diff --git a/main/index.js b/main/index.js
index 76632ad2..6b6f63bf 100644
--- a/main/index.js
+++ b/main/index.js
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ function init () {
     app.setPath('userData', config.CONFIG_PATH)
   }
 
-  app.isReady = false // app ready, windows can be created
+  var isReady = false // app ready, windows can be created
   app.ipcReady = false // main window has finished loading and IPC is ready
   app.isQuitting = false
 
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ function init () {
   })
 
   app.on('ready', function () {
-    app.isReady = true
+    isReady = true
 
     windows.createMainWindow()
     windows.createWebTorrentHiddenWindow()
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ function init () {
   })
 
   app.on('activate', function () {
-    if (app.isReady) windows.createMainWindow()
+    if (isReady) windows.createMainWindow()
   })
 }
 
diff --git a/renderer/index.js b/renderer/index.js
index 402ec381..8ca14a44 100644
--- a/renderer/index.js
+++ b/renderer/index.js
@@ -423,6 +423,8 @@ function openSubtitles () {
     properties: [ 'openFile' ]
   }, function (filenames) {
     if (!Array.isArray(filenames)) return
+    // autoselect the newly added subtitle tracks
+    state.playing.subtitles.selectedIndex = -1
     addSubtitle({path: filenames[0]}, true)
   })
 }
@@ -543,6 +545,8 @@ function onOpen (files) {
   // In the player, the only drag-drop function is adding subtitles
   var isInPlayer = state.location.current().url === 'player'
   if (isInPlayer) {
+    // always autoselect one of the newly added subtitle tracks
+    state.playing.subtitles.selectedIndex = -1
     return files.filter(isSubtitle).forEach((file) => addSubtitle(file, true))
   }