diff --git a/src/modules/options/OptionsWidget_sound.cpp b/src/modules/options/OptionsWidget_sound.cpp
index 4b84b3e41..b13a1fe44 100644
--- a/src/modules/options/OptionsWidget_sound.cpp
+++ b/src/modules/options/OptionsWidget_sound.cpp
@@ -195,8 +195,15 @@ void OptionsWidget_soundGeneral::soundAutoDetect()
 
 	g_pApp->setOverrideCursor(Qt::WaitCursor);
 
-	m->ctrl("detectSoundSystem", nullptr);
 	soundFillBox();
+	QString szSoundSystem;
+	if(m->ctrl("detectSoundSystem", &szSoundSystem) && !KviQString::equalCI(szSoundSystem, "null"))
+	{
+		int idx = m_pSoundSystemBox->findText(szSoundSystem);
+		if(idx > -1) {
+			m_pSoundSystemBox->setCurrentIndex(idx);
+		}
+	}
 
 	g_pApp->restoreOverrideCursor();
 }
diff --git a/src/modules/setup/libkvisetup.cpp b/src/modules/setup/libkvisetup.cpp
index 4c576e3a8..09944bbe5 100644
--- a/src/modules/setup/libkvisetup.cpp
+++ b/src/modules/setup/libkvisetup.cpp
@@ -123,8 +123,14 @@ KVIMODULEEXPORTFUNC void setup_finish()
 
 		// detect the most appropriate sound system
 		KviModule * m = g_pModuleManager->getModule("snd");
-		if(m)
-			m->ctrl("detectSoundSystem", nullptr);
+		if(m) {
+			QString szSoundSystem;
+			if (m->ctrl("detectSoundSystem", &szSoundSystem) &&
+				!KviQString::equalCI(szSoundSystem, "null"))
+			{
+				KVI_OPTION_STRING(KviOption_stringSoundSystem) = szSoundSystem;
+			}
+		}
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/src/modules/snd/libkvisnd.cpp b/src/modules/snd/libkvisnd.cpp
index b4580074d..041d418fb 100644
--- a/src/modules/snd/libkvisnd.cpp
+++ b/src/modules/snd/libkvisnd.cpp
@@ -216,33 +216,36 @@ bool KviSoundPlayer::event(QEvent * e)
 	return QObject::event(e);
 }
 
-void KviSoundPlayer::detectSoundSystem()
+bool KviSoundPlayer::detectSoundSystem(QString & szSoundSystem)
 {
 #if defined(COMPILE_ON_WINDOWS) || defined(COMPILE_ON_MINGW)
-	KVI_OPTION_STRING(KviOption_stringSoundSystem) = "winmm";
-#else
+	szSoundSystem = "winmm";
+	return true;
+#endif
+#ifdef COMPILE_QTMULTIMEDIA_SUPPORT
+	szSoundSystem = "qt";
+	return true;
+#endif
 #ifdef COMPILE_ESD_SUPPORT
 	esd_format_t format = ESD_BITS16 | ESD_STREAM | ESD_PLAY | ESD_MONO;
 	int esd_fd = esd_play_stream(format, 8012, nullptr, "kvirc");
 	if(esd_fd >= 0)
 	{
-		KVI_OPTION_STRING(KviOption_stringSoundSystem) = "esd";
-		return;
+		szSoundSystem = "esd";
+		return true;
 	}
 #endif
 #ifdef COMPILE_OSS_SUPPORT
 #ifdef COMPILE_AUDIOFILE_SUPPORT
-	KVI_OPTION_STRING(KviOption_stringSoundSystem) = "oss+audiofile";
-	return;
+	szSoundSystem = "oss+audiofile";
+	return true;
 #endif
-	KVI_OPTION_STRING(KviOption_stringSoundSystem) = "oss";
+	szSoundSystem = "oss";
+	return true;
 #endif
 
-#ifdef COMPILE_QTMULTIMEDIA_SUPPORT
-	KVI_OPTION_STRING(KviOption_stringSoundSystem) = "qt";
-#endif
-	return;
-#endif
+	szSoundSystem = "null";
+	return false;
 }
 
 #ifdef COMPILE_PHONON_SUPPORT
@@ -395,7 +398,9 @@ bool KviSoundPlayer::play(const QString & szFileName)
 	if(!e)
 	{
 		if(
-		    (!KVI_OPTION_STRING(KviOption_stringSoundSystem).isEmpty()) && (!KviQString::equalCI(KVI_OPTION_STRING(KviOption_stringSoundSystem), "unknown")))
+		    (!KVI_OPTION_STRING(KviOption_stringSoundSystem).isEmpty()) &&
+		    (!KviQString::equalCI(KVI_OPTION_STRING(KviOption_stringSoundSystem), "unknown")) &&
+		    (!KviQString::equalCI(KVI_OPTION_STRING(KviOption_stringSoundSystem), "null")))
 		{
 			qDebug(
 			    "Sound system '%s' is not valid, you may want to re-configure it in the options dialog...",
@@ -403,8 +408,9 @@ bool KviSoundPlayer::play(const QString & szFileName)
 			return false; // detection already attempted (and failed?)
 		}
 
-		detectSoundSystem();
-		e = m_pSoundSystemDict->find(KVI_OPTION_STRING(KviOption_stringSoundSystem));
+		QString szSoundSystem;
+		detectSoundSystem(szSoundSystem);
+		e = m_pSoundSystemDict->find(szSoundSystem);
 		if(!e)
 			return false;
 	}
@@ -718,14 +724,16 @@ static bool snd_kvs_cmd_play(KviKvsModuleCommandCall * c)
 
 static bool snd_kvs_cmd_autodetect(KviKvsModuleCommandCall * c)
 {
-	g_pSoundPlayer->detectSoundSystem();
-	if(KviQString::equalCI(KVI_OPTION_STRING(KviOption_stringSoundSystem), "null"))
+	QString szSoundSystem;
+	g_pSoundPlayer->detectSoundSystem(szSoundSystem);
+	if(KviQString::equalCI(szSoundSystem, "null"))
 	{
 		c->window()->outputNoFmt(KVI_OUT_SYSTEMERROR, __tr2qs("Sorry, I can't find a sound system to use on this machine"));
 	}
 	else
 	{
-		c->window()->output(KVI_OUT_SYSTEMMESSAGE, __tr2qs("Sound system detected to: %s"), KVI_OPTION_STRING(KviOption_stringSoundSystem).toUtf8().data());
+		KVI_OPTION_STRING(KviOption_stringSoundSystem) = szSoundSystem;
+		c->window()->output(KVI_OUT_SYSTEMMESSAGE, __tr2qs("Sound system detected to: %s"), szSoundSystem.toUtf8().data());
 	}
 	return true;
 }
@@ -831,8 +839,10 @@ static bool snd_module_ctrl(KviModule *, const char * operation, void * param)
 	}
 	if(kvi_strEqualCI(operation, "detectSoundSystem"))
 	{
-		g_pSoundPlayer->detectSoundSystem();
-		return true;
+		QString * pszSoundSystem = (QString *)param;
+		if(pszSoundSystem)
+			return g_pSoundPlayer->detectSoundSystem(*pszSoundSystem);
+		return false;
 	}
 	if(kvi_strEqualCI(operation, "play"))
 	{
diff --git a/src/modules/snd/libkvisnd.h b/src/modules/snd/libkvisnd.h
index 0a535385b..5ef1262be 100644
--- a/src/modules/snd/libkvisnd.h
+++ b/src/modules/snd/libkvisnd.h
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ class KviSoundPlayer : public QObject
 
 public:
 	bool play(const QString & szFileName);
-	void detectSoundSystem();
+	bool detectSoundSystem(QString & szSoundSystem);
 	bool havePlayingSounds();
 	void getAvailableSoundSystems(QStringList * l);
 	bool isMuted()