diff --git a/services/audioflinger/Threads.cpp b/services/audioflinger/Threads.cpp
index 2d9d485..187adf3 100644
--- a/services/audioflinger/Threads.cpp
+++ b/services/audioflinger/Threads.cpp
@@ -2238,12 +2238,21 @@
             }
 
             // only process effects if we're going to write
-            if (sleepTime == 0) {
+            if (sleepTime == 0 && mType != OFFLOAD) {
                 for (size_t i = 0; i < effectChains.size(); i ++) {
                     effectChains[i]->process_l();
                 }
             }
         }
+        // Process effect chains for offloaded thread even if no audio
+        // was read from audio track: process only updates effect state
+        // and thus does have to be synchronized with audio writes but may have
+        // to be called while waiting for async write callback
+        if (mType == OFFLOAD) {
+            for (size_t i = 0; i < effectChains.size(); i ++) {
+                effectChains[i]->process_l();
+            }
+        }
 
         // enable changes in effect chain
         unlockEffectChains(effectChains);