diff --git a/src/SharpEmu.Libs/AvPlayer/AvPlayerExports.cs b/src/SharpEmu.Libs/AvPlayer/AvPlayerExports.cs
index fdf686d..4e201bd 100644
--- a/src/SharpEmu.Libs/AvPlayer/AvPlayerExports.cs
+++ b/src/SharpEmu.Libs/AvPlayer/AvPlayerExports.cs
@@ -437,6 +437,7 @@ public static class AvPlayerExports
         public uint AvSyncMode { get; set; } = AvSyncModeDefault;
         public bool IsGen5 { get; init; }
         public bool Started { get; set; }
+        public bool Stopped { get; set; }
         public bool Paused { get; set; }
         public bool Looping { get; set; }
         public bool EndOfStream { get; set; }
@@ -724,6 +725,7 @@ public static class AvPlayerExports
             player = foundPlayer;
 
             player.Started = true;
+            player.Stopped = false;
             player.Paused = false;
             player.EndOfStream = false;
             Trace($"start handle=0x{player.Handle:X16}");
@@ -767,6 +769,7 @@ public static class AvPlayerExports
 
             player.ResetPlayback();
             player.Started = false;
+            player.Stopped = true;
         }
 
         NotifyEvent(ctx, player, 1); // StateStop
@@ -1001,7 +1004,9 @@ public static class AvPlayerExports
         lock (StateGate)
         {
             var found = Players.TryGetValue(ctx[CpuRegister.Rdi], out var player);
-            var active = found && player!.Started && !player.EndOfStream;
+            // Active from the moment a source is ready until it stops, fails or reaches its end,
+            // whether or not playback has started (titles poll it before calling sceAvPlayerStart).
+            var active = found && player!.SourcePath is not null && !player.Stopped && !player.EndOfStream;
             TraceOnce(
                 "is_active",
                 $"is_active found={found} started={(found && player!.Started)} " +
@@ -1388,6 +1393,7 @@ public static class AvPlayerExports
             player.DurationMilliseconds = duration;
             player.HasAudio = hasAudio;
             player.Started = player.AutoStart;
+            player.Stopped = false;
             autoStart = player.AutoStart;
             Trace(
                 $"source guest='{guestPath}' host='{hostPath}' {width}x{height} " +
diff --git a/tests/SharpEmu.Libs.Tests/AvPlayer/AvPlayerPlaybackTests.cs b/tests/SharpEmu.Libs.Tests/AvPlayer/AvPlayerPlaybackTests.cs
index 971bd94..33a0797 100644
--- a/tests/SharpEmu.Libs.Tests/AvPlayer/AvPlayerPlaybackTests.cs
+++ b/tests/SharpEmu.Libs.Tests/AvPlayer/AvPlayerPlaybackTests.cs
@@ -96,6 +96,17 @@ public sealed class AvPlayerPlaybackTests
         Assert.Equal(1, playback.IsActive());
     }
 
+    [Fact]
+    public void ALoadedSourceIsActiveBeforePlaybackStarts()
+    {
+        using var playback = new DecodedPlayback(0, 3, 2, 0);
+        playback.SetState("Started", false);
+        Assert.Equal(1, playback.IsActive());
+
+        playback.SetState("Stopped", true);
+        Assert.Equal(0, playback.IsActive());
+    }
+
     private sealed class DecodedPlayback : IDisposable
     {
         private const ulong Handle = 0xA0_0000_2300;
@@ -215,7 +226,7 @@ public sealed class AvPlayerPlaybackTests
         public TValue GetState<TValue>(string propertyName) =>
             (TValue)_player.GetType().GetProperty(propertyName)!.GetValue(_player)!;
 
-        private void SetState(string propertyName, object value) =>
+        public void SetState(string propertyName, object value) =>
             _player.GetType().GetProperty(propertyName)!.SetValue(_player, value);
 
         private void SetArguments()