diff --git a/stepmania/src/PrefsManager.cpp b/stepmania/src/PrefsManager.cpp
index 1ec7255fbf..5a8b8ae4f5 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/PrefsManager.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/PrefsManager.cpp
@@ -247,6 +247,7 @@ void PrefsManager::Init()
 	 * specify numbers directly.) This is purely a troubleshooting option
 	 * and is not honored by all sound drivers. */
 	m_iSoundWriteAhead = 0;
+	m_iSoundDevice = "";
 	m_fSoundVolume = DEFAULT_SOUND_VOLUME;
 	m_iSoundResampleQuality = RageSoundReader_Resample::RESAMP_NORMAL;
 
@@ -441,6 +442,7 @@ void PrefsManager::ReadPrefsFromFile( CString sIni )
 	ini.GetValue( "Options", "MusicWheelSwitchSpeed",			m_iMusicWheelSwitchSpeed );
 	ini.GetValue( "Options", "SoundDrivers",					m_sSoundDrivers );
 	ini.GetValue( "Options", "SoundWriteAhead",					m_iSoundWriteAhead );
+	ini.GetValue( "Options", "SoundDevice",						m_iSoundDevice );
 	ini.GetValue( "Options", "MovieDrivers",					m_sMovieDrivers );
 	ini.GetValue( "Options", "EasterEggs",						m_bEasterEggs );
 	ini.GetValue( "Options", "MarvelousTiming",					(int&)m_iMarvelousTiming );
@@ -770,6 +772,7 @@ void PrefsManager::SaveGlobalPrefsToDisk() const
 	ini.SetValue( "Options", "SignProfileData",					m_bSignProfileData );
 	
 	ini.SetValue( "Options", "SoundWriteAhead",					m_iSoundWriteAhead );
+	ini.SetValue( "Options", "SoundDevice",						m_iSoundDevice );
 
 	ini.SetValue( "Editor", "ShowBGChangesPlay",				m_bEditorShowBGChangesPlay );
 
diff --git a/stepmania/src/PrefsManager.h b/stepmania/src/PrefsManager.h
index 15b450927c..01acd3f1c9 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/PrefsManager.h
+++ b/stepmania/src/PrefsManager.h
@@ -245,6 +245,7 @@ public:
 	bool			m_bSmoothLines;
 	CString			m_sSoundDrivers;
 	int				m_iSoundWriteAhead;
+	CString				m_iSoundDevice;
 	float			m_fSoundVolume;
 	int				m_iSoundResampleQuality;
 	CString			m_sMovieDrivers;
diff --git a/stepmania/src/arch/Sound/ALSA9Helpers.cpp b/stepmania/src/arch/Sound/ALSA9Helpers.cpp
index 8a77d03f7a..d3ed53109a 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/arch/Sound/ALSA9Helpers.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/arch/Sound/ALSA9Helpers.cpp
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 #include "ALSA9Helpers.h"
 #include "SDL_utils.h"
 #include "ALSA9Dynamic.h"
+#include "PrefsManager.h"
 
 /* int err; must be defined before using this macro */
 #define ALSA_CHECK(x) \
@@ -153,6 +154,13 @@ void Alsa9Buf::InitializeErrorHandler()
 	dsnd_lib_error_set_handler( ErrorHandler );
 }
 
+static CString DeviceName()
+{
+	if( !PREFSMAN->m_iSoundDevice.empty() )
+		return PREFSMAN->m_iSoundDevice;
+	return "hw:0";
+}
+
 void Alsa9Buf::GetSoundCardDebugInfo()
 {
 	static bool done = false;	
@@ -219,10 +227,11 @@ void Alsa9Buf::GetSoundCardDebugInfo()
 
 	if( card == 0 )
 		LOG->Info( "No ALSA sound cards were found.");
+	
+	if( !PREFSMAN->m_iSoundDevice.empty() )
+		LOG->Info( "ALSA device overridden to \"%s\"", PREFSMAN->m_iSoundDevice.c_str() );
 }
 
-static CString DeviceName = "hw:0";
-
 Alsa9Buf::Alsa9Buf( hw hardware, int channels_ )
 {
 	GetSoundCardDebugInfo();
@@ -240,9 +249,9 @@ Alsa9Buf::Alsa9Buf( hw hardware, int channels_ )
 	/* Open the device. */
 	int err;
 //	err = dsnd_pcm_open( &pcm, "dmix", SND_PCM_STREAM_PLAYBACK, SND_PCM_NONBLOCK );
-	err = dsnd_pcm_open( &pcm, DeviceName, SND_PCM_STREAM_PLAYBACK, SND_PCM_NONBLOCK );
+	err = dsnd_pcm_open( &pcm, DeviceName(), SND_PCM_STREAM_PLAYBACK, SND_PCM_NONBLOCK );
 	if (err < 0)
-		RageException::ThrowNonfatal("dsnd_pcm_open: %s", dsnd_strerror(err));
+		RageException::ThrowNonfatal("dsnd_pcm_open(%s): %s", DeviceName().c_str(), dsnd_strerror(err));
 
 	if( !SetHWParams() )
 	{
@@ -433,7 +442,7 @@ CString Alsa9Buf::GetHardwareID( CString name )
 	InitializeErrorHandler();
 
 	if( name.empty() )
-		name = DeviceName;
+		name = DeviceName();
 	
 	snd_ctl_t *handle;
 	int err;