diff --git a/plugins/samplesink/limesdroutput/limesdroutput.cpp b/plugins/samplesink/limesdroutput/limesdroutput.cpp
index 853b640db..ae6e3bc20 100644
--- a/plugins/samplesink/limesdroutput/limesdroutput.cpp
+++ b/plugins/samplesink/limesdroutput/limesdroutput.cpp
@@ -161,6 +161,46 @@ bool LimeSDROutput::openDevice()
 
     m_deviceAPI->setBuddySharedPtr(&m_deviceShared); // propagate common parameters to API
 
+    // acquire the channel
+
+    if (LMS_EnableChannel(m_deviceShared.m_deviceParams->getDevice(), LMS_CH_TX, m_deviceShared.m_channel, true) != 0)
+    {
+        qCritical("LimeSDROutput::acquireChannel: cannot enable Tx channel %d", m_deviceShared.m_channel);
+        return false;
+    }
+    else
+    {
+        qDebug("LimeSDROutput::acquireChannel: Tx channel %d enabled", m_deviceShared.m_channel);
+    }
+
+    // set up the stream
+
+    m_streamId.channel =  m_deviceShared.m_channel; // channel number
+    m_streamId.fifoSize = 512 * 1024;               // fifo size in samples (SR / 10 take ~5MS/s)
+    m_streamId.throughputVsLatency = 0.0;           // optimize for min latency
+    m_streamId.isTx = true;                         // TX channel
+    m_streamId.dataFmt = lms_stream_t::LMS_FMT_I12; // 12-bit integers
+
+    suspendRxBuddies();
+    suspendTxBuddies();
+
+    if (LMS_SetupStream(m_deviceShared.m_deviceParams->getDevice(), &m_streamId) != 0)
+    {
+        qCritical("LimeSDROutput::acquireChannel: cannot setup the stream on Tx channel %d", m_deviceShared.m_channel);
+        resumeTxBuddies();
+        resumeRxBuddies();
+        return false;
+    }
+    else
+    {
+        qDebug("LimeSDROutput::acquireChannel: stream set up on Tx channel %d", m_deviceShared.m_channel);
+    }
+
+    resumeTxBuddies();
+    resumeRxBuddies();
+
+    m_channelAcquired = true;
+
     return true;
 }
 
@@ -244,6 +284,26 @@ void LimeSDROutput::closeDevice()
 
     if (m_running) stop();
 
+    // destroy the stream
+
+    suspendRxBuddies();
+    suspendTxBuddies();
+
+    LMS_DestroyStream(m_deviceShared.m_deviceParams->getDevice(), &m_streamId);
+    m_streamId.handle = 0;
+
+    resumeTxBuddies();
+    resumeRxBuddies();
+
+    // release the channel
+
+    if (LMS_EnableChannel(m_deviceShared.m_deviceParams->getDevice(), LMS_CH_TX, m_deviceShared.m_channel, false) != 0)
+    {
+        qWarning("LimeSDROutput::releaseChannel: cannot disable Tx channel %d", m_deviceShared.m_channel);
+    }
+
+    m_channelAcquired = false;
+
     // No buddies so effectively close the device
 
     if ((m_deviceAPI->getSourceBuddies().size() == 0) && (m_deviceAPI->getSinkBuddies().size() == 0))
@@ -329,10 +389,10 @@ bool LimeSDROutput::start()
 
     if (m_running) { stop(); }
 
-    if (!acquireChannel())
-    {
-        return false;
-    }
+//    if (!acquireChannel())
+//    {
+//        return false;
+//    }
 
     applySettings(m_settings, true);
 
@@ -371,7 +431,7 @@ void LimeSDROutput::stop()
     m_deviceShared.m_thread = 0;
     m_running = false;
 
-    releaseChannel();
+//    releaseChannel();
 }
 
 const QString& LimeSDROutput::getDeviceDescription() const
diff --git a/plugins/samplesource/limesdrinput/limesdrinput.cpp b/plugins/samplesource/limesdrinput/limesdrinput.cpp
index 5fd48f412..96098c639 100644
--- a/plugins/samplesource/limesdrinput/limesdrinput.cpp
+++ b/plugins/samplesource/limesdrinput/limesdrinput.cpp
@@ -198,6 +198,9 @@ bool LimeSDRInput::openDevice()
     m_streamId.isTx = false;                        //RX channel
     m_streamId.dataFmt = lms_stream_t::LMS_FMT_I12; //12-bit integers
 
+    suspendRxBuddies();
+    suspendTxBuddies();
+
     if (LMS_SetupStream(m_deviceShared.m_deviceParams->getDevice(), &m_streamId) != 0)
     {
         qCritical("LimeSDRInput::start: cannot setup the stream on Rx channel %d", m_deviceShared.m_channel);
@@ -208,6 +211,9 @@ bool LimeSDRInput::openDevice()
         qDebug("LimeSDRInput::start: stream set up on Rx channel %d", m_deviceShared.m_channel);
     }
 
+    resumeTxBuddies();
+    resumeRxBuddies();
+
     return true;
 }
 
@@ -290,10 +296,16 @@ void LimeSDRInput::closeDevice()
 
     if (m_running) { stop(); }
 
+    suspendRxBuddies();
+    suspendTxBuddies();
+
     // destroy the stream
     LMS_DestroyStream(m_deviceShared.m_deviceParams->getDevice(), &m_streamId);
     m_streamId.handle = 0;
 
+    resumeTxBuddies();
+    resumeRxBuddies();
+
     // release the channel
 
     if (LMS_EnableChannel(m_deviceShared.m_deviceParams->getDevice(), LMS_CH_RX, m_deviceShared.m_channel, false) != 0)