diff --git a/pactl-widget/pactl.lua b/pactl-widget/pactl.lua
index 0dbae944..e23ee300 100644
--- a/pactl-widget/pactl.lua
+++ b/pactl-widget/pactl.lua
@@ -1,52 +1,79 @@
 local spawn = require("awful.spawn")
+local awful = require("awful")
 local utils = require("awesome-wm-widgets.pactl-widget.utils")
 
 local pactl = {}
 
+-- Cached volume/mute state, updated asynchronously via update_async()
+local cache = {}
+
+-- Build a pactl argv table with the C locale forced for consistent output.
+local function pactl_cmd(...)
+    return {'env', 'LC_ALL=C', 'pactl', ...}
+end
 
 function pactl.volume_increase(device, step)
-    spawn('pactl set-sink-volume ' .. device .. ' +' .. step .. '%', false)
+    spawn(pactl_cmd('set-sink-volume', device, '+' .. step .. '%'), false)
 end
 
 function pactl.volume_decrease(device, step)
-    spawn('pactl set-sink-volume ' .. device .. ' -' .. step .. '%', false)
+    spawn(pactl_cmd('set-sink-volume', device, '-' .. step .. '%'), false)
 end
 
 function pactl.mute_toggle(device)
-    spawn('pactl set-sink-mute ' .. device .. ' toggle', false)
+    spawn(pactl_cmd('set-sink-mute', device, 'toggle'), false)
 end
 
 function pactl.get_volume(device)
-    local stdout = utils.popen_and_return('pactl get-sink-volume ' .. device)
-
-    local volsum, volcnt = 0, 0
-    for vol in string.gmatch(stdout, "(%d?%d?%d)%%") do
-        vol = tonumber(vol)
-        if vol ~= nil then
-            volsum = volsum + vol
-            volcnt = volcnt + 1
+    return cache[device] and cache[device].volume
+end
+
+function pactl.get_mute(device)
+    return cache[device] and cache[device].mute or false
+end
+
+function pactl.update_async(device, callback)
+    awful.spawn.easy_async(pactl_cmd('get-sink-volume', device), function(vol_stdout, _, _, vol_exit)
+        if vol_exit ~= 0 then
+            cache[device] = nil
+            if callback then callback(nil, false) end
+            return
         end
-    end
 
-    if volcnt == 0 then
-        return nil
-    end
+        if not cache[device] then cache[device] = {} end
 
-    return volsum / volcnt
-end
+        local volsum, volcnt = 0, 0
+        for vol in string.gmatch(vol_stdout, "(%d?%d?%d)%%") do
+            vol = tonumber(vol)
+            if vol ~= nil then
+                volsum = volsum + vol
+                volcnt = volcnt + 1
+            end
+        end
 
-function pactl.get_mute(device)
-    local stdout = utils.popen_and_return('LC_ALL=C pactl get-sink-mute ' .. device)
-    if string.find(stdout, "yes") then
-        return true
-    else
-        return false
-    end
+        if volcnt > 0 then
+            cache[device].volume = volsum / volcnt
+        end
+
+        awful.spawn.easy_async(pactl_cmd('get-sink-mute', device), function(mute_stdout, _, _, mute_exit)
+            if mute_exit ~= 0 then
+                cache[device] = nil
+                if callback then callback(nil, false) end
+                return
+            end
+            cache[device].mute = string.find(mute_stdout, "yes") ~= nil
+            if callback then
+                callback(cache[device].volume, cache[device].mute)
+            end
+        end)
+    end)
 end
 
 function pactl.get_sinks_and_sources()
-    local default_sink = utils.trim(utils.popen_and_return('pactl get-default-sink'))
-    local default_source = utils.trim(utils.popen_and_return('pactl get-default-source'))
+    local default_sink = utils.trim(utils.popen_and_return(
+        table.concat(pactl_cmd('get-default-sink'), ' ')))
+    local default_source = utils.trim(utils.popen_and_return(
+        table.concat(pactl_cmd('get-default-source'), ' ')))
 
     local sinks = {}
     local sources = {}
@@ -57,7 +84,8 @@ function pactl.get_sinks_and_sources()
     local value
     local in_section
 
-    for line in utils.popen_and_return('LC_ALL=C pactl list'):gmatch('[^\r\n]*') do
+    for line in utils.popen_and_return(
+        table.concat(pactl_cmd('list'), ' ')):gmatch('[^\r\n]*') do
 
         if string.match(line, '^%a+ #') then
             in_section = nil
@@ -117,7 +145,7 @@ function pactl.get_sinks_and_sources()
 end
 
 function pactl.set_default(type, name)
-    spawn('pactl set-default-' .. type .. ' "' .. name .. '"', false)
+    spawn(pactl_cmd('set-default-' .. type, name), false)
 end
 
 
diff --git a/pactl-widget/volume.lua b/pactl-widget/volume.lua
index 1c3108cd..ff1d3e4b 100644
--- a/pactl-widget/volume.lua
+++ b/pactl-widget/volume.lua
@@ -166,31 +166,40 @@ local function worker(user_args)
     end
 
     local function update_graphic(widget)
-        local vol = pactl.get_volume(device)
-        if vol ~= nil then
-            widget:set_volume_level(vol)
-        end
-
-        if pactl.get_mute(device) then
-            widget:mute()
-        else
-            widget:unmute()
-        end
+        pactl.update_async(device, function(vol, is_muted)
+            if vol ~= nil then
+                widget:set_volume_level(vol)
+            end
+            if is_muted then
+                widget:mute()
+            else
+                widget:unmute()
+            end
+        end)
     end
 
     function volume:inc(s)
         pactl.volume_increase(device, s or step)
-        update_graphic(volume.widget)
+        gears.timer.start_new(0.1, function()
+            update_graphic(volume.widget)
+            return false
+        end)
     end
 
     function volume:dec(s)
         pactl.volume_decrease(device, s or step)
-        update_graphic(volume.widget)
+        gears.timer.start_new(0.1, function()
+            update_graphic(volume.widget)
+            return false
+        end)
     end
 
     function volume:toggle()
         pactl.mute_toggle(device)
-        update_graphic(volume.widget)
+        gears.timer.start_new(0.1, function()
+            update_graphic(volume.widget)
+            return false
+        end)
     end
 
     function volume:popup()
@@ -218,7 +227,7 @@ local function worker(user_args)
             )
     )
 
-    gears.timer {
+    local volume_timer = gears.timer {
         timeout   = refresh_rate,
         call_now  = true,
         autostart = true,
@@ -231,7 +240,8 @@ local function worker(user_args)
         awful.tooltip {
             objects        = { volume.widget },
             timer_function = function()
-                return pactl.get_volume(device) .. " %"
+                local vol = pactl.get_volume(device)
+                return (vol and string.format("%.0f", vol) or "?") .. " %"
             end,
         }
     end