diff --git a/src/audio/wasapi/SDL_wasapi.c b/src/audio/wasapi/SDL_wasapi.c
index ab27eb0ef1..cbd643efee 100644
--- a/src/audio/wasapi/SDL_wasapi.c
+++ b/src/audio/wasapi/SDL_wasapi.c
@@ -164,21 +164,10 @@ bool WASAPI_ProxyToManagementThread(ManagementThreadTask task, void *userdata, b
     return true; // successfully added (and possibly executed)!
 }
 
-static bool mgmtthrtask_AudioDeviceDisconnected(void *userdata)
-{
-    SDL_AudioDevice *device = (SDL_AudioDevice *) userdata;
-    SDL_AudioDeviceDisconnected(device);
-    UnrefPhysicalAudioDevice(device);  // make sure this lived until the task completes.
-    return true;
-}
 
 static void AudioDeviceDisconnected(SDL_AudioDevice *device)
 {
-    // don't wait on this, IMMDevice's own thread needs to return or everything will deadlock.
-    if (device) {
-        RefPhysicalAudioDevice(device);  // make sure this lives until the task completes.
-        WASAPI_ProxyToManagementThread(mgmtthrtask_AudioDeviceDisconnected, device, NULL);
-    }
+    WASAPI_DisconnectDevice(device);
 }
 
 static bool mgmtthrtask_DefaultAudioDeviceChanged(void *userdata)
@@ -351,19 +340,11 @@ static void WASAPI_DetectDevices(SDL_AudioDevice **default_playback, SDL_AudioDe
     WASAPI_ProxyToManagementThread(mgmtthrtask_DetectDevices, &data, &rc);
 }
 
-static bool mgmtthrtask_DisconnectDevice(void *userdata)
-{
-    SDL_AudioDevice *device = (SDL_AudioDevice *) userdata;
-    SDL_AudioDeviceDisconnected(device);
-    UnrefPhysicalAudioDevice(device);
-    return true;
-}
-
 void WASAPI_DisconnectDevice(SDL_AudioDevice *device)
 {
-    if (SDL_CompareAndSwapAtomicInt(&device->hidden->device_disconnecting, 0, 1)) {
-        RefPhysicalAudioDevice(device); // will unref when the task ends.
-        WASAPI_ProxyToManagementThread(mgmtthrtask_DisconnectDevice, device, NULL);
+    // don't block in here; IMMDevice's own thread needs to return or everything will deadlock.
+    if (device->hidden && SDL_CompareAndSwapAtomicInt(&device->hidden->device_disconnecting, 0, 1)) {
+        SDL_AudioDeviceDisconnected(device); // this proxies the work to the main thread now, so no point in proxying to the management thread.
     }
 }