diff --git a/lib/media/streaming_engine.js b/lib/media/streaming_engine.js
index 2b8840cf47..9024dfb9d4 100644
--- a/lib/media/streaming_engine.js
+++ b/lib/media/streaming_engine.js
@@ -1339,11 +1339,7 @@ shaka.media.StreamingEngine.prototype.update_ = function(mediaState) {
   // If it's a text stream and the original id starts with 'CC', it's CEA
   // closed captions. Do not schedule update for closed captions text
   // mediastate, since closed captions are embedded in video streams.
-  const isCaptionState = (state) => {
-    return state.type == ContentType.TEXT &&
-        state.stream.mimeType == shaka.util.MimeUtils.CLOSED_CAPTION_MIMETYPE;
-  };
-  if (isCaptionState(mediaState)) {
+    if (shaka.media.StreamingEngine.isEmbeddedText_(mediaState)) {
     this.playerInterface_.mediaSourceEngine.setSelectedClosedCaptionId(
         mediaState.stream.originalId || '');
     return null;
@@ -1443,7 +1439,9 @@ shaka.media.StreamingEngine.prototype.update_ = function(mediaState) {
   mediaStates.forEach((otherState) => {
     // Do not consider embedded captions in this calculation.  It could lead
     // to hangs in streaming.
-    if (isCaptionState(otherState)) return;
+      if (shaka.media.StreamingEngine.isEmbeddedText_(otherState)) {
+        return;
+      }
 
     const timeNeeded = this.getTimeNeeded_(otherState, presentationTime);
     minTimeNeeded = Math.min(minTimeNeeded, timeNeeded);
@@ -2199,13 +2197,15 @@ shaka.media.StreamingEngine.prototype.handlePeriodTransition_ = function(
   goog.asserts.assert(
       mediaStates.every(function(ms) {
         return ms.needPeriodIndex == needPeriodIndex || ms.hasError ||
-            !shaka.media.StreamingEngine.isIdle_(ms);
+            !shaka.media.StreamingEngine.isIdle_(ms) ||
+            shaka.media.StreamingEngine.isEmbeddedText_(ms);
       }),
       'All MediaStates should need the same Period or be performing updates.');
 
   // Only call onChooseStreams() when all MediaStates need the same Period.
   let needSamePeriod = mediaStates.every(function(ms) {
-    return ms.needPeriodIndex == needPeriodIndex;
+    return ms.needPeriodIndex == needPeriodIndex ||
+        shaka.media.StreamingEngine.isEmbeddedText_(ms);
   });
   if (!needSamePeriod) {
     shaka.log.debug(
@@ -2239,6 +2239,10 @@ shaka.media.StreamingEngine.prototype.handlePeriodTransition_ = function(
     let allReady = mediaStates.every(function(ms) {
       let isIdle = shaka.media.StreamingEngine.isIdle_(ms);
       let currentPeriodIndex = this.findPeriodContainingStream_(ms.stream);
+      if (shaka.media.StreamingEngine.isEmbeddedText_(ms)) {
+        // Embedded text tracks don't do Period transitions.
+        return true;
+      }
       return isIdle && ms.needPeriodIndex == needPeriodIndex &&
           currentPeriodIndex != needPeriodIndex;
     }.bind(this));
@@ -2325,6 +2329,18 @@ shaka.media.StreamingEngine.prototype.handlePeriodTransition_ = function(
 };
 
 
+/**
+ * @param {shaka.media.StreamingEngine.MediaState_} mediaState
+ * @return {boolean}
+ * @private
+ */
+shaka.media.StreamingEngine.isEmbeddedText_ = function(mediaState) {
+  const MimeUtils = shaka.util.MimeUtils;
+  return mediaState.type == shaka.util.ManifestParserUtils.ContentType.TEXT &&
+      mediaState.stream.mimeType == MimeUtils.CLOSED_CAPTION_MIMETYPE;
+};
+
+
 /**
  * @param {shaka.media.StreamingEngine.MediaState_} mediaState
  * @return {boolean} True if the given MediaState is idle; otherwise, return