diff --git a/sc2/src/libs/sound/mixer/sdl/audiodrv_sdl.c b/sc2/src/libs/sound/mixer/sdl/audiodrv_sdl.c
index 2df4c5baa..fa1b06c86 100644
--- a/sc2/src/libs/sound/mixer/sdl/audiodrv_sdl.c
+++ b/sc2/src/libs/sound/mixer/sdl/audiodrv_sdl.c
@@ -24,6 +24,14 @@
 #include <stdlib.h>
 
 
+/* SDL2 wants to talk to a specific device. We'll let SDL1 use the same
+ * function names and just throw the device argument away. */
+#if SDL_MAJOR_VERSION > 1
+static SDL_AudioDeviceID dev;
+#else
+#define SDL_CloseAudioDevice(x) SDL_CloseAudio ()
+#define SDL_PauseAudioDevice(x, y) SDL_PauseAudio (y)
+#endif
 static const audio_Driver mixSDL_Driver =
 {
 	mixSDL_Uninit,
@@ -145,7 +153,30 @@ mixSDL_Init (audio_Driver *driver, sint32 flags)
 	desired.callback = mixer_MixChannels;
 	
 	log_add (log_Info, "Opening SDL audio device.");
+#if SDL_MAJOR_VERSION > 1
+	dev = SDL_OpenAudioDevice (NULL, 0, &desired, &obtained,
+			SDL_AUDIO_ALLOW_FREQUENCY_CHANGE | SDL_AUDIO_ALLOW_CHANNELS_CHANGE
+#ifdef SDL_AUDIO_ALLOW_SAMPLES_CHANGE
+			| SDL_AUDIO_ALLOW_SAMPLES_CHANGE
+#endif
+			);
+	if (dev != 0 && obtained.channels != 1 && obtained.channels != 2)
+	{
+		/* Try again without SDL_AUDIO_ALLOW_CHANNELS_CHANGE
+		 * in case the device only supports >2 channels for some
+		 * reason */
+		SDL_CloseAudioDevice (dev);
+		dev = SDL_OpenAudioDevice (NULL, 0, &desired, &obtained,
+				SDL_AUDIO_ALLOW_FREQUENCY_CHANGE
+#ifdef SDL_AUDIO_ALLOW_SAMPLES_CHANGE
+				| SDL_AUDIO_ALLOW_SAMPLES_CHANGE
+#endif
+				);
+	}
+	if (dev == 0)
+#else
 	if (SDL_OpenAudio (&desired, &obtained) < 0)
+#endif
 	{
 		log_add (log_Error, "Unable to open audio device: %s",
 				SDL_GetError ());
@@ -181,7 +212,7 @@ mixSDL_Init (audio_Driver *driver, sint32 flags)
 	{
 		log_add (log_Error, "Mixer initialization failed: %x",
 				mixer_GetError ());
-		SDL_CloseAudio ();
+		SDL_CloseAudioDevice (dev);
 		SDL_QuitSubSystem (SDL_INIT_AUDIO);
 		return -1;
 	}
@@ -191,7 +222,7 @@ mixSDL_Init (audio_Driver *driver, sint32 flags)
 	if (SoundDecoder_Init (flags, &formats))
 	{
 		log_add (log_Error, "Sound decoders initialization failed.");
-		SDL_CloseAudio ();
+		SDL_CloseAudioDevice (dev);
 		mixer_Uninit ();
 		SDL_QuitSubSystem (SDL_INIT_AUDIO);
 		return -1;
@@ -209,7 +240,7 @@ mixSDL_Init (audio_Driver *driver, sint32 flags)
 	{
 		log_add (log_Error, "Stream decoder initialization failed.");
 		// TODO: cleanup source mutexes [or is it "muti"? :) ]
-		SDL_CloseAudio ();
+		SDL_CloseAudioDevice (dev);
 		SoundDecoder_Uninit ();
 		mixer_Uninit ();
 		SDL_QuitSubSystem (SDL_INIT_AUDIO);
@@ -222,7 +253,7 @@ mixSDL_Init (audio_Driver *driver, sint32 flags)
 	SetSpeechVolume (speechVolumeScale);
 	SetMusicVolume ((COUNT)musicVolume);
 				
-	SDL_PauseAudio (0);
+	SDL_PauseAudioDevice (dev, 0);
 		
 	return 0;
 }
@@ -251,7 +282,7 @@ mixSDL_Uninit (void)
 		mixSDL_DeleteSources (1, &soundSource[i].handle);
 	}
 
-	SDL_CloseAudio ();
+	SDL_CloseAudioDevice (dev);
 	mixer_Uninit ();
 	SoundDecoder_Uninit ();
 	SDL_QuitSubSystem (SDL_INIT_AUDIO);