diff --git a/stepmania/src/arch/Sound/ALSA9Functions.h b/stepmania/src/arch/Sound/ALSA9Functions.h
index e94f313444..d6209949c9 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/arch/Sound/ALSA9Functions.h
+++ b/stepmania/src/arch/Sound/ALSA9Functions.h
@@ -50,4 +50,5 @@ FUNC(int, snd_pcm_sw_params_current, (snd_pcm_t *pcm, snd_pcm_sw_params_t *param
 FUNC(int, snd_pcm_sw_params_get_boundary, (const snd_pcm_sw_params_t *params, snd_pcm_uframes_t *val));
 FUNC(int, snd_pcm_sw_params_get_xfer_align, (const snd_pcm_sw_params_t *params, snd_pcm_uframes_t *val));
 FUNC(int, snd_pcm_sw_params_set_stop_threshold, (snd_pcm_t *pcm, snd_pcm_sw_params_t *params, snd_pcm_uframes_t val));
+FUNC(int, snd_pcm_sw_params_get_avail_min, (snd_pcm_sw_params_t *params, snd_pcm_uframes_t *val));
 
diff --git a/stepmania/src/arch/Sound/ALSA9Helpers.cpp b/stepmania/src/arch/Sound/ALSA9Helpers.cpp
index 30c3691c0c..fde5d80823 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/arch/Sound/ALSA9Helpers.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/arch/Sound/ALSA9Helpers.cpp
@@ -88,6 +88,14 @@ bool Alsa9Buf::SetSWParams()
 	int err = dsnd_pcm_sw_params_get_xfer_align( swparams, &xfer_align );
 	ALSA_ASSERT("dsnd_pcm_sw_params_get_xfer_align");
 
+	snd_pcm_uframes_t avail_min;
+	err = dsnd_pcm_sw_params_get_avail_min( swparams, &avail_min );
+	ALSA_ASSERT("dsnd_pcm_sw_params_get_avail_min");
+
+	/* So far, I havn't seen a case where avail_min > xfer_align.  If that happens,
+	 * the GetNumFramesToFill will need updating. */
+	ASSERT( avail_min <= xfer_align );
+
 	/* If this fails, we might have bound dsnd_pcm_sw_params_get_xfer_align to
 	 * the old SW API. */
 	ASSERT( err <= 0 );
diff --git a/stepmania/src/arch/Sound/DSoundHelpers.cpp b/stepmania/src/arch/Sound/DSoundHelpers.cpp
index fe84828f09..b7c292cdd1 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/arch/Sound/DSoundHelpers.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/arch/Sound/DSoundHelpers.cpp
@@ -285,9 +285,6 @@ bool DSoundBuf::get_output_buf(char **buffer, unsigned *bufsiz, int chunksize)
 	ASSERT(!buffer_locked);
 
 	DWORD cursorstart, cursorend;
-#if !defined(_XBOX)
-	DWORD junk;
-#endif
 
 	HRESULT result;
 
@@ -353,7 +350,6 @@ bool DSoundBuf::get_output_buf(char **buffer, unsigned *bufsiz, int chunksize)
 			LOG->Trace("underrun %p: %i..%i filled but cursor at %i..%i (missed it by %i) %i/%i",
 				this, first_byte_filled, write_cursor, cursorstart, cursorend,
 				missed_by, buffer_bytes_filled, buffersize);
-//				(cursorend - first_byte_filled + buffersize) % buffersize);
 
 			/* Pretend the space between the play and write cursor is filled
 			 * with data, and continue filling from there. */
@@ -395,6 +391,7 @@ bool DSoundBuf::get_output_buf(char **buffer, unsigned *bufsiz, int chunksize)
 #ifdef _XBOX
 	result = buf->Lock(write_cursor, num_bytes_empty, (LPVOID *)buffer, (DWORD *) bufsiz, NULL, NULL, 0);
 #else
+	DWORD junk;
 	result = buf->Lock(write_cursor, num_bytes_empty, (LPVOID *)buffer, (DWORD *) bufsiz, NULL, &junk, 0);
 #endif