diff --git a/libraries/audio-client/src/AudioClient.cpp b/libraries/audio-client/src/AudioClient.cpp
index b684aac89c..fb0220c24d 100644
--- a/libraries/audio-client/src/AudioClient.cpp
+++ b/libraries/audio-client/src/AudioClient.cpp
@@ -1115,7 +1115,7 @@ void AudioClient::prepareLocalAudioInjectors() {
     while (samplesNeeded > 0) {
         // lock for every write to avoid locking out the device callback
         // this lock is intentional - the buffer is only lock-free in its use in the device callback
-        RecursiveLock lock(_localAudioMutex);
+        Lock lock(_localAudioMutex);
 
         samplesNeeded = bufferCapacity - _localSamplesAvailable.load(std::memory_order_relaxed);
         if (samplesNeeded <= 0) {
@@ -1452,7 +1452,7 @@ void AudioClient::outputNotify() {
 bool AudioClient::switchOutputToAudioDevice(const QAudioDeviceInfo& outputDeviceInfo) {
     bool supportedFormat = false;
 
-    RecursiveLock lock(_localAudioMutex);
+    Lock lock(_localAudioMutex);
     _localSamplesAvailable.exchange(0, std::memory_order_release);
 
     // cleanup any previously initialized device
@@ -1681,8 +1681,12 @@ qint64 AudioClient::AudioOutputIODevice::readData(char * data, qint64 maxSize) {
 
     int injectorSamplesPopped = 0;
     {
-        RecursiveLock lock(_audio->_localAudioMutex);
         bool append = networkSamplesPopped > 0;
+        // this does not require a lock as of the only two functions adding to _localSamplesAvailable (samples count):
+        // - prepareLocalAudioInjectors will only increase samples count
+        // - switchOutputToAudioDevice will zero samples count
+        //   stop the device, so that readData will exhaust the existing buffer or see a zeroed samples count
+        //   and start the device, which can only see a zeroed samples count
         samplesRequested = std::min(samplesRequested, _audio->_localSamplesAvailable.load(std::memory_order_acquire));
         if ((injectorSamplesPopped = _localInjectorsStream.appendSamples(mixBuffer, samplesRequested, append)) > 0) {
             _audio->_localSamplesAvailable.fetch_sub(injectorSamplesPopped, std::memory_order_release);
diff --git a/libraries/audio-client/src/AudioClient.h b/libraries/audio-client/src/AudioClient.h
index 139749e8e8..aaedee7456 100644
--- a/libraries/audio-client/src/AudioClient.h
+++ b/libraries/audio-client/src/AudioClient.h
@@ -96,8 +96,6 @@ public:
     using AudioPositionGetter = std::function<glm::vec3()>;
     using AudioOrientationGetter = std::function<glm::quat()>;
 
-    using RecursiveMutex = std::recursive_mutex;
-    using RecursiveLock = std::unique_lock<RecursiveMutex>;
     using Mutex = std::mutex;
     using Lock = std::unique_lock<Mutex>;
 
@@ -345,7 +343,7 @@ private:
     int16_t _localScratchBuffer[AudioConstants::NETWORK_FRAME_SAMPLES_AMBISONIC];
     float* _localOutputMixBuffer { NULL };
     AudioInjectorsThread _localAudioThread;
-    RecursiveMutex _localAudioMutex;
+    Mutex _localAudioMutex;
 
     // for output audio (used by this thread)
     int _outputPeriod { 0 };