diff --git a/ts/components/GlobalAudioContext.tsx b/ts/components/GlobalAudioContext.tsx
index dac1438a17..06f46ce5b5 100644
--- a/ts/components/GlobalAudioContext.tsx
+++ b/ts/components/GlobalAudioContext.tsx
@@ -21,6 +21,8 @@ export type GlobalAudioProps = {
   children?: React.ReactNode | React.ReactChildren;
 };
 
+const audioContext = new AudioContext();
+
 /**
  * A global context that holds Audio, AudioContext, LRU instances that are used
  * inside the conversation by ts/components/conversation/MessageAudio.tsx
@@ -29,45 +31,33 @@ export const GlobalAudioProvider: React.FC<GlobalAudioProps> = ({
   conversationId,
   children,
 }) => {
-  const audio = React.useMemo(() => {
-    window.log.info(
-      'GlobalAudioProvider: re-generating audio for',
-      conversationId
-    );
-    return new Audio();
-  }, [conversationId]);
+  const audio = React.useRef<HTMLAudioElement | null>(null);
+  const waveformCache = React.useRef<WaveformCache | null>(null);
 
-  // NOTE: the number of active audio contexts is limited per tab/window
-  // See: https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/AudioContext/AudioContext#google_chrome
-  const audioContext = React.useMemo(() => {
-    window.log.info('Instantiating new audio context');
-    return new AudioContext();
-  }, []);
-
-  const waveformCache: WaveformCache = React.useMemo(() => {
-    return new LRU({
+  // NOTE: We don't want to construct these values on every re-render hence
+  // the constructor calls have to be guarded by `if`s.
+  if (!audio.current) {
+    audio.current = new Audio();
+  }
+  if (!waveformCache.current) {
+    waveformCache.current = new LRU({
       max: MAX_WAVEFORM_COUNT,
     });
-  }, []);
+  }
 
   // When moving between conversations - stop audio
   React.useEffect(() => {
     return () => {
-      audio.pause();
+      if (audio.current) {
+        audio.current.pause();
+      }
     };
-  }, [audio, conversationId]);
-
-  React.useEffect(() => {
-    return () => {
-      window.log.info('Closing old audio context');
-      audioContext.close();
-    };
-  }, [audioContext]);
+  }, [conversationId]);
 
   const value = {
-    audio,
+    audio: audio.current,
     audioContext,
-    waveformCache,
+    waveformCache: waveformCache.current,
   };
 
   return (
diff --git a/ts/util/lint/exceptions.json b/ts/util/lint/exceptions.json
index ce63189e08..8ac070eee2 100644
--- a/ts/util/lint/exceptions.json
+++ b/ts/util/lint/exceptions.json
@@ -11903,6 +11903,14 @@
     "reasonCategory": "falseMatch",
     "updated": "2018-09-19T18:06:35.446Z"
   },
+  {
+    "rule": "jQuery-wrap(",
+    "path": "node_modules/pino/browser.js",
+    "line": "  wrap(opts, logger, level)",
+    "lineNumber": 181,
+    "reasonCategory": "falseMatch",
+    "updated": "2021-03-09T20:56:35.403Z"
+  },
   {
     "rule": "jQuery-$(",
     "path": "node_modules/popper.js/dist/esm/popper.min.js",
@@ -14696,6 +14704,24 @@
     "updated": "2020-11-11T21:56:04.179Z",
     "reasonDetail": "Needed to render the remote video element."
   },
+  {
+    "rule": "React-useRef",
+    "path": "ts/components/GlobalAudioContext.js",
+    "line": "    const audio = React.useRef(null);",
+    "lineNumber": 38,
+    "reasonCategory": "usageTrusted",
+    "updated": "2021-03-11T17:20:05.355Z",
+    "reasonDetail": "Need this to avoid re-creating Audio on every re-render"
+  },
+  {
+    "rule": "React-useRef",
+    "path": "ts/components/GlobalAudioContext.js",
+    "line": "    const waveformCache = React.useRef(null);",
+    "lineNumber": 39,
+    "reasonCategory": "usageTrusted",
+    "updated": "2021-03-11T17:20:05.355Z",
+    "reasonDetail": "Need this to avoid re-creating WaveformCache on every re-render"
+  },
   {
     "rule": "React-useRef",
     "path": "ts/components/GroupCallOverflowArea.js",
@@ -15444,13 +15470,5 @@
     "reasonCategory": "usageTrusted",
     "updated": "2021-01-08T15:46:32.143Z",
     "reasonDetail": "Doesn't manipulate the DOM. This is just a function."
-  },
-  {
-    "rule": "jQuery-wrap(",
-    "path": "node_modules/pino/browser.js",
-    "line": "  wrap(opts, logger, level)",
-    "lineNumber": 181,
-    "reasonCategory": "falseMatch",
-    "updated": "2021-03-09T20:56:35.403Z"
   }
-]
+]
\ No newline at end of file