diff --git a/src/js/player.js b/src/js/player.js
index a32fd7eef8..fb26ae9971 100644
--- a/src/js/player.js
+++ b/src/js/player.js
@@ -1292,7 +1292,15 @@ class Player extends Component {
    * @method play
    */
   play() {
-    this.techCall_('play');
+    // Only calls the tech's play if we already have a src loaded
+    if (this.src() || this.currentSrc()) {
+      this.techCall_('play');
+    } else {
+      this.tech_.one('loadstart', function() {
+        this.play();
+      });
+    }
+
     return this;
   }
 
diff --git a/test/unit/player.test.js b/test/unit/player.test.js
index 8273820b64..af1c61bb34 100644
--- a/test/unit/player.test.js
+++ b/test/unit/player.test.js
@@ -247,7 +247,7 @@ test('should hide the poster when play is called', function() {
   });
 
   equal(player.hasStarted(), false, 'the show poster flag is true before play');
-  player.play();
+  player.tech_.trigger('play');
   equal(player.hasStarted(), true, 'the show poster flag is false after play');
 
   player.tech_.trigger('loadstart');
@@ -255,7 +255,7 @@ test('should hide the poster when play is called', function() {
         false,
         'the resource selection algorithm sets the show poster flag to true');
 
-  player.play();
+  player.tech_.trigger('play');
   equal(player.hasStarted(), true, 'the show poster flag is false after play');
 });