diff --git a/AzSpeech.uplugin b/AzSpeech.uplugin
index fe5a94d..0299d17 100644
--- a/AzSpeech.uplugin
+++ b/AzSpeech.uplugin
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
 	"FileVersion": 3,
-	"Version": 30,
-	"VersionName": "1.6.13",
+	"Version": 31,
+	"VersionName": "1.6.14",
 	"FriendlyName": "AzSpeech - Voice and Text",
 	"Description": "Integrates Azure Speech Cognitive Services into the Engine by adding functions to perform recognition and synthesis via asynchronous tasks.",
 	"Category": "Game Features",
diff --git a/Source/AzSpeech/Private/AzSpeech/Runnables/Recognition/Bases/AzSpeechRecognitionRunnableBase.cpp b/Source/AzSpeech/Private/AzSpeech/Runnables/Recognition/Bases/AzSpeechRecognitionRunnableBase.cpp
index 155b59c..95eaefd 100644
--- a/Source/AzSpeech/Private/AzSpeech/Runnables/Recognition/Bases/AzSpeechRecognitionRunnableBase.cpp
+++ b/Source/AzSpeech/Private/AzSpeech/Runnables/Recognition/Bases/AzSpeechRecognitionRunnableBase.cpp
@@ -183,6 +183,13 @@ bool FAzSpeechRecognitionRunnableBase::InitializeAzureObject()
 
     ApplySDKSettings(SpeechConfig);
 
+    const auto TaskAudioConfig = GetAudioConfig();
+    if (!SpeechConfig)
+    {
+        UE_LOG(LogAzSpeech_Internal, Error, TEXT("Thread: %s; Function: %s; Message: Invalid audio config"), *GetThreadName(), *FString(__func__));
+        return false;
+    }
+
     if (RecognizerTask->GetRecognitionOptions().bUseLanguageIdentification)
     {
         const std::vector<std::string> Candidates = GetCandidateLanguages();
@@ -193,15 +200,11 @@ bool FAzSpeechRecognitionRunnableBase::InitializeAzureObject()
             return false;
         }
 
-        SpeechRecognizer = MicrosoftSpeech::SpeechRecognizer::FromConfig(SpeechConfig, MicrosoftSpeech::AutoDetectSourceLanguageConfig::FromLanguages(Candidates), GetAudioConfig());
-    }
-    else if (const std::shared_ptr<MicrosoftSpeech::Audio::AudioConfig> TaskAudioConfig = GetAudioConfig())
-    {
-        SpeechRecognizer = MicrosoftSpeech::SpeechRecognizer::FromConfig(SpeechConfig, TaskAudioConfig);
+        SpeechRecognizer = MicrosoftSpeech::SpeechRecognizer::FromConfig(SpeechConfig, MicrosoftSpeech::AutoDetectSourceLanguageConfig::FromLanguages(Candidates), TaskAudioConfig);
     }
     else
     {
-        return false;
+        SpeechRecognizer = MicrosoftSpeech::SpeechRecognizer::FromConfig(SpeechConfig, TaskAudioConfig);
     }
 
     return InsertPhraseList() && ConnectRecognitionStartedSignals() && ConnectRecognitionUpdatedSignals();
diff --git a/Source/AzSpeech/Private/AzSpeech/Runnables/Synthesis/AzSpeechSynthesisRunnable.cpp b/Source/AzSpeech/Private/AzSpeech/Runnables/Synthesis/AzSpeechSynthesisRunnable.cpp
index ce31ac4..1ad3d42 100644
--- a/Source/AzSpeech/Private/AzSpeech/Runnables/Synthesis/AzSpeechSynthesisRunnable.cpp
+++ b/Source/AzSpeech/Private/AzSpeech/Runnables/Synthesis/AzSpeechSynthesisRunnable.cpp
@@ -181,18 +181,21 @@ bool FAzSpeechSynthesisRunnable::InitializeAzureObject()
 
     ApplySDKSettings(SpeechConfig);
 
-    if (!SynthesizerTask->IsSSMLBased() && SynthesizerTask->GetSynthesisOptions().bUseLanguageIdentification)
+    const auto TaskAudioConfig = GetAudioConfig();
+    if (!SpeechConfig)
     {
-        UE_LOG(LogAzSpeech_Internal, Display, TEXT("Thread: %s; Function: %s; Message: Initializing auto language detection"), *GetThreadName(), *FString(__func__));
-        SpeechSynthesizer = MicrosoftSpeech::SpeechSynthesizer::FromConfig(SpeechConfig, MicrosoftSpeech::AutoDetectSourceLanguageConfig::FromOpenRange(), GetAudioConfig());
+        UE_LOG(LogAzSpeech_Internal, Error, TEXT("Thread: %s; Function: %s; Message: Invalid audio config"), *GetThreadName(), *FString(__func__));
+        return false;
     }
-    else if (const std::shared_ptr<MicrosoftSpeech::Audio::AudioConfig> TaskAudioConfig = GetAudioConfig())
+
+    if (!SynthesizerTask->IsSSMLBased() && SynthesizerTask->GetSynthesisOptions().bUseLanguageIdentification)
     {
-        SpeechSynthesizer = MicrosoftSpeech::SpeechSynthesizer::FromConfig(SpeechConfig, TaskAudioConfig);
+        UE_LOG(LogAzSpeech_Internal, Display, TEXT("Thread: %s; Function: %s; Message: Initializing auto language detection"), *GetThreadName(), *FString(__func__));
+        SpeechSynthesizer = MicrosoftSpeech::SpeechSynthesizer::FromConfig(SpeechConfig, MicrosoftSpeech::AutoDetectSourceLanguageConfig::FromOpenRange(), TaskAudioConfig);
     }
     else
     {
-        return false;
+        SpeechSynthesizer = MicrosoftSpeech::SpeechSynthesizer::FromConfig(SpeechConfig, TaskAudioConfig);
     }
 
     return ConnectVisemeSignal() && ConnectSynthesisStartedSignal() && ConnectSynthesisUpdateSignals();