diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwbase/soundmanager.hpp b/apps/openmw/mwbase/soundmanager.hpp
index bad80d6bd..a6d0d1223 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwbase/soundmanager.hpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwbase/soundmanager.hpp
@@ -100,9 +100,12 @@ namespace MWBase
             ///< Say some text, without an actor ref
             /// \param filename name of a sound file in "Sound/" in the data directory.
 
-            virtual bool sayDone(const MWWorld::ConstPtr &reference=MWWorld::ConstPtr()) const = 0;
+            virtual bool sayActive(const MWWorld::ConstPtr &reference=MWWorld::ConstPtr()) const = 0;
             ///< Is actor not speaking?
 
+            virtual bool sayDone(const MWWorld::ConstPtr &reference=MWWorld::ConstPtr()) const = 0;
+            ///< For scripting backward compatibility
+
             virtual void stopSay(const MWWorld::ConstPtr &reference=MWWorld::ConstPtr()) = 0;
             ///< Stop an actor speaking
 
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwdialogue/dialoguemanagerimp.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwdialogue/dialoguemanagerimp.cpp
index c075d3cac..21bc067d7 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwdialogue/dialoguemanagerimp.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwdialogue/dialoguemanagerimp.cpp
@@ -540,7 +540,7 @@ namespace MWDialogue
     void DialogueManager::say(const MWWorld::Ptr &actor, const std::string &topic)
     {
         MWBase::SoundManager *sndMgr = MWBase::Environment::get().getSoundManager();
-        if(!sndMgr->sayDone(actor))
+        if(sndMgr->sayActive(actor))
         {
             // Actor is already saying something.
             return;
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/actors.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/actors.cpp
index ff59ba4b9..8cab2f00b 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/actors.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/actors.cpp
@@ -372,7 +372,7 @@ namespace MWMechanics
 
     void Actors::playIdleDialogue(const MWWorld::Ptr& actor)
     {
-        if (!actor.getClass().isActor() || actor == getPlayer() || !MWBase::Environment::get().getSoundManager()->sayDone(actor))
+        if (!actor.getClass().isActor() || actor == getPlayer() || MWBase::Environment::get().getSoundManager()->sayActive(actor))
             return;
 
         const CreatureStats &stats = actor.getClass().getCreatureStats(actor);
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwrender/npcanimation.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwrender/npcanimation.cpp
index 09c2c8e1c..d56ac9bd0 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwrender/npcanimation.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwrender/npcanimation.cpp
@@ -184,7 +184,7 @@ void HeadAnimationTime::update(float dt)
     if (!mEnabled)
         return;
 
-    if (MWBase::Environment::get().getSoundManager()->sayDone(mReference))
+    if (!MWBase::Environment::get().getSoundManager()->sayActive(mReference))
     {
         mBlinkTimer += dt;
 
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwsound/soundmanagerimp.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwsound/soundmanagerimp.cpp
index aa1686f7c..cef791c85 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwsound/soundmanagerimp.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwsound/soundmanagerimp.cpp
@@ -566,6 +566,27 @@ namespace MWSound
         return true;
     }
 
+    bool SoundManager::sayActive(const MWWorld::ConstPtr &ptr) const
+    {
+        SaySoundMap::const_iterator snditer = mSaySoundsQueue.find(ptr);
+        if(snditer != mSaySoundsQueue.end())
+        {
+            if(mOutput->isStreamPlaying(snditer->second))
+                return true;
+            return false;
+        }
+
+        snditer = mActiveSaySounds.find(ptr);
+        if(snditer != mActiveSaySounds.end())
+        {
+            if(mOutput->isStreamPlaying(snditer->second))
+                return true;
+            return false;
+        }
+
+        return false;
+    }
+
     void SoundManager::stopSay(const MWWorld::ConstPtr &ptr)
     {
         SaySoundMap::iterator snditer = mSaySoundsQueue.find(ptr);
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwsound/soundmanagerimp.hpp b/apps/openmw/mwsound/soundmanagerimp.hpp
index d0b98ffe4..786e3a5a7 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwsound/soundmanagerimp.hpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwsound/soundmanagerimp.hpp
@@ -179,9 +179,12 @@ namespace MWSound
         ///< Say some text, without an actor ref
         /// \param filename name of a sound file in "Sound/" in the data directory.
 
-        virtual bool sayDone(const MWWorld::ConstPtr &reference=MWWorld::ConstPtr()) const;
+        virtual bool sayActive(const MWWorld::ConstPtr &reference=MWWorld::ConstPtr()) const;
         ///< Is actor not speaking?
 
+        virtual bool sayDone(const MWWorld::ConstPtr &reference=MWWorld::ConstPtr()) const;
+        ///< For scripting backward compatibility
+
         virtual void stopSay(const MWWorld::ConstPtr &reference=MWWorld::ConstPtr());
         ///< Stop an actor speaking