diff --git a/cmake/copy_resources.cmake b/cmake/copy_resources.cmake
index e0046ff..600da5f 100644
--- a/cmake/copy_resources.cmake
+++ b/cmake/copy_resources.cmake
@@ -45,14 +45,13 @@ function(copy_resources target plugin_path)
         # Windows: Copy DLLs for plugin formats
         message(STATUS "Copying Windows runtime DLLs for ${target}")
 
-        # Set DLL paths
-        set(GPAC_DLL        "${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/third_party/gpac/lib/Windows/${CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE}/libgpac.dll")
-        set(CRYPTOMD_DLL    "${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/third_party/gpac/lib/Windows/${CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE}/libcryptoMD.dll")
-        set(LIBSSLMD_DLL    "${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/third_party/gpac/lib/Windows/${CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE}/libsslMD.dll")  
-        set(IAMF_TOOLS_DLL  "${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/third_party/iamftools/lib/Windows/${CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE}/iamf_tools.dll")
-        set(OPENSVC_DECODER "${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/third_party/OpenSVC/lib/Windows/${CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE}/OpenSVCDecoder.dll")
-        string(TOLOWER "${CMAKE_CFG_INTDIR}" ZMQ_CFG)
-        set(ZMQ_DLL         "${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/_deps/zeromq-build/bin/${ZMQ_CFG}/libzmq-v143-mt$<$<CONFIG:Debug>:-gd>-4_3_6.dll")
+        # Set DLL paths using generator expressions for multi-config generators
+        set(GPAC_DLL        "${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/third_party/gpac/lib/Windows/$<CONFIG>/libgpac.dll")
+        set(CRYPTOMD_DLL    "${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/third_party/gpac/lib/Windows/$<CONFIG>/libcryptoMD.dll")
+        set(LIBSSLMD_DLL    "${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/third_party/gpac/lib/Windows/$<CONFIG>/libsslMD.dll")  
+        set(IAMF_TOOLS_DLL  "${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/third_party/iamftools/lib/Windows/$<CONFIG>/iamf_tools.dll")
+        set(OPENSVC_DECODER "${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/third_party/OpenSVC/lib/Windows/$<CONFIG>/OpenSVCDecoder.dll")
+        set(ZMQ_DLL         "${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/_deps/zeromq-build/bin/$<CONFIG>/libzmq-v143-mt$<$<CONFIG:Debug>:-gd>-4_3_6.dll")
         
         if("${target}" MATCHES ".*_VST3$")
             set(PLUGIN_BINARY_DIR "${plugin_path}/Contents/x86_64-win")
diff --git a/common/components/src/AudioFilePlayer.cpp b/common/components/src/AudioFilePlayer.cpp
index 7cb93e3..2158387 100644
--- a/common/components/src/AudioFilePlayer.cpp
+++ b/common/components/src/AudioFilePlayer.cpp
@@ -232,6 +232,7 @@ void AudioFilePlayer::resized() {
 }
 
 void AudioFilePlayer::update() {
+  std::lock_guard<std::mutex> lock(pbeMutex_);
   if (playbackEngine_) {
     const IAMFFileReader::StreamData kData = playbackEngine_->getStreamData();
     const float kDuration_s =
@@ -265,9 +266,18 @@ void AudioFilePlayer::valueTreePropertyChanged(
     triggerAsyncUpdate();
   } else if (property == FilePlayback::kPlaybackFile) {
     attemptCreatePlaybackEngine();
-  } else if (property == FileExport::kExportCompleted &&
-             fer_.get().getExportCompleted()) {
-    attemptCreatePlaybackEngine();
+  } else if (property == FileExport::kExportCompleted) {
+    // When this property is false a new export is starting, so we want to
+    // destroy the player and wait until export is complete.
+    // When this property is true we want to attempt to create the playback
+    // engine again.
+    if (fer_.get().getExportCompleted()) {
+      auto safeThis = juce::Component::SafePointer<AudioFilePlayer>(this);
+      juce::MessageManager::callAsync(
+          [safeThis]() { safeThis->attemptCreatePlaybackEngine(); });
+    } else {
+      cancelCreatePlaybackEngine();
+    }
   }
 }
 
@@ -293,61 +303,85 @@ void AudioFilePlayer::updateComponentVisibility() {
   if (spinner_) spinner_->setVisible(kBuffering);
 }
 
+void AudioFilePlayer::cancelCreatePlaybackEngine() {
+  isBeingDestroyed_ = true;
+  if (playbackEngineLoaderThread_.joinable()) {
+    playbackEngineLoaderThread_.join();
+  }
+  // Wait for async callback to complete
+  std::unique_lock<std::mutex> lock(pbeMutex_);
+  pbeCv_.wait(lock, [this] { return !isLoadingPlaybackEngine_; });
+  isBeingDestroyed_ = false;
+}
+
 void AudioFilePlayer::attemptCreatePlaybackEngine() {
-  auto playbackState = fer_.get();
-  const std::filesystem::path kFileToLoad(
-      playbackState.getExportFile().toStdString());
+  cancelCreatePlaybackEngine();
 
+  // If the file doesn't exist or it's a new file, we set the player to a
+  // stopped state
+  auto fe = fer_.get();
+  const std::filesystem::path kFileToLoad(fe.getExportFile().toStdString());
   if (kFileToLoad.empty() || kFileToLoad.extension() != ".iamf" ||
       !std::filesystem::exists(kFileToLoad)) {
+    auto playbackState = fpbr_.get();
+    playbackState.setPlayState(FilePlayback::kStop);
+    fpbr_.update(playbackState);
     return;
   }
+
+  auto fpb = fpbr_.get();
+  fpb.setPlayState(FilePlayback::kBuffering);
+  fpbr_.update(fpb);
+
   createPlaybackEngine(kFileToLoad);
 }
 
 void AudioFilePlayer::createPlaybackEngine(
     const std::filesystem::path iamfPath) {
-  // Join any existing thread before starting a new one
-  isBeingDestroyed_ = true;
-  if (playbackEngineLoaderThread_.joinable()) {
-    playbackEngineLoaderThread_.join();
-  }
-  isBeingDestroyed_ = false;
-
-  auto playbackState = fpbr_.get();
-  playbackState.setPlayState(FilePlayback::kBuffering);
-  fpbr_.update(playbackState);
-
   const juce::String kDevice = fpbr_.get().getPlaybackDevice();
-
-  if (playbackEngine_) {
-    playbackEngine_->stop();
-  }
-
   playbackEngineLoaderThread_ = std::thread([this, iamfPath, kDevice]() {
+    isLoadingPlaybackEngine_ = true;
+
     IAMFPlaybackDevice::Result res = IAMFPlaybackDevice::create(
         iamfPath, kDevice, isBeingDestroyed_, fpbr_, deviceManager_);
 
     auto safeThis = juce::Component::SafePointer<AudioFilePlayer>(this);
+
+    if (isBeingDestroyed_) {
+      isLoadingPlaybackEngine_ = false;
+      return;
+    }
     juce::MessageManager::callAsync(
         [safeThis, device = res.device.release(), error = res.error]() {
-          if (safeThis) {
+          if (safeThis && !safeThis->isBeingDestroyed_) {
             safeThis->onPlaybackEngineCreated(IAMFPlaybackDevice::Result{
                 std::unique_ptr<IAMFPlaybackDevice>(device), error});
+          } else {
+            delete device;
+          }
+
+          // Always reset the loading flag and notify waiters
+          if (safeThis) {
+            std::lock_guard<std::mutex> lock(safeThis->pbeMutex_);
+            safeThis->isLoadingPlaybackEngine_ = false;
+            safeThis->pbeCv_.notify_all();
           }
         });
   });
 }
 
 void AudioFilePlayer::onPlaybackEngineCreated(IAMFPlaybackDevice::Result res) {
+  std::lock_guard<std::mutex> lock(pbeMutex_);
   if (!res.device && res.error == IAMFPlaybackDevice::Error::kInvalidIAMFFile) {
     // Failed to create playback engine - reset state to disabled
     playbackEngine_ = nullptr;
     auto fpb = fpbr_.get();
     fpb.setPlayState(FilePlayback::kDisabled);
     fpbr_.update(fpb);
-  } else if (res.error == IAMFPlaybackDevice::kEarlyAbortRequested) {
+  } else if (res.error == IAMFPlaybackDevice::kEarlyAbortRequested ||
+             isBeingDestroyed_) {
     // Do nothing - destruction was requested
+    playbackEngine_ = nullptr;
   } else {
     playbackEngine_ = std::move(res.device);
     // Update play state from buffering to ready
diff --git a/common/components/src/AudioFilePlayer.h b/common/components/src/AudioFilePlayer.h
index 70008e1..0208a4f 100644
--- a/common/components/src/AudioFilePlayer.h
+++ b/common/components/src/AudioFilePlayer.h
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 #include <juce_gui_extra/juce_gui_extra.h>
 
 #include <atomic>
+#include <condition_variable>
 #include <filesystem>
 #include <memory>
 #include <thread>
@@ -52,8 +53,9 @@ class AudioFilePlayer : public juce::Component,
   class Spinner;
 
   void updateComponentVisibility();
-  void createPlaybackEngine(const std::filesystem::path iamfPath);
+  void cancelCreatePlaybackEngine();
   void attemptCreatePlaybackEngine();
+  void createPlaybackEngine(const std::filesystem::path iamfPath);
   void onPlaybackEngineCreated(IAMFPlaybackDevice::Result res);
 
   // Components
@@ -71,5 +73,8 @@ class AudioFilePlayer : public juce::Component,
   juce::AudioDeviceManager deviceManager_;
   std::unique_ptr<IAMFPlaybackDevice> playbackEngine_;
   std::thread playbackEngineLoaderThread_;
+  std::mutex pbeMutex_;
+  std::condition_variable pbeCv_;
   std::atomic_bool isBeingDestroyed_ = false;
+  std::atomic_bool isLoadingPlaybackEngine_ = false;
 };
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/common/data_structures/src/FileExport.cpp b/common/data_structures/src/FileExport.cpp
index 43e14d8..bd8d810 100644
--- a/common/data_structures/src/FileExport.cpp
+++ b/common/data_structures/src/FileExport.cpp
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ FileExport::FileExport()
       lpcm_sample_size_(24),
       sample_tally_(0),
       profile_(FileProfile::BASE),
-      exportCompleted_(false) {}
+      exportCompleted_(true) {}
 
 FileExport::FileExport(int startTime, int endTime, juce::String exportFile,
                        juce::String exportFolder,
diff --git a/rendererplugin/src/screens/FileExportScreen.cpp b/rendererplugin/src/screens/FileExportScreen.cpp
index c238dc1..77b463b 100644
--- a/rendererplugin/src/screens/FileExportScreen.cpp
+++ b/rendererplugin/src/screens/FileExportScreen.cpp
@@ -485,7 +485,6 @@ FileExportScreen::FileExportScreen(MainEditor& editor,
       return;
     }
     config.setManualExport(!config.getManualExport());
-    repository_->update(config);
     if (config.getManualExport()) {
       startTimer_.setEnabled(false);
       endTimer_.setEnabled(false);
@@ -501,7 +500,7 @@ FileExportScreen::FileExportScreen(MainEditor& editor,
       exportVideoFolder_.setEnabled(false);
       browseVideoButton_.setEnabled(false);
       browseVideoSourceButton_.setEnabled(false);
-
+      config.setExportCompleted(false);
     } else {
       startTimer_.setEnabled(true);
       endTimer_.setEnabled(true);
@@ -517,15 +516,9 @@ FileExportScreen::FileExportScreen(MainEditor& editor,
       exportVideoFolder_.setEnabled(true);
       browseVideoButton_.setEnabled(true);
       browseVideoSourceButton_.setEnabled(true);
-
-      if (!config.getExportCompleted()) {
-        // Normally this is handled by the file export processor
-        // But in manual button cases where the processor is destroyed we need
-        // to flag it here
-        config.setExportCompleted(true);
-        repository_->update(config);
-      }
+      config.setExportCompleted(true);
     }
+    repository_->update(config);
     repaint();
   };
   LOG_ANALYTICS(RendererProcessor::instanceId_, "FileExportScreen initiated.");