diff --git a/src/components/views/voip/CallView.js b/src/components/views/voip/CallView.js
index f566ec21bb..91d3904615 100644
--- a/src/components/views/voip/CallView.js
+++ b/src/components/views/voip/CallView.js
@@ -95,8 +95,10 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
         if (call) {
             call.setLocalVideoElement(this.getVideoView().getLocalVideoElement());
             call.setRemoteVideoElement(this.getVideoView().getRemoteVideoElement());
-            // give a separate element for audio stream playback - both for voice calls
-            // and for the voice stream of screen captures
+            // always use a separate element for audio stream playback.
+            // this is to let us move CallView around the DOM without interrupting remote audio
+            // during playback, by having the audio rendered by a top-level <audio/> element.
+            // rather than being rendered by the main remoteVideo <video/> element.
             call.setRemoteAudioElement(this.getVideoView().getRemoteAudioElement());
         }
         if (call && call.type === "video" && call.call_state !== "ended" && call.call_state !== "ringing") {
diff --git a/src/components/views/voip/VideoView.js b/src/components/views/voip/VideoView.js
index 46c5b354f8..d018a2603c 100644
--- a/src/components/views/voip/VideoView.js
+++ b/src/components/views/voip/VideoView.js
@@ -50,7 +50,14 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
     },
 
     getRemoteAudioElement: function() {
-        return this.refs.remoteAudio;
+        // this needs to be somewhere at the top of the DOM which
+        // always exists to avoid audio interruptions.
+        // Might as well just use DOM.
+        var remoteAudioElement = document.getElementById("remoteAudio");
+        if (!remoteAudioElement) {
+            console.error("Failed to find remoteAudio element - cannot play audio!  You need to add an <audio/> to the DOM.");
+        }
+        return remoteAudioElement;
     },
 
     getLocalVideoElement: function() {
@@ -106,7 +113,6 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
                 <div className="mx_VideoView_remoteVideoFeed">
                     <VideoFeed ref="remote" onResize={this.props.onResize}
                         maxHeight={maxVideoHeight} />
-                    <audio ref="remoteAudio"/>
                 </div>
                 <div className="mx_VideoView_localVideoFeed">                
                     <VideoFeed ref="local"/>