diff --git a/frigate/events/audio.py b/frigate/events/audio.py
index 9fb134fc8..20a5f95f6 100644
--- a/frigate/events/audio.py
+++ b/frigate/events/audio.py
@@ -3,9 +3,9 @@
 import datetime
 import logging
 import multiprocessing as mp
-import os
 import signal
 import threading
+import time
 from types import FrameType
 from typing import Optional, Tuple
 
@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@ from frigate.const import (
     AUDIO_MAX_BIT_RANGE,
     AUDIO_MIN_CONFIDENCE,
     AUDIO_SAMPLE_RATE,
-    CACHE_DIR,
     FRIGATE_LOCALHOST,
 )
 from frigate.ffmpeg_presets import parse_preset_input
@@ -40,12 +39,12 @@ except ModuleNotFoundError:
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
 
-def get_ffmpeg_command(input_args: list[str], input_path: str, pipe: str) -> list[str]:
+def get_ffmpeg_command(input_args: list[str], input_path: str) -> list[str]:
     return get_ffmpeg_arg_list(
         f"ffmpeg {{}} -i {{}} -f {AUDIO_FORMAT} -ar {AUDIO_SAMPLE_RATE} -ac 1 -y {{}}".format(
             " ".join(input_args),
             input_path,
-            pipe,
+            "pipe:",
         )
     )
 
@@ -168,14 +167,12 @@ class AudioEventMaintainer(threading.Thread):
         self.detector = AudioTfl(stop_event)
         self.shape = (int(round(AUDIO_DURATION * AUDIO_SAMPLE_RATE)),)
         self.chunk_size = int(round(AUDIO_DURATION * AUDIO_SAMPLE_RATE * 2))
-        self.pipe = f"{CACHE_DIR}/{self.config.name}-audio"
+        self.logger = logging.getLogger(f"audio.{self.config.name}")
         self.ffmpeg_cmd = get_ffmpeg_command(
             get_ffmpeg_arg_list(self.config.ffmpeg.global_args)
             + parse_preset_input("preset-rtsp-audio-only", 1),
             [i.path for i in self.config.ffmpeg.inputs if "audio" in i.roles][0],
-            self.pipe,
         )
-        self.pipe_file = None
         self.logpipe = LogPipe(f"ffmpeg.{self.config.name}.audio")
         self.audio_listener = None
 
@@ -274,37 +271,52 @@ class AudioEventMaintainer(threading.Thread):
                 if resp.status_code == 200:
                     self.detections[detection["label"]] = None
                 else:
-                    logger.warn(
+                    self.logger.warn(
                         f"Failed to end audio event {detection['id']} with status code {resp.status_code}"
                     )
 
-    def restart_audio_pipe(self) -> None:
-        try:
-            os.mkfifo(self.pipe)
-        except FileExistsError:
-            pass
-
+    def start_or_restart_ffmpeg(self) -> None:
         self.audio_listener = start_or_restart_ffmpeg(
-            self.ffmpeg_cmd, logger, self.logpipe, None, self.audio_listener
+            self.ffmpeg_cmd,
+            self.logger,
+            self.logpipe,
+            self.chunk_size,
+            self.audio_listener,
         )
 
     def read_audio(self) -> None:
-        if self.pipe_file is None:
-            self.pipe_file = open(self.pipe, "rb")
+        def log_and_restart() -> None:
+            if self.stop_event.is_set():
+                return
+
+            time.sleep(self.config.ffmpeg.retry_interval)
+            self.logpipe.dump()
+            self.start_or_restart_ffmpeg()
 
         try:
-            audio = np.frombuffer(self.pipe_file.read(self.chunk_size), dtype=np.int16)
+            chunk = self.audio_listener.stdout.read(self.chunk_size)
+
+            if not chunk:
+                if self.audio_listener.poll() is not None:
+                    self.logger.error("ffmpeg process is not running, restarting...")
+                    log_and_restart()
+                    return
+
+                return
+
+            audio = np.frombuffer(chunk, dtype=np.int16)
             self.detect_audio(audio)
-        except BrokenPipeError:
-            self.logpipe.dump()
-            self.restart_audio_pipe()
+        except Exception:
+            self.logger.error(
+                "Error reading audio data from ffmpeg process, restarting..."
+            )
+            log_and_restart()
 
     def run(self) -> None:
-        self.restart_audio_pipe()
+        self.start_or_restart_ffmpeg()
 
         while not self.stop_event.is_set():
             self.read_audio()
 
-        self.pipe_file.close()
-        stop_ffmpeg(self.audio_listener, logger)
+        stop_ffmpeg(self.audio_listener, self.logger)
         self.logpipe.close()