Changing audio channels leads to deadlock

Play a video file, then select Audio -> Audio Channels -> Right

Sound will vanish, even though there is a Right channel. Changing it back to Stereo doesn't work either, selection sticks and Messages window shows:

main error: caught in a callback deadlock? ('audio-channels')

Afterwards vlc becomes unresponsive and needs to be killed in an ungentle and brutal manner.

The problem is not always reproducible.