diff --git a/plugins/prebuffer-mixin/package-lock.json b/plugins/prebuffer-mixin/package-lock.json
index 546d186d1..ab616b08d 100644
--- a/plugins/prebuffer-mixin/package-lock.json
+++ b/plugins/prebuffer-mixin/package-lock.json
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 {
    "name": "@scrypted/prebuffer-mixin",
-   "version": "0.1.152",
+   "version": "0.1.153",
    "lockfileVersion": 2,
    "requires": true,
    "packages": {
       "": {
          "name": "@scrypted/prebuffer-mixin",
-         "version": "0.1.152",
+         "version": "0.1.153",
          "license": "Apache-2.0",
          "dependencies": {
             "@scrypted/common": "file:../../common",
diff --git a/plugins/prebuffer-mixin/package.json b/plugins/prebuffer-mixin/package.json
index 5818e1e7e..1df7f0b41 100644
--- a/plugins/prebuffer-mixin/package.json
+++ b/plugins/prebuffer-mixin/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
    "name": "@scrypted/prebuffer-mixin",
-   "version": "0.1.152",
+   "version": "0.1.153",
    "description": "Rebroadcast and Prebuffer for VideoCameras.",
    "author": "Scrypted",
    "license": "Apache-2.0",
diff --git a/plugins/prebuffer-mixin/src/main.ts b/plugins/prebuffer-mixin/src/main.ts
index 97da445e2..b0f38f913 100644
--- a/plugins/prebuffer-mixin/src/main.ts
+++ b/plugins/prebuffer-mixin/src/main.ts
@@ -15,9 +15,6 @@ const { mediaManager, log, systemManager, deviceManager } = sdk;
 const defaultPrebufferDuration = 10000;
 const PREBUFFER_DURATION_MS = 'prebufferDuration';
 const SEND_KEYFRAME = 'sendKeyframe';
-const AUDIO_CONFIGURATION_KEY_PREFIX = 'audioConfiguration-';
-const FFMPEG_INPUT_ARGUMENTS_KEY_PREFIX = 'ffmpegInputArguments-';
-const REBROADCAST_MODE_KEY_PREFIX = 'rebroadcastMode-';
 const DEFAULT_AUDIO = 'Default';
 const AAC_AUDIO = 'AAC or No Audio';
 const AAC_AUDIO_DESCRIPTION = `${AAC_AUDIO} (Copy)`;
@@ -72,15 +69,17 @@ class PrebufferSession {
   inactivityTimeout: NodeJS.Timeout;
   audioConfigurationKey: string;
   ffmpegInputArgumentsKey: string;
+  lastDetectedAudioCodecKey: string;
   rebroadcastModeKey: string;
 
   constructor(public mixin: PrebufferMixin, public streamName: string, public streamId: string, public stopInactive: boolean) {
     this.storage = mixin.storage;
     this.console = mixin.console;
     this.mixinDevice = mixin.mixinDevice;
-    this.audioConfigurationKey = AUDIO_CONFIGURATION_KEY_PREFIX + this.streamId;
-    this.ffmpegInputArgumentsKey = FFMPEG_INPUT_ARGUMENTS_KEY_PREFIX + this.streamId;
-    this.rebroadcastModeKey = REBROADCAST_MODE_KEY_PREFIX + this.streamId;
+    this.audioConfigurationKey = 'audioConfiguration-' + this.streamId;
+    this.ffmpegInputArgumentsKey = 'ffmpegInputArguments-' + this.streamId;
+    this.rebroadcastModeKey = 'rebroadcastMode-' + this.streamId;
+    this.lastDetectedAudioCodecKey = 'lastDetectedAudioCodec-' + this.streamId;
   }
 
   clearPrebuffers() {
@@ -246,7 +245,7 @@ class PrebufferSession {
 
     const { isUsingDefaultAudioConfig, aacAudio, compatibleAudio, reencodeAudio } = this.getAudioConfig();
 
-    let detectedAudioCodec = this.storage.getItem('lastDetectedAudioCodec') || undefined;
+    let detectedAudioCodec = this.storage.getItem(this.lastDetectedAudioCodecKey) || undefined;
     if (detectedAudioCodec === 'null')
       detectedAudioCodec = null;
 
@@ -403,7 +402,7 @@ class PrebufferSession {
 
     // before launching the parser session, clear out the last detected codec.
     // an erroneous cached codec could cause ffmpeg to fail to start.
-    this.storage.removeItem('lastDetectedAudioCodec');
+    this.storage.removeItem(this.lastDetectedAudioCodecKey);
 
     const session = await startParserSession(ffmpegInput, rbo);
 
@@ -418,7 +417,7 @@ class PrebufferSession {
     }
 
     // set/update the detected codec, set it to null if no audio was found.
-    this.storage.setItem('lastDetectedAudioCodec', session.inputAudioCodec || 'null');
+    this.storage.setItem(this.lastDetectedAudioCodecKey, session.inputAudioCodec || 'null');
 
     if (session.inputVideoCodec !== 'h264') {
       this.console.error(`Video codec is not h264. If there are errors, try changing your camera's encoder output.`);
diff --git a/plugins/ring/fs/black.jpg b/plugins/ring/fs/black.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7fe1c6d7d
Binary files /dev/null and b/plugins/ring/fs/black.jpg differ
diff --git a/plugins/ring/src/main.ts b/plugins/ring/src/main.ts
index e59229bab..4780bc083 100644
--- a/plugins/ring/src/main.ts
+++ b/plugins/ring/src/main.ts
@@ -7,9 +7,12 @@ import { encodeSrtpOptions, RtpSplitter } from '@homebridge/camera-utils'
 import child_process, { ChildProcess } from 'child_process';
 import { createRTCPeerConnectionSource } from '../../../common/src/wrtc-ffmpeg-source';
 import { generateUuid } from './ring-client-api';
+import fs from 'fs';
+import { clientApi } from '@koush/ring-client-api/lib/api/rest-client';
 
 const { log, deviceManager, mediaManager } = sdk;
 const STREAM_TIMEOUT = 120000;
+const black = fs.readFileSync('black.jpg');
 
 const RingSignalingPrefix = ScryptedMimeTypes.RTCAVSignalingPrefix + 'ring/';
 const RingDeviceSignalingPrefix = RingSignalingPrefix + 'x-';
@@ -22,7 +25,7 @@ const RingWebRtcAvSource: RTCAVSource = {
     },
 };
 
-process.env.DEBUG='*';
+process.env.DEBUG = '*';
 
 class RingCameraLight extends ScryptedDeviceBase implements OnOff {
     constructor(public camera: RingCameraDevice) {
@@ -103,9 +106,22 @@ class RingCameraDevice extends ScryptedDeviceBase implements BufferConverter, De
     }
 
     async takePicture(options?: PictureOptions): Promise<MediaObject> {
+
+
+        // watch for snapshot being blocked due to live stream
         const camera = this.findCamera();
-        const snapshot = await camera.getSnapshot();
-        return mediaManager.createMediaObject(snapshot, 'image/jpeg');
+        if (!camera || camera.snapshotsAreBlocked) {
+            return mediaManager.createMediaObject(black, 'image/jpeg');
+        }
+
+        // trigger a refresh, but immediately use whatever is in cache.
+        camera.getSnapshot();
+        const buffer = await this.plugin.client.request<Buffer>({
+            url: clientApi(`snapshots/image/${camera.id}`),
+            responseType: 'buffer',
+        });
+
+        return mediaManager.createMediaObject(buffer, 'image/jpeg');
     }
 
     async getPictureOptions(): Promise<PictureOptions[]> {