diff --git a/transcoder/src/stream.go b/transcoder/src/stream.go
index 899ef273..a90c2241 100644
--- a/transcoder/src/stream.go
+++ b/transcoder/src/stream.go
@@ -93,11 +93,19 @@ func (ts *Stream) run(start int32) error {
 	end := min(start+3, int32(len(ts.file.Keyframes)))
 	ts.lock.Lock()
 	for i := start; i < end; i++ {
-		if ts.isSegmentReady(i) {
+		if ts.isSegmentReady(i) || ts.isSegmentTranscoding(i) {
 			end = i
 			break
 		}
 	}
+	if start == end {
+		// this can happens if the start segment was finished between the check
+		// to call run() and the actual call.
+		// since most checks are done in a RLock() instead of a Lock() this can
+		// happens when two goroutines try to make the same segment ready
+		ts.lock.Unlock()
+		return nil
+	}
 	encoder_id := len(ts.heads)
 	ts.heads = append(ts.heads, Head{segment: start, end: end, command: nil})
 	ts.lock.Unlock()
@@ -211,6 +219,7 @@ func (ts *Stream) run(start int32) error {
 			}
 			ts.lock.Lock()
 			ts.heads[encoder_id].segment = segment
+			log.Printf("Segment %d got ready (%d)", segment, encoder_id)
 			if ts.isSegmentReady(segment) {
 				// the current segment is already marked at done so another process has already gone up to here.
 				cmd.Process.Signal(os.Interrupt)
@@ -244,11 +253,11 @@ func (ts *Stream) run(start int32) error {
 	go func() {
 		err := cmd.Wait()
 		if exiterr, ok := err.(*exec.ExitError); ok && exiterr.ExitCode() == 255 {
-			log.Println("ffmpeg was killed by us")
+			log.Printf("ffmpeg %d was killed by us", encoder_id)
 		} else if err != nil {
-			log.Println("ffmpeg occured an error", err, stderr.String())
+			log.Printf("ffmpeg %d occured an error: %s: %s", encoder_id, err, stderr.String())
 		} else {
-			log.Println("ffmpeg finished successfully")
+			log.Printf("ffmpeg %d finished successfully", encoder_id)
 		}
 
 		ts.lock.Lock()
@@ -292,19 +301,6 @@ func (ts *Stream) GetSegment(segment int32) (string, error) {
 				break
 			}
 		}
-	} else if !ts.isSegmentTranscoding(segment) {
-		// if the current segment is ready, check next segments are ready and if not start a transcode for them
-		for i := segment + 1; i <= min(segment+10, int32(len(ts.segments)-1)); i++ {
-			if ts.isSegmentTranscoding(i) {
-				// no need to create a new transcoder if there is already one running for this segment
-				break
-			}
-			if !ts.isSegmentReady(i) {
-				log.Printf("Creating new head for future segment (%d)", i)
-				go ts.run(i)
-				break
-			}
-		}
 	}
 	ts.lock.RUnlock()
 
@@ -326,14 +322,33 @@ func (ts *Stream) GetSegment(segment int32) (string, error) {
 			return "", errors.New("could not retrive the selected segment (timeout)")
 		}
 	}
+	ts.prerareNextSegements(segment)
 	return fmt.Sprintf(ts.handle.getOutPath(ts.segments[segment].encoder), segment), nil
 }
 
+func (ts *Stream) prerareNextSegements(segment int32) {
+	ts.lock.RLock()
+	defer ts.lock.RUnlock()
+	for i := segment + 1; i <= min(segment+10, int32(len(ts.segments)-1)); i++ {
+		if ts.isSegmentReady(i) {
+			continue
+		}
+		// only start encode for segments not planned (getMinEncoderDistance returns Inf for them)
+		// or if they are 60s away (asume 5s per segments)
+		if ts.getMinEncoderDistance(i) < 60+(5*float64(i-segment)) {
+			continue
+		}
+		log.Printf("Creating new head for future segment (%d)", i)
+		go ts.run(i)
+		return
+	}
+}
+
 func (ts *Stream) getMinEncoderDistance(segment int32) float64 {
 	time := ts.file.Keyframes[segment]
 	distances := Map(ts.heads, func(head Head, _ int) float64 {
 		// ignore killed heads or heads after the current time
-		if head.segment < 0 || ts.file.Keyframes[head.segment] > time {
+		if head.segment < 0 || ts.file.Keyframes[head.segment] > time || segment >= head.end {
 			return math.Inf(1)
 		}
 		return time - ts.file.Keyframes[head.segment]