diff --git a/RP2040_Tracker.ino b/RP2040_Tracker.ino
index 145a776..efb6208 100644
--- a/RP2040_Tracker.ino
+++ b/RP2040_Tracker.ino
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ struct Step {
 
 Step sequence[NUM_STEPS];
 Step nextSequence[NUM_STEPS];
-volatile bool nextSequenceReady = false;
+volatile bool sequenceChangeScheduled = false;
 volatile bool needsPanic = false;
 
 mutex_t midiMutex;
@@ -414,7 +414,7 @@ void handleInput() {
                   int theme = (queuedTheme != -1) ? queuedTheme : currentThemeIndex;
                   mutex_enter_blocking(&midiMutex);
                   generateSequenceData(theme, nextSequence);
-                  nextSequenceReady = true;
+                  sequenceChangeScheduled = true;
                   mutex_exit(&midiMutex);
                 }
               }
@@ -424,7 +424,7 @@ void handleInput() {
                   int theme = (queuedTheme != -1) ? queuedTheme : currentThemeIndex;
                   mutex_enter_blocking(&midiMutex);
                   generateSequenceData(theme, nextSequence);
-                  nextSequenceReady = true;
+                  sequenceChangeScheduled = true;
                   mutex_exit(&midiMutex);
                 }
               }
@@ -432,14 +432,7 @@ void handleInput() {
               if (menuSelection == 4) {
                 songModeEnabled = !songModeEnabled;
                 if (songModeEnabled) {
-                  // Start Song Mode immediately
-                  if (isPlaying) {
-                    songModeNeedsNext = true;
-                  } else {
-                    // If stopped, just generate a start
-                    songModeNeedsNext = true;
-                    // We rely on the loop() to pick it up, or we can force it here if not playing
-                  }
+                  songModeNeedsNext = true;
                 }
               }
               if (menuSelection >= THEME_1_INDEX) { // Themes
@@ -448,7 +441,7 @@ void handleInput() {
                   queuedTheme = selectedTheme;
                   mutex_enter_blocking(&midiMutex);
                   generateSequenceData(queuedTheme, nextSequence);
-                  nextSequenceReady = true;
+                  sequenceChangeScheduled = true;
                   mutex_exit(&midiMutex);
                 } else {
                   generateTheme(selectedTheme);
@@ -536,28 +529,42 @@ void handlePlayback() {
     if (playbackStep >= NUM_STEPS) {
       playbackStep = 0;
 
+      // Theme change
+      if (sequenceChangeScheduled && queuedTheme != -1) {
+        currentThemeIndex = queuedTheme;
+        queuedTheme = -1;
+        // nextSequence is already generated
+      }
+
       // Mutation
-      if (mutationEnabled && !nextSequenceReady) {
-        memcpy(nextSequence, sequence, sizeof(sequence));
-        mutateSequence(nextSequence);
-        nextSequenceReady = true;
-      }
-
-      // Song Mode Logic
-      if (songModeEnabled && songRepeatsRemaining > 0) {
-        songRepeatsRemaining--;
-      }
-
-      if (nextSequenceReady) {
-        sendMidi(0xB0, 123, 0); // Panic / All Notes Off
-        memcpy(sequence, nextSequence, sizeof(sequence));
-        nextSequenceReady = false;
-        if (queuedTheme != -1) {
-          currentThemeIndex = queuedTheme;
-          queuedTheme = -1;
+      if (mutationEnabled) {
+        if (!sequenceChangeScheduled) {
+          memcpy(nextSequence, sequence, sizeof(sequence));
         }
-        if (songModeEnabled) {
+        mutateSequence(nextSequence);
+        sequenceChangeScheduled = true;
+      }
+
+      sendMidi(0xB0, 123, 0); // Panic / All Notes Off
+      
+      if (sequenceChangeScheduled) {
+        memcpy(sequence, nextSequence, sizeof(sequence));
+        sequenceChangeScheduled = false;
+      }
+
+      // Song Mode? Advance repeats
+      if (songModeEnabled) {
+        // we just used one repeat
+        if (songRepeatsRemaining <= 1) {
+          // let's start another round
           songRepeatsRemaining = nextSongRepeats;
+        } else {
+          // next repeat
+          songRepeatsRemaining--;
+        }
+        // Trigger next song segment generation if we are on the last repeat
+        if (songRepeatsRemaining <= 1 && !sequenceChangeScheduled && !songModeNeedsNext) {
+          songModeNeedsNext = true;
         }
       }
     }
@@ -573,11 +580,6 @@ void handlePlayback() {
       sendMidi(0x80, prevNote, 0);
     }
 
-    // Trigger next song segment generation if we are on the last repeat
-    if (songModeEnabled && songRepeatsRemaining == 1 && !nextSequenceReady && !songModeNeedsNext) {
-      songModeNeedsNext = true;
-    }
-
     mutex_exit(&midiMutex);
   }
 }
@@ -876,7 +878,7 @@ void updateLeds() {
     pixels.setPixelColor(getPixelIndex(x, yBase + 3), colorP3);
   }
 
-  if (nextSequenceReady && (millis() / 125) % 2) {
+  if (sequenceChangeScheduled && (millis() / 125) % 2) {
     pixels.setPixelColor(NUM_PIXELS - 1, pixels.Color(127, 50, 0));
   }
   mutex_exit(&midiMutex);
@@ -904,7 +906,7 @@ void loop() {
     generateSequenceData(nextTheme, nextSequence);
     queuedTheme = nextTheme;
     nextSongRepeats = repeats;
-    nextSequenceReady = true;
+    sequenceChangeScheduled = true;
     mutex_exit(&midiMutex);
     
     songModeNeedsNext = false;