diff --git a/apps/talk.c b/apps/talk.c
index 2dcaf91420..88d9afab90 100644
--- a/apps/talk.c
+++ b/apps/talk.c
@@ -797,6 +797,16 @@ static void queue_clip(unsigned long clip_offset, long size, bool enqueue)
     return;
 }
 
+#if CONFIG_CODEC == SWCODEC
+/* return if a voice codec is required or not */
+static bool talk_voice_required(void)
+{
+    return (has_voicefile) /* Voice file is available */
+        || (global_settings.talk_dir_clip)  /* Thumbnail clips are required */
+        || (global_settings.talk_file_clip);
+}
+#endif
+
 /***************** Public implementation *****************/
 
 void talk_init(void)
@@ -877,9 +887,9 @@ void talk_init(void)
 #endif
 
 #if CONFIG_CODEC == SWCODEC
-    /* Safe to init voice playback engine now since we now know if talk is
-       required or not */
-    voice_thread_init();
+    /* Initialize the actual voice clip playback engine as well */
+    if (talk_voice_required())
+        voice_thread_init();
 #endif
 
 out:
@@ -887,16 +897,6 @@ out:
     filehandle = -1;
 }
 
-#if CONFIG_CODEC == SWCODEC
-/* return if a voice codec is required or not */
-bool talk_voice_required(void)
-{
-    return (has_voicefile) /* Voice file is available */
-        || (global_settings.talk_dir_clip)  /* Thumbnail clips are required */
-        || (global_settings.talk_file_clip);
-}
-#endif
-
 /* somebody else claims the mp3 buffer, e.g. for regular play/record */
 void talk_buffer_set_policy(int policy)
 {
diff --git a/apps/talk.h b/apps/talk.h
index 28be71884f..4da3a61f3b 100644
--- a/apps/talk.h
+++ b/apps/talk.h
@@ -96,9 +96,6 @@ extern const char* const dir_thumbnail_name; /* "_dirname.talk" */
 extern const char* const file_thumbnail_ext; /* ".talk" for file voicing */
 
 void talk_init(void);
-#if CONFIG_CODEC == SWCODEC
-bool talk_voice_required(void); /* returns true if voice codec required */
-#endif
 int talk_get_bufsize(void); /* get the loaded voice file size */
 size_t talkbuf_init(char* bufstart);
 bool is_voice_queued(void); /* Are there more voice clips to be spoken? */
diff --git a/apps/voice_thread.c b/apps/voice_thread.c
index 3b6fe5b3ba..72ecb3741e 100644
--- a/apps/voice_thread.c
+++ b/apps/voice_thread.c
@@ -526,12 +526,6 @@ void voice_thread_init(void)
     if (voice_thread_id != 0)
         return; /* Already did an init and succeeded at it */
 
-    if (!talk_voice_required())
-    {
-        logf("No voice required");
-        return;
-    }
-
     voice_buf_hid = core_alloc_ex("voice buf", sizeof (*voice_buf), &ops);
 
     if (voice_buf_hid <= 0)