diff -ur /home/nemesis/src/linux/aureal/alsa/alsa-driver-0.9.4/pci/au88x0/au88x0_core.c pci/au88x0/au88x0_core.c
--- /home/nemesis/src/linux/aureal/alsa/alsa-driver-0.9.4/pci/au88x0/au88x0_core.c	2003-06-14 21:25:13.000000000 -0500
+++ pci/au88x0/au88x0_core.c	2003-06-15 06:32:19.000000000 -0500
@@ -1880,7 +1880,7 @@
 
 /* Codec */
 
-#define POLL_COUNT 15
+#define POLL_COUNT 1000
 void vortex_codec_init(vortex_t *vortex) {
     int i;
 
@@ -1922,25 +1922,25 @@
 	unsigned long flags;
 	unsigned int t;
 
-	//verify that the codec is ready for writing
+//	printk("DEBUG: write codec: %d <- %d\n",addr,data);
+
+	// Verify transactions are clear
 	for (t = 0; t < POLL_COUNT; t++){
 		if((hwread(card->mmio,VORTEX_CODEC_CTRL) & 0x100))
 			break;
         udelay(100);
 	}
 	spin_lock_irqsave(&card->lock, flags);
-	//Write register
+	// Write register
  	hwwrite(card->mmio, VORTEX_CODEC_IO, ((addr << VORTEX_CODEC_ADDSHIFT) & VORTEX_CODEC_ADDMASK) |
 	 		((data << VORTEX_CODEC_DATSHIFT) & VORTEX_CODEC_DATMASK) |
 					VORTEX_CODEC_WRITE);
-	//FIXME: maybe check to see if the write succeeded??
 
 	spin_unlock_irqrestore(&card->lock, flags);
-	for (t = 0; t < POLL_COUNT; t++){
-		if((hwread(card->mmio,VORTEX_CODEC_CTRL) & 0x100))
-			break;
-        udelay(100);
-	}
+
+	// Flush PCI posted write
+	vortex_codec_read(codec, addr);
+	vortex_codec_read(codec, addr);
 
 }
 
@@ -1951,31 +1951,45 @@
 	unsigned long flags;
 	unsigned t;
 	u16 x;
+	static unsigned char i;
 
 	spin_lock_irqsave(&card->lock, flags);
 
-	//poll for codec write
+	// Wait for transactions to clear
 	for (t = 0; t < POLL_COUNT; t++){
-		if(!(hwread(card->mmio,VORTEX_CODEC_CTRL) & 0x100))
-			break;
-        udelay(100);
+		if((hwread(card->mmio,VORTEX_CODEC_CTRL) & 0x100))
+			goto ok1;
+	        udelay(100);
 	}
+	printk("Vortex AC'97 read failure -- stage 1");
+	return 0xffff;
+
+ok1:
 	reader = ((addr << VORTEX_CODEC_ADDSHIFT) & VORTEX_CODEC_ADDMASK);
 	hwwrite(card->mmio, VORTEX_CODEC_IO, reader);
 
-	//FIXME: this could be cleaner, and have a proper fail path
 	for (t = 0; t < POLL_COUNT; t++){
 		if(((hwread(card->mmio,VORTEX_CODEC_IO) & VORTEX_CODEC_ADDMASK)) == (addr << VORTEX_CODEC_ADDSHIFT))
-			break;
+			goto ok2;
 		udelay(100);
 	}
-	//FIXME: get rid of this
+	printk("Vortex AC'97 read failure -- stage 2");
+	return 0xffff;
+ok2:
 	x = hwread(card->mmio,VORTEX_CODEC_IO) & VORTEX_CODEC_DATMASK;
 
+//	printk("DEBUG: read codec #%d: %d -> %d\n",i,addr,x);
+	i++;
 	spin_unlock_irqrestore(&card->lock, flags);
 	return x;
 }
 
+void vortex_codec_wait(void) {
+
+	/* FIXME */
+
+}
+
 /* Initialization */
 
 int vortex_core_init(vortex_t *vortex) {
diff -ur /home/nemesis/src/linux/aureal/alsa/alsa-driver-0.9.4/pci/au88x0/au88x0.h pci/au88x0/au88x0.h
--- /home/nemesis/src/linux/aureal/alsa/alsa-driver-0.9.4/pci/au88x0/au88x0.h	2003-06-14 21:25:13.000000000 -0500
+++ pci/au88x0/au88x0.h	2003-06-15 05:09:58.000000000 -0500
@@ -147,6 +147,7 @@
 /* global stuff. */
 void vortex_codec_init(vortex_t *vortex);
 void vortex_codec_write(ac97_t *codec, unsigned short addr,unsigned short data);
+void vortex_codec_wait(void);
 unsigned short vortex_codec_read(ac97_t *codec, unsigned short addr);
 
 int  vortex_core_init(vortex_t *card);
diff -ur /home/nemesis/src/linux/aureal/alsa/alsa-driver-0.9.4/pci/au88x0/au88x0_mixer.c pci/au88x0/au88x0_mixer.c
--- /home/nemesis/src/linux/aureal/alsa/alsa-driver-0.9.4/pci/au88x0/au88x0_mixer.c	2003-06-14 21:25:13.000000000 -0500
+++ pci/au88x0/au88x0_mixer.c	2003-06-15 04:59:55.000000000 -0500
@@ -13,20 +13,12 @@
 
 int __devinit snd_vortex_mixer(vortex_t *vortex) {
     ac97_t ac97;
-	int result;
     memset(&ac97, 0, sizeof(ac97));
     // Intialize AC97 codec stuff.
     ac97.write = vortex_codec_write;
     ac97.read = vortex_codec_read;
+    ac97.wait = vortex_codec_wait;
     ac97.private_data = vortex;
 	
-	result = snd_ac97_mixer(vortex->card, &ac97, &vortex->codec);
-	if (vortex->codec) {
-		/* Disable -6dB input and output attenuation.  */
-		vortex_codec_write(vortex->codec, 0x6c, 0x0);
-		/* Enable external amplifier. This is for STAC9708/11 codecs. 
-		  STAC9701/03 dont need this*/
-		vortex_codec_write(vortex->codec, 0x26, 0x8000);
-	}
-    return result;
+    return snd_ac97_mixer(vortex->card, &ac97, &vortex->codec);
 }