diff --git a/gst/hls/gsthlsdemux.c b/gst/hls/gsthlsdemux.c
index c8069344c0..51cec38c78 100644
--- a/gst/hls/gsthlsdemux.c
+++ b/gst/hls/gsthlsdemux.c
@@ -834,7 +834,7 @@ gst_hls_demux_cache_fragments (GstHLSDemux * demux)
   /* If this playlist is a variant playlist, select the first one
    * and update it */
   if (gst_m3u8_client_has_variant_playlist (demux->client)) {
-    GstM3U8 *child = demux->client->main->lists->data;
+    GstM3U8 *child = demux->client->main->current_variant->data;
     gst_m3u8_client_set_current (demux->client, child);
     if (!gst_hls_demux_update_playlist (demux, FALSE)) {
       GST_ERROR_OBJECT (demux, "Could not fetch the child playlist %s",
@@ -972,17 +972,17 @@ gst_hls_demux_change_playlist (GstHLSDemux * demux, gboolean is_fast)
   GstStructure *s;
 
   if (is_fast)
-    list = g_list_next (demux->client->main->lists);
+    list = g_list_next (demux->client->main->current_variant);
   else
-    list = g_list_previous (demux->client->main->lists);
+    list = g_list_previous (demux->client->main->current_variant);
 
   /* Don't do anything else if the playlist is the same */
   if (!list || list->data == demux->client->current)
     return TRUE;
 
-  demux->client->main->lists = list;
+  demux->client->main->current_variant = list;
 
-  gst_m3u8_client_set_current (demux->client, demux->client->main->lists->data);
+  gst_m3u8_client_set_current (demux->client, list->data);
   gst_hls_demux_update_playlist (demux, TRUE);
   GST_INFO_OBJECT (demux, "Client is %s, switching to bitrate %d",
       is_fast ? "fast" : "slow", demux->client->current->bandwidth);
diff --git a/gst/hls/m3u8.c b/gst/hls/m3u8.c
index 66b4f16421..26548101f3 100644
--- a/gst/hls/m3u8.c
+++ b/gst/hls/m3u8.c
@@ -206,6 +206,7 @@ gst_m3u8_update (GstM3U8 * self, gchar * data, gboolean * updated)
 
   if (!g_str_has_prefix (data, "#EXTM3U")) {
     GST_WARNING ("Data doesn't start with #EXTM3U");
+    *updated = FALSE;
     g_free (data);
     return FALSE;
   }
@@ -350,11 +351,22 @@ gst_m3u8_update (GstM3U8 * self, gchar * data, gboolean * updated)
   }
 
   /* redorder playlists by bitrate */
-  if (self->lists)
+  if (self->lists) {
+    gchar *top_variant_uri = NULL;
+
+    if (!self->current_variant)
+      top_variant_uri = GST_M3U8 (self->lists->data)->uri;
+    else
+      top_variant_uri = GST_M3U8 (self->current_variant->data)->uri;
+
     self->lists =
         g_list_sort (self->lists,
         (GCompareFunc) gst_m3u8_compare_playlist_by_bitrate);
 
+    self->current_variant = g_list_find_custom (self->lists, top_variant_uri,
+        (GCompareFunc) _m3u8_compare_uri);
+  }
+
   return TRUE;
 }
 
@@ -416,7 +428,7 @@ gst_m3u8_client_update (GstM3U8Client * self, gchar * data)
   /* select the first playlist, for now */
   if (!self->current) {
     if (self->main->lists) {
-      self->current = g_list_first (self->main->lists)->data;
+      self->current = self->main->current_variant->data;
     } else {
       self->current = self->main;
     }
diff --git a/gst/hls/m3u8.h b/gst/hls/m3u8.h
index 97a8ee2142..aefe8667d1 100644
--- a/gst/hls/m3u8.h
+++ b/gst/hls/m3u8.h
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ G_BEGIN_DECLS typedef struct _GstM3U8 GstM3U8;
 typedef struct _GstM3U8MediaFile GstM3U8MediaFile;
 typedef struct _GstM3U8Client GstM3U8Client;
 
+#define GST_M3U8(m) ((GstM3U8*)m)
 #define GST_M3U8_MEDIA_FILE(f) ((GstM3U8MediaFile*)f)
 
 struct _GstM3U8
@@ -50,6 +51,7 @@ struct _GstM3U8
   /*< private > */
   gchar *last_data;
   GList *lists;                 /* list of GstM3U8 from the main playlist */
+  GList *current_variant;       /* Current variant playlist used */
   GstM3U8 *parent;              /* main playlist (if any) */
   guint mediasequence;          /* EXT-X-MEDIA-SEQUENCE & increased with new media file */
 };