diff --git a/modules/juce_audio_devices/midi_io/juce_MidiDevices.h b/modules/juce_audio_devices/midi_io/juce_MidiDevices.h
index 954d615d45..34727b3b26 100644
--- a/modules/juce_audio_devices/midi_io/juce_MidiDevices.h
+++ b/modules/juce_audio_devices/midi_io/juce_MidiDevices.h
@@ -337,6 +337,11 @@ public:
     */
     void stopBackgroundThread();
 
+    /** Returns true if the background thread used to send blocks of data is running.
+        @see startBackgroundThread, stopBackgroundThread
+    */
+    bool isBackgroundThreadRunning() const noexcept  { return isThreadRunning(); }
+
     //==============================================================================
     /** Deprecated. */
     static StringArray getDevices();
diff --git a/modules/juce_audio_utils/players/juce_AudioProcessorPlayer.cpp b/modules/juce_audio_utils/players/juce_AudioProcessorPlayer.cpp
index f11fcbb369..ac56170ff7 100644
--- a/modules/juce_audio_utils/players/juce_AudioProcessorPlayer.cpp
+++ b/modules/juce_audio_utils/players/juce_AudioProcessorPlayer.cpp
@@ -165,7 +165,18 @@ void AudioProcessorPlayer::audioDeviceIOCallback (const float** const inputChann
                 }
 
                 if (midiOutput != nullptr)
-                    midiOutput->sendBlockOfMessagesNow (incomingMidi);
+                {
+                    if (midiOutput->isBackgroundThreadRunning())
+                    {
+                        midiOutput->sendBlockOfMessages (incomingMidi,
+                                                         Time::getMillisecondCounterHiRes(),
+                                                         sampleRate);
+                    }
+                    else
+                    {
+                        midiOutput->sendBlockOfMessagesNow (incomingMidi);
+                    }
+                }
 
                 return;
             }