diff --git a/crates/audio/src/aac/mod.rs b/crates/audio/src/aac/mod.rs
index eb1c7d40..34b081ea 100644
--- a/crates/audio/src/aac/mod.rs
+++ b/crates/audio/src/aac/mod.rs
@@ -113,6 +113,26 @@ pub fn wav_order(channel_config: u8) -> Option<&'static [usize]> {
     })
 }
 
+/// The channel configuration whose speakers a stream has: its own, or for configuration 0 the
+/// configuration 3–6 that its program config element spells out. A program config element lists
+/// front, side, back and LFE elements in that order, so one that opens with a centre and a front
+/// pair and goes on with exactly the elements of a configuration has that configuration's speakers
+/// (and [`wav_order`]). Any other list has no speaker order that can be told, and gives 0: ffmpeg's
+/// 5.1(side), for one, lists the pair first and already decodes in WAV order.
+#[cfg(feature = "aac-decode")]
+pub fn speaker_config(asc: &AudioSpecificConfig) -> u8 {
+    if asc.channel_config != 0 {
+        return asc.channel_config;
+    }
+    let centre_then_pair = asc.pce.as_ref().is_some_and(|p| p.front.iter().map(|e| e.0).eq([false, true]));
+    if !centre_then_pair {
+        return 0;
+    }
+    let elements = asc.layout();
+    let same = |config: &u8| config_layout(*config).is_some_and(|l| l.iter().map(|e| e.0).eq(elements.iter().map(|e| e.0)));
+    (3..=6).find(same).unwrap_or(0)
+}
+
 /// The order the [`Encoder`] takes its input in, from WAV order: for each encoder input channel
 /// (AAC element order, see [`EncoderConfig::channels`]), the WAV-order channel to feed it. The
 /// inverse of [`wav_order`] for 3 to 7 channels; `None` for mono and stereo (already in order) and
@@ -279,6 +299,30 @@ mod tests {
 mod order_tests {
     use super::*;
 
+    /// A program config element in the shape of a channel configuration has that configuration's
+    /// speakers, with the centre first. ffmpeg's 5.1(side) lists its pair first and already decodes
+    /// in WAV order, so it stays as it is.
+    #[cfg(feature = "aac-decode")]
+    #[test]
+    fn a_program_config_element_takes_the_configuration_it_matches() {
+        let with = |pce| AudioSpecificConfig { pce: Some(pce), ..AudioSpecificConfig::lc(3, 0) };
+        let centre_first = ProgramConfig { front: vec![(false, 0), (true, 0)], back: vec![(true, 1)], lfe: vec![0], ..Default::default() };
+        assert_eq!(speaker_config(&with(centre_first)), 6);
+        let three = ProgramConfig { front: vec![(false, 0), (true, 0)], ..Default::default() };
+        assert_eq!(speaker_config(&with(three)), 3);
+        let ffmpeg = ProgramConfig { front: vec![(true, 0), (false, 0)], side: vec![(false, 1)], back: vec![(true, 1)], ..Default::default() };
+        assert_eq!(speaker_config(&with(ffmpeg)), 0);
+        // the same element types with no front pair: the side pair is not left and right
+        let no_front_pair =
+            ProgramConfig { front: vec![(false, 0)], side: vec![(true, 0)], back: vec![(true, 1)], lfe: vec![0], ..Default::default() };
+        assert_eq!(speaker_config(&with(no_front_pair)), 0);
+        // 7.1 in a program config element is not one of the unambiguous configurations
+        let wide =
+            ProgramConfig { front: vec![(false, 0), (true, 0)], side: vec![(true, 1)], back: vec![(true, 2)], lfe: vec![0], ..Default::default() };
+        assert_eq!(speaker_config(&with(wide)), 0);
+        assert_eq!(speaker_config(&AudioSpecificConfig::lc(3, 6)), 6);
+    }
+
     /// `aac_order` undoes `wav_order` for each channel count the encoder maps to a configuration
     /// (3–6 channels: configurations 3–6; 7: configuration 11).
     #[test]
diff --git a/crates/audio/src/track.rs b/crates/audio/src/track.rs
index 3d9ed7df..af984d71 100644
--- a/crates/audio/src/track.rs
+++ b/crates/audio/src/track.rs
@@ -156,7 +156,8 @@ impl TrackDecoder {
                 let codec = if up.is_some() { CodecId::HeAac } else { CodecId::Aac };
                 // Only twice the core rate is upsampled to; any other signalled rate plays the core.
                 let out = if up.is_some() { out } else { dec.sample_rate() };
-                let cfg = dec.config().channel_config;
+                // a program config element that spells out a configuration has its speakers
+                let cfg = aac::speaker_config(dec.config());
                 let layout = aac_layout(cfg, dec.channels());
                 let order = layout.is_ordered().then(|| aac::wav_order(cfg)).flatten();
                 (Inner::Aac { dec: Box::new(dec), up, order, adts_format }, codec, out, layout, SampleFormat::Compressed)
@@ -1079,6 +1080,8 @@ mod tests {
         let mut dec = TrackDecoder::new(&aac_params(), &[&frame]).unwrap();
         assert_eq!(dec.channels(), 3);
         assert_eq!(dec.decode(&frame).unwrap().channels.len(), 3);
+        // its element lists a centre and a front pair, as configuration 3 does: L R C, in WAV order
+        assert_eq!(dec.layout(), ChannelLayout::SURROUND_3_0);
         // no program config element where one is needed
         let bare = aac::AdtsHeader::write(2, 3, 0, 1, 0x7FF).unwrap();
         let bare = [&bare[..], &[0xE0]].concat();
diff --git a/crates/audio/tests/codecs/routing_oracle.rs b/crates/audio/tests/codecs/routing_oracle.rs
index c35a8900..6472979b 100644
--- a/crates/audio/tests/codecs/routing_oracle.rs
+++ b/crates/audio/tests/codecs/routing_oracle.rs
@@ -669,10 +669,14 @@ fn adts_with_a_program_config_element_decodes() {
     assert_eq!(bytes[3] >> 6 | (bytes[2] & 1) << 2, 0, "the fixture signals its layout in a PCE");
     let (info, buf) = decode(&bytes, None).unwrap();
     assert_eq!((info.container, info.codec, buf.channels.len()), (c.container, c.codec, c.channels));
-    assert_eq!(info.layout, c.layout);
+    // A program config element that lists a centre, a front pair and then the elements of 5.1 has
+    // 5.1's speakers, in WAV order like ffmpeg's decode; any other list keeps the decoded order,
+    // which ffmpeg versions write differently.
+    let ordered = info.layout.is_ordered();
+    assert_eq!(info.layout, if ordered { ChannelLayout::SURROUND_5_1_SIDE } else { c.layout });
     assert_eq!(buf.frames(), reference(&ff, &path).len() / c.channels);
-    // A program config's channels come in its own order, and which order ffmpeg writes differs by
-    // version: each of ours must match a different one of ffmpeg's.
+    // Each of our channels must match a different one of ffmpeg's: the same one when the layout is
+    // ordered.
     let refr = reference(&ff, &path);
     let mut matched = Vec::new();
     for plane in &buf.channels {
@@ -686,7 +690,9 @@ fn adts_with_a_program_config_element_decodes() {
         assert!(s >= c.min_snr, "channel {} matches ffmpeg's {best} at only {s:.1} dB", matched.len());
         matched.push(best);
     }
-    matched.sort_unstable();
+    if !ordered {
+        matched.sort_unstable();
+    }
     assert_eq!(matched, (0..c.channels).collect::<Vec<_>>());
 }