diff --git a/packages/alphatab/src/synth/AlphaSynth.ts b/packages/alphatab/src/synth/AlphaSynth.ts
index 13a7e4e32..9fc66278b 100644
--- a/packages/alphatab/src/synth/AlphaSynth.ts
+++ b/packages/alphatab/src/synth/AlphaSynth.ts
@@ -118,6 +118,10 @@ export class AlphaSynthBase implements IAlphaSynth {
         this._countInVolume = value;
     }
 
+    protected get supportsCountIn(): boolean {
+        return true;
+    }
+
     public get midiEventsPlayedFilter(): MidiEventType[] {
         return Array.from(this.midiEventsPlayedFilterSet);
     }
@@ -321,7 +325,7 @@ export class AlphaSynthBase implements IAlphaSynth {
 
         this._playInternal();
 
-        if (this._countInVolume > 0) {
+        if (this._countInVolume > 0 && this.supportsCountIn) {
             Logger.debug('AlphaSynth', 'Starting countin');
             this.sequencer.startCountIn();
             this.synthesizer.setupMetronomeChannel(this.sequencer.metronomeChannel, this._countInVolume);
diff --git a/packages/alphatab/src/synth/BackingTrackPlayer.ts b/packages/alphatab/src/synth/BackingTrackPlayer.ts
index fb813fe8f..651dd21d2 100644
--- a/packages/alphatab/src/synth/BackingTrackPlayer.ts
+++ b/packages/alphatab/src/synth/BackingTrackPlayer.ts
@@ -177,6 +177,11 @@ export class BackingTrackPlayer extends AlphaSynthBase {
         // should never be called
     }
 
+    protected override get supportsCountIn(): boolean {
+        // not supported, the media plays as-is and there is no synthesizer for the count-in metronome
+        return false;
+    }
+
     public override loadMidiFile(midi: MidiFile): void {
         if (!this.isSoundFontLoaded) {
             this.isSoundFontLoaded = true;
diff --git a/packages/alphatab/src/synth/MidiFileSequencer.ts b/packages/alphatab/src/synth/MidiFileSequencer.ts
index f3073d26a..a719bbc22 100644
--- a/packages/alphatab/src/synth/MidiFileSequencer.ts
+++ b/packages/alphatab/src/synth/MidiFileSequencer.ts
@@ -337,8 +337,8 @@ export class MidiFileSequencer {
     }
 
     public fillMidiEventQueueToEndTime(endTime: number) {
-        while (this._mainState.currentTime < endTime) {
-            if (this._fillMidiEventQueueLimited(endTime - this._mainState.currentTime)) {
+        while (this._currentState.currentTime < endTime) {
+            if (this._fillMidiEventQueueLimited(endTime - this._currentState.currentTime)) {
                 this._synthesizer.synthesizeSilent(SynthConstants.MicroBufferSize);
             }
         }
diff --git a/packages/alphatab/test/audio/SyncPoint.test.ts b/packages/alphatab/test/audio/SyncPoint.test.ts
index aadf2bd4c..2099e96f1 100644
--- a/packages/alphatab/test/audio/SyncPoint.test.ts
+++ b/packages/alphatab/test/audio/SyncPoint.test.ts
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import { MidiFile } from '@coderline/alphatab/midi/MidiFile';
 import { MidiFileGenerator } from '@coderline/alphatab/midi/MidiFileGenerator';
 import type { BackingTrack } from '@coderline/alphatab/model/BackingTrack';
 import { Settings } from '@coderline/alphatab/Settings';
+import { AlphaSynth } from '@coderline/alphatab/synth/AlphaSynth';
 import { BackingTrackPlayer, type IBackingTrackSynthOutput } from '@coderline/alphatab/synth/BackingTrackPlayer';
 import {
     ExternalMediaPlayer,
@@ -19,6 +20,7 @@ import type { PositionChangedEventArgs } from '@coderline/alphatab/synth/Positio
 import type { Hydra } from '@coderline/alphatab/synth/soundfont/Hydra';
 import type { SynthEvent } from '@coderline/alphatab/synth/synthesis/SynthEvent';
 import { FlatMidiEventGenerator } from 'test/audio/FlatMidiEventGenerator';
+import { TestOutput } from 'test/audio/TestOutput';
 import { TestPlatform } from 'test/TestPlatform';
 
 describe('SyncPointTests', () => {
@@ -356,6 +358,89 @@ describe('SyncPointTests', () => {
         expect(events.map(e => `${e.currentTime},${e.originalTempo},${e.modifiedTempo}`)).toMatchSnapshot();
         expect(testOutput.seekTimes).toMatchSnapshot();
     });
+
+    /**
+     * See #2397: starting the playback with count-in must not rewind the media to the song start.
+     */
+    it('count-in-keeps-position-backing-track', async () => {
+        const player = await prepareBackingTrackPlayer();
+        const testOutput = player.output as TestBackingTrackOutput;
+        player.timePosition = 30000;
+        player.countInVolume = 1;
+        const seekCount = testOutput.seekTimes.length;
+
+        player.play();
+
+        // no seek back to the song start, the next media update continues from 30s
+        testOutput.simulateSeek(testOutput.seekTimes[seekCount - 1] + 100);
+        expect(testOutput.seekTimes.length).toBe(seekCount);
+        expect(player.timePosition).toBeGreaterThan(30000);
+    });
+
+    it('count-in-keeps-position-external-media', async () => {
+        const player = await prepareExternalMediaPlayer();
+        const testOutput = (player.output as IExternalMediaSynthOutput).handler as TestExternalMediaHandler;
+        player.timePosition = 30000;
+        player.countInVolume = 1;
+        const seekCount = testOutput.seekTimes.length;
+
+        player.play();
+
+        // no seek back to the song start, the next media update continues from 30s
+        testOutput.simulateSeek(testOutput.seekTimes[seekCount - 1] + 100);
+        expect(testOutput.seekTimes.length).toBe(seekCount);
+        expect(player.timePosition).toBeGreaterThan(30000);
+    });
+
+    /**
+     * See #2397: filling the queue up to a time position must advance the active
+     * (count-in) state, otherwise the loop never ends.
+     */
+    it('fill-to-end-time-during-count-in', () => {
+        const score = ScoreLoader.loadAlphaTex(`
+            .
+            C4 * 4
+        `);
+
+        const midi = new MidiFile();
+        const handler = new AlphaSynthMidiFileHandler(midi);
+        const generator = new MidiFileGenerator(score, new Settings(), handler);
+        generator.generate();
+
+        const sequencer = new MidiFileSequencer(new EmptyAudioSynthesizer());
+        sequencer.loadMidi(midi);
+        sequencer.startCountIn();
+
+        sequencer.fillMidiEventQueueToEndTime(1000);
+
+        expect(sequencer.isPlayingCountIn).toBe(true);
+        expect(sequencer.currentTime).toBe(1000);
+    });
+
+    /**
+     * See #2397: the synthesizer player still plays the count-in.
+     */
+    it('count-in-playback-synthesizer', () => {
+        const score = ScoreLoader.loadAlphaTex(`
+            .
+            C4 * 4
+        `);
+
+        const midi = new MidiFile();
+        const handler = new AlphaSynthMidiFileHandler(midi);
+        const generator = new MidiFileGenerator(score, new Settings(), handler);
+        generator.generate();
+
+        const synth = new AlphaSynth(new TestOutput(), 500);
+        synth.loadMidiFile(midi);
+        synth.timePosition = 1000;
+        synth.countInVolume = 1;
+
+        expect(synth.play()).toBe(true);
+
+        // the count-in plays from its own start, the song continues at 1000ms after it
+        expect(synth.timePosition).toBe(0);
+    });
 });
 
 /**
@@ -450,7 +535,15 @@ class TestExternalMediaHandler implements IExternalMediaHandler {
 class EmptyAudioSynthesizer implements IAudioSampleSynthesizer {
     public masterVolume: number = 0;
     public metronomeVolume: number = 0;
-    public outSampleRate: number = 44100;
+    private _sampleRateReads: number = 0;
+    public get outSampleRate(): number {
+        // the sequencer reads this once per fill iteration: fail instead of hanging if it stops making progress
+        this._sampleRateReads++;
+        if (this._sampleRateReads > 100000) {
+            throw new Error('Sequencer is not making progress');
+        }
+        return 44100;
+    }
     public currentTempo: number = 120;
     public timeSignatureNumerator: number = 4;
     public timeSignatureDenominator: number = 4;