Engine/source/T3D/gameBase/gameConnectionEvents.h b/Engine/source/T3D/gameBase/gameConnectionEvents.h
index ede198645..755e02957 100644
--- a/Engine/source/T3D/gameBase/gameConnectionEvents.h
+++ b/Engine/source/T3D/gameBase/gameConnectionEvents.h
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ private:
 public:
    typedef NetEvent Parent;
    
-   SimSoundAssetEvent(AssetPtr<SoundAsset> asset = NULL, const MatrixF* mat = NULL);
+   SimSoundAssetEvent(StringTableEntry assetId = StringTable->EmptyString(), const MatrixF& mat = MatrixF::Identity);
    void pack(NetConnection*, BitStream* bstream);
    void write(NetConnection*, BitStream* bstream);
    void unpack(NetConnection*, BitStream* bstream);
diff --git a/Engine/source/T3D/shapeBase.h b/Engine/source/T3D/shapeBase.h
index 6ef0fd985..035e6c55c 100644
--- a/Engine/source/T3D/shapeBase.h
+++ b/Engine/source/T3D/shapeBase.h
@@ -504,6 +504,8 @@ struct ShapeBaseImageData: public GameBaseData {
    
    void inspectPostApply();
 
+   void handleStateSoundTrack(const U32& stateId);
+
    /// @}
 
    /// @name Callbacks
diff --git a/Engine/source/T3D/shapeImage.cpp b/Engine/source/T3D/shapeImage.cpp
index 88d5f837c..38a7fda2a 100644
--- a/Engine/source/T3D/shapeImage.cpp
+++ b/Engine/source/T3D/shapeImage.cpp
@@ -372,20 +372,8 @@ bool ShapeBaseImageData::onAdd()
          s.shapeSequenceScale = stateScaleShapeSequence[i];
 
          //_setstateSound(getstateSound(i),i);
-         s.sound = getstateSoundAsset(i);
-         if (s.sound == NULL && mstateSoundName[i] != StringTable->EmptyString())
-         {
-            //ok, so we've got some sort of special-case here like a fallback or SFXPlaylist. So do the hook-up now
-            SFXTrack* sndTrack;
-            if (!Sim::findObject(mstateSoundName[i], sndTrack))
-            {
-               Con::errorf("ShapeBaseImageData::onAdd() - attempted to find sound %s but failed!", mstateSoundName[i]);
-            }
-            else
-            {
-               s.soundTrack = sndTrack;
-            }
-         }
+         handleStateSoundTrack(i);
+
          s.script = stateScript[i];
          s.emitter = stateEmitter[i];
          s.emitterTime = stateEmitterTime[i];
@@ -591,6 +579,30 @@ bool ShapeBaseImageData::preload(bool server, String &errorStr)
    return true;
 }
 
+void ShapeBaseImageData::handleStateSoundTrack(const U32& stateId)
+{
+   if (stateId > MaxStates)
+      return;
+
+   StateData& s = state[stateId];
+
+   s.sound = getstateSoundAsset(stateId);
+
+   if (s.sound == NULL && mstateSoundName[stateId] != StringTable->EmptyString())
+   {
+      //ok, so we've got some sort of special-case here like a fallback or SFXPlaylist. So do the hook-up now
+      SFXTrack* sndTrack;
+      if (!Sim::findObject(mstateSoundName[stateId], sndTrack))
+      {
+         Con::errorf("ShapeBaseImageData::onAdd() - attempted to find sound %s but failed!", mstateSoundName[stateId]);
+      }
+      else
+      {
+         s.soundTrack = sndTrack;
+      }
+   }
+}
+
 S32 ShapeBaseImageData::lookupState(const char* name)
 {
    if (!name || !name[0])
@@ -1366,6 +1378,7 @@ void ShapeBaseImageData::unpackData(BitStream* stream)
             s.emitter = 0;
             
          UNPACKDATA_ASSET_ARRAY(stateSound, i);
+         handleStateSoundTrack(i);
       }
    }