diff --git a/virtManager/details/viewers.py b/virtManager/details/viewers.py
index 46ff1431f..da9f906df 100644
--- a/virtManager/details/viewers.py
+++ b/virtManager/details/viewers.py
@@ -476,6 +476,7 @@ class SpiceViewer(Viewer):
         Viewer.__init__(self, *args, **kwargs)
         self._spice_session = None
         self._display = None
+        self._audio = None
         self._main_channel = None
         self._display_channel = None
         self._usbdev_manager = None
@@ -618,6 +619,14 @@ class SpiceViewer(Viewer):
             self._init_widget()
             self.emit("connected")
 
+        elif (type(channel) in [SpiceClientGLib.PlaybackChannel,
+                                SpiceClientGLib.RecordChannel] and
+                                not self._audio):
+            # It's unclear why we need this audio handle, but it
+            # does matter:
+            # https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1881080
+            self._audio = SpiceClientGLib.Audio.get(self._spice_session, None)
+
     def _agent_connected_cb(self, src, val):
         self.emit("agent-connected")  # pragma: no cover
 
@@ -631,6 +640,7 @@ class SpiceViewer(Viewer):
             _SIGS.disconnect_obj_signals(self._spice_session)
             self._spice_session.disconnect()
         self._spice_session = None
+        self._audio = None
         if self._display:
             self._display.destroy()
         self._display = None