diff --git a/src/pulse/stream.c b/src/pulse/stream.c
index 2b6d3062c..f692d371c 100644
--- a/src/pulse/stream.c
+++ b/src/pulse/stream.c
@@ -1593,9 +1593,17 @@ int pa_stream_peek(pa_stream *s, const void **data, size_t *length) {
     if (!s->peek_memchunk.memblock) {
 
         if (pa_memblockq_peek(s->record_memblockq, &s->peek_memchunk) < 0) {
+            /* record_memblockq is empty. */
             *data = NULL;
             *length = 0;
             return 0;
+
+        } else if (!s->peek_memchunk.memblock) {
+            /* record_memblockq isn't empty, but it doesn't have any data at
+             * the current read index. */
+            *data = NULL;
+            *length = s->peek_memchunk.length;
+            return 0;
         }
 
         s->peek_data = pa_memblock_acquire(s->peek_memchunk.memblock);
@@ -1614,7 +1622,7 @@ int pa_stream_drop(pa_stream *s) {
     PA_CHECK_VALIDITY(s->context, !pa_detect_fork(), PA_ERR_FORKED);
     PA_CHECK_VALIDITY(s->context, s->state == PA_STREAM_READY, PA_ERR_BADSTATE);
     PA_CHECK_VALIDITY(s->context, s->direction == PA_STREAM_RECORD, PA_ERR_BADSTATE);
-    PA_CHECK_VALIDITY(s->context, s->peek_memchunk.memblock, PA_ERR_BADSTATE);
+    PA_CHECK_VALIDITY(s->context, s->peek_memchunk.length > 0, PA_ERR_BADSTATE);
 
     pa_memblockq_drop(s->record_memblockq, s->peek_memchunk.length);
 
@@ -1622,9 +1630,13 @@ int pa_stream_drop(pa_stream *s) {
     if (s->timing_info_valid && !s->timing_info.read_index_corrupt)
         s->timing_info.read_index += (int64_t) s->peek_memchunk.length;
 
-    pa_assert(s->peek_data);
-    pa_memblock_release(s->peek_memchunk.memblock);
-    pa_memblock_unref(s->peek_memchunk.memblock);
+    if (s->peek_memchunk.memblock) {
+        pa_assert(s->peek_data);
+        s->peek_data = NULL;
+        pa_memblock_release(s->peek_memchunk.memblock);
+        pa_memblock_unref(s->peek_memchunk.memblock);
+    }
+
     pa_memchunk_reset(&s->peek_memchunk);
 
     return 0;
diff --git a/src/pulse/stream.h b/src/pulse/stream.h
index b4464fadd..a6785ec19 100644
--- a/src/pulse/stream.h
+++ b/src/pulse/stream.h
@@ -534,11 +534,21 @@ int pa_stream_write(
         pa_seek_mode_t seek      /**< Seek mode, must be PA_SEEK_RELATIVE for upload streams */);
 
 /** Read the next fragment from the buffer (for recording streams).
- * \a data will point to the actual data and \a nbytes will contain the size
- * of the data in bytes (which can be less or more than a complete
- * fragment). Use pa_stream_drop() to actually remove the data from
- * the buffer. If no data is available this will return a NULL
- * pointer. */
+ * If there is data at the current read index, \a data will point to
+ * the actual data and \a nbytes will contain the size of the data in
+ * bytes (which can be less or more than a complete fragment).
+ *
+ * If there is no data at the current read index, it means that either
+ * the buffer is empty or it contains a hole (that is, the write index
+ * is ahead of the read index but there's no data where the read index
+ * points at). If the buffer is empty, \a data will be NULL and
+ * \a nbytes will be 0. If there is a hole, \a data will be NULL and
+ * \a nbytes will contain the length of the hole.
+ *
+ * Use pa_stream_drop() to actually remove the data from the buffer
+ * and move the read index forward. pa_stream_drop() should not be
+ * called if the buffer is empty, but it should be called if there is
+ * a hole. */
 int pa_stream_peek(
         pa_stream *p                 /**< The stream to use */,
         const void **data            /**< Pointer to pointer that will point to data */,