diff --git a/src/GAudioOutput.cc b/src/GAudioOutput.cc
index ba2787b5eeb86e1d76882492f62ab4dd50c779e3..5822f9dd9d982d1e61f5e2003964fceb955e130d 100644
--- a/src/GAudioOutput.cc
+++ b/src/GAudioOutput.cc
@@ -94,13 +94,13 @@ GAudioOutput::GAudioOutput(QObject *parent) : QObject(parent),
 
 #if defined Q_OS_LINUX && defined QGC_SPEECH_ENABLED
     espeak_Initialize(AUDIO_OUTPUT_PLAYBACK, 500, NULL, 0); // initialize for playback with 500ms buffer and no options (see speak_lib.h)
-    espeak_VOICE espeak_voice = {};
-    espeak_voice.languages = "en-uk"; // Default to British English
-    espeak_voice.identifier = NULL; // no specific voice file specified
-    espeak_voice.name = "klatt"; // espeak voice name
-    espeak_voice.gender = 2; // Female
-    espeak_voice.age = 0; // age not specified
-    espeak_SetVoiceByProperties(&espeak_voice);
+    espeak_VOICE *espeak_voice = espeak_GetCurrentVoice();
+    espeak_voice->languages = "en-uk"; // Default to British English
+    espeak_voice->identifier = NULL; // no specific voice file specified
+    espeak_voice->name = "klatt"; // espeak voice name
+    espeak_voice->gender = 2; // Female
+    espeak_voice->age = 0; // age not specified
+    espeak_SetVoiceByProperties(espeak_voice);
 #endif
 
 #if defined _MSC_VER && defined QGC_SPEECH_ENABLED