diff --git a/src/room/InCallView.tsx b/src/room/InCallView.tsx
index 9c9c8383..f9729074 100644
--- a/src/room/InCallView.tsx
+++ b/src/room/InCallView.tsx
@@ -659,7 +659,7 @@ export const InCallView: FC<InCallViewProps> = ({
         ))}
       <RoomAudioRenderer />
       {renderContent()}
-      <audio ref={handRaisePlayer} hidden>
+      <audio ref={handRaisePlayer} preload="auto" hidden>
         <source src={handSoundOgg} type="audio/ogg; codecs=vorbis" />
         <source src={handSoundMp3} type="audio/mpeg" />
       </audio>
diff --git a/src/room/ReactionAudioRenderer.test.tsx b/src/room/ReactionAudioRenderer.test.tsx
index bce42a02..bb5b42ec 100644
--- a/src/room/ReactionAudioRenderer.test.tsx
+++ b/src/room/ReactionAudioRenderer.test.tsx
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ Please see LICENSE in the repository root for full details.
 */
 
 import { act, render } from "@testing-library/react";
-import { expect, test } from "vitest";
+import { afterAll, expect, test } from "vitest";
 import { TooltipProvider } from "@vector-im/compound-web";
 import { ReactNode } from "react";
 
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ import {
 } from "../utils/testReactions";
 import { ReactionsAudioRenderer } from "./ReactionAudioRenderer";
 import { ReactionSet } from "../reactions";
+import { playReactionsSound } from "../settings/settings";
 
 const memberUserIdAlice = "@alice:example.org";
 const memberUserIdBob = "@bob:example.org";
@@ -45,7 +46,26 @@ function TestComponent({
   );
 }
 
-test("defaults to no audio elements", () => {
+const originalPlayFn = window.HTMLMediaElement.prototype.play;
+afterAll(() => {
+  playReactionsSound.setValue(playReactionsSound.defaultValue);
+  window.HTMLMediaElement.prototype.play = originalPlayFn;
+});
+
+test("preloads all audio elements", () => {
+  playReactionsSound.setValue(true);
+  const rtcSession = new MockRTCSession(
+    new MockRoom(memberUserIdAlice),
+    membership,
+  );
+  const { container } = render(<TestComponent rtcSession={rtcSession} />);
+  expect(container.getElementsByTagName("audio")).toHaveLength(
+    ReactionSet.filter((r) => r.sound).length,
+  );
+});
+
+test("loads no audio elements when disabled in settings", () => {
+  playReactionsSound.setValue(false);
   const rtcSession = new MockRTCSession(
     new MockRoom(memberUserIdAlice),
     membership,
@@ -55,9 +75,15 @@ test("defaults to no audio elements", () => {
 });
 
 test("will play an audio sound when there is a reaction", () => {
+  const audioIsPlaying: string[] = [];
+  window.HTMLMediaElement.prototype.play = async function (): Promise<void> {
+    audioIsPlaying.push((this.children[0] as HTMLSourceElement).src);
+    return Promise.resolve();
+  };
+  playReactionsSound.setValue(true);
   const room = new MockRoom(memberUserIdAlice);
   const rtcSession = new MockRTCSession(room, membership);
-  const { container } = render(<TestComponent rtcSession={rtcSession} />);
+  render(<TestComponent rtcSession={rtcSession} />);
 
   // Find the first reaction with a sound effect
   const chosenReaction = ReactionSet.find((r) => !!r.sound);
@@ -69,24 +95,21 @@ test("will play an audio sound when there is a reaction", () => {
   act(() => {
     room.testSendReaction(memberEventAlice, chosenReaction, membership);
   });
-  const elements = container.getElementsByTagName("audio");
-  expect(elements).toHaveLength(1);
-  const audioElement = elements[0];
-
-  expect(audioElement.autoplay).toBe(true);
-
-  const sources = audioElement.getElementsByTagName("source");
-  expect(sources).toHaveLength(2);
-
-  // The element will be the full URL, whereas the chosenReaction will have the path.
-  expect(sources[0].src).toContain(chosenReaction.sound?.ogg);
-  expect(sources[1].src).toContain(chosenReaction.sound?.mp3);
+  expect(audioIsPlaying).toHaveLength(1);
+  expect(audioIsPlaying[0]).toContain(chosenReaction.sound?.ogg);
 });
 
 test("will play multiple audio sounds when there are multiple different reactions", () => {
+  const audioIsPlaying: string[] = [];
+  window.HTMLMediaElement.prototype.play = async function (): Promise<void> {
+    audioIsPlaying.push((this.children[0] as HTMLSourceElement).src);
+    return Promise.resolve();
+  };
+  playReactionsSound.setValue(true);
+
   const room = new MockRoom(memberUserIdAlice);
   const rtcSession = new MockRTCSession(room, membership);
-  const { container } = render(<TestComponent rtcSession={rtcSession} />);
+  render(<TestComponent rtcSession={rtcSession} />);
 
   // Find the first reaction with a sound effect
   const [reaction1, reaction2] = ReactionSet.filter((r) => !!r.sound);
@@ -100,7 +123,7 @@ test("will play multiple audio sounds when there are multiple different reaction
     room.testSendReaction(memberEventBob, reaction2, membership);
     room.testSendReaction(memberEventCharlie, reaction1, membership);
   });
-  const elements = container.getElementsByTagName("audio");
-  // Do not play the same reaction twice.
-  expect(elements).toHaveLength(2);
+  expect(audioIsPlaying).toHaveLength(2);
+  expect(audioIsPlaying[0]).toContain(reaction1.sound?.ogg);
+  expect(audioIsPlaying[1]).toContain(reaction2.sound?.ogg);
 });
diff --git a/src/room/ReactionAudioRenderer.tsx b/src/room/ReactionAudioRenderer.tsx
index e362b606..b623bcf7 100644
--- a/src/room/ReactionAudioRenderer.tsx
+++ b/src/room/ReactionAudioRenderer.tsx
@@ -5,35 +5,56 @@ SPDX-License-Identifier: AGPL-3.0-only
 Please see LICENSE in the repository root for full details.
 */
 
-import { ReactNode, useMemo } from "react";
+import { ReactNode, useEffect, useRef } from "react";
 
 import { useReactions } from "../useReactions";
 import { playReactionsSound, useSetting } from "../settings/settings";
+import { ReactionSet } from "../reactions";
 
 export function ReactionsAudioRenderer(): ReactNode {
   const { reactions } = useReactions();
   const [shouldPlay] = useSetting(playReactionsSound);
+  const audioElements = useRef<Record<string, HTMLAudioElement | null>>({});
 
-  const expectedReactions = useMemo(() => {
-    if (!shouldPlay) {
-      return [];
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (!audioElements.current) {
+      return;
     }
-    const reactionsToPlayNames = new Set();
-    return Object.values(reactions).filter((r) => {
-      if (reactionsToPlayNames.has(r.name)) {
-        return false;
-      }
-      reactionsToPlayNames.add(r.name);
-      return true;
-    });
-  }, [shouldPlay, reactions]);
 
+    if (!shouldPlay) {
+      return;
+    }
+    for (const reactionName of new Set(
+      Object.values(reactions).map((r) => r.name),
+    )) {
+      const audioElement = audioElements.current[reactionName];
+      if (audioElement?.paused) {
+        void audioElement.play();
+      }
+    }
+  }, [audioElements, shouldPlay, reactions]);
+
+  // Do not render any audio elements if playback is disabled. Will save
+  // audio file fetches.
+  if (!shouldPlay) {
+    return null;
+  }
+
+  // NOTE: We load all audio elements ahead of time to allow the cache
+  // to be populated, rather than risk a cache miss and have the audio
+  // be delayed.
   return (
     <>
-      {expectedReactions.map(
+      {ReactionSet.map(
         (r) =>
           r.sound && (
-            <audio key={r.name} autoPlay hidden>
+            <audio
+              ref={(el) => (audioElements.current[r.name] = el)}
+              data-testid={r.name}
+              key={r.name}
+              preload="auto"
+              hidden
+            >
               <source src={r.sound.ogg} type="audio/ogg; codecs=vorbis" />
               {r.sound.mp3 ? (
                 <source src={r.sound.mp3} type="audio/mpeg" />
diff --git a/src/settings/settings.ts b/src/settings/settings.ts
index 3bc88ec4..09b4dbdc 100644
--- a/src/settings/settings.ts
+++ b/src/settings/settings.ts
@@ -12,7 +12,10 @@ import { useObservableEagerState } from "observable-hooks";
 import { PosthogAnalytics } from "../analytics/PosthogAnalytics";
 
 export class Setting<T> {
-  public constructor(key: string, defaultValue: T) {
+  public constructor(
+    key: string,
+    public readonly defaultValue: T,
+  ) {
     this.key = `matrix-setting-${key}`;
 
     const storedValue = localStorage.getItem(this.key);