diff --git a/docs/tr2/CHANGELOG.md b/docs/tr2/CHANGELOG.md
index f5216814e..ae9293373 100644
--- a/docs/tr2/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/docs/tr2/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@
 - fixed teleporting to an item on a ledge sometimes pushing Lara to the room below (#2372)
 - fixed the game crashing if a cinematic is triggered but the level contains no cinematic frames (#2413)
 - fixed being unable to load a level that contains no sound effect data (#2460)
+- fixed issues with sound effects not playing or looping forever in some cases when many other effects are playing (#2494)
 - fixed Lara activating triggers one frame too early (#2205, regression from 0.7)
 - fixed savegame incompatibility with OG (#2271, regression from 0.8)
 - fixed stopwatch showing wrong UI in some circumstances (#2221, regression from 0.8)
diff --git a/src/tr2/game/sound.c b/src/tr2/game/sound.c
index 201eb930e..d4cf21c41 100644
--- a/src/tr2/game/sound.c
+++ b/src/tr2/game/sound.c
@@ -13,6 +13,8 @@
 
 #include <math.h>
 
+#define MAX_VOLUME 0x8000
+
 typedef enum {
     SOUND_MODE_NORMAL = 0,
     SOUND_MODE_WAIT = 1,
@@ -172,7 +174,7 @@ bool Sound_Effect(
     }
 
     SAMPLE_INFO *const info = Sound_GetSampleInfo(sample_id);
-    if (info == nullptr) {
+    if (info == nullptr || info->number < 0) {
         return false;
     }
 
@@ -222,10 +224,6 @@ bool Sound_Effect(
             - SOUND_MAX_PITCH_CHANGE;
     }
 
-    if (info->number < 0) {
-        return false;
-    }
-
     const SOUND_MODE mode = info->flags & SOUND_MODE_MASK;
     const int32_t num_samples = (info->flags >> 2) & 0xF;
     const int32_t track_id = num_samples == 1
@@ -240,7 +238,7 @@ bool Sound_Effect(
         for (int32_t i = 0; i < SOUND_MAX_SLOTS; i++) {
             SOUND_SLOT *const slot = &m_SoundSlots[i];
             if (slot->effect_num == sample_id) {
-                if (Audio_Sample_IsPlaying(i)) {
+                if (Audio_Sample_IsPlaying(slot->handle)) {
                     return true;
                 }
                 M_ClearSlot(slot);
@@ -273,49 +271,45 @@ bool Sound_Effect(
         break;
     }
 
-    const bool is_looped = mode == SOUND_MODE_LOOPED;
-    int32_t handle = M_Play(track_id, volume, pitch, pan, is_looped);
+    int32_t free_slot = -1;
+    for (int32_t i = 0; i < SOUND_MAX_SLOTS; i++) {
+        SOUND_SLOT *const slot = &m_SoundSlots[i];
+        if (slot->effect_num < 0) {
+            free_slot = i;
+            break;
+        }
+    }
 
-    if (handle == AUDIO_NO_SOUND) {
-        int32_t min_volume = 0x8000;
-        int32_t min_slot = -1;
-        for (int32_t i = 1; i < SOUND_MAX_SLOTS; i++) {
+    if (free_slot == -1) {
+        // No slot found - try to find the most silent track, and use this one
+        int32_t min_volume = MAX_VOLUME;
+        for (int32_t i = 0; i < SOUND_MAX_SLOTS; i++) {
             SOUND_SLOT *const slot = &m_SoundSlots[i];
             if (slot->effect_num >= 0 && slot->volume < min_volume) {
                 min_volume = slot->volume;
-                min_slot = i;
+                free_slot = i;
             }
         }
 
-        if (min_slot >= 0 && volume >= min_volume) {
-            SOUND_SLOT *const slot = &m_SoundSlots[min_slot];
-            M_CloseSlot(slot);
-            handle = M_Play(track_id, volume, pitch, pan, is_looped);
+        if (free_slot == -1) {
+            // No slot found - give up
+            return false;
         }
     }
 
-    if (handle == AUDIO_NO_SOUND) {
-        info->number = -1;
-        return false;
-    }
-
-    int32_t free_slot = -1;
-    for (int32_t i = 0; i < SOUND_MAX_SLOTS; i++) {
-        SOUND_SLOT *const slot = &m_SoundSlots[i];
-        if (slot->effect_num < 0) {
-            free_slot = i;
-            break;
-        }
-    }
+    SOUND_SLOT *const slot = &m_SoundSlots[free_slot];
+    M_CloseSlot(slot);
 
-    if (free_slot != -1) {
-        SOUND_SLOT *const slot = &m_SoundSlots[free_slot];
+    const bool is_looped = mode == SOUND_MODE_LOOPED;
+    const int32_t handle = M_Play(track_id, volume, pitch, pan, is_looped);
+    if (handle != AUDIO_NO_SOUND) {
         slot->volume = volume;
         slot->pan = pan;
         slot->pitch = pitch;
         slot->effect_num = sample_id;
         slot->handle = handle;
     }
+
     return true;
 }