diff --git a/BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk/Sound/Sound.cs b/BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk/Sound/Sound.cs
index 6461747c50..85aaa2502d 100644
--- a/BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk/Sound/Sound.cs
+++ b/BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk/Sound/Sound.cs
@@ -25,15 +25,17 @@ namespace BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk
 
 		public Sound(IntPtr mainWindowHandle)
 		{
-			if (Global.Config.SoundOutputMethod == Config.ESoundOutputMethod.OpenAL)
-				_outputDevice = new OpenALSoundOutput(this);
 			if (OSTailoredCode.CurrentOS == OSTailoredCode.DistinctOS.Windows)
 			{
+				if (Global.Config.SoundOutputMethod == Config.ESoundOutputMethod.OpenAL)
+					_outputDevice = new OpenALSoundOutput(this);
 				if (Global.Config.SoundOutputMethod == Config.ESoundOutputMethod.DirectSound)
 					_outputDevice = new DirectSoundSoundOutput(this, mainWindowHandle);
 				if (Global.Config.SoundOutputMethod == Config.ESoundOutputMethod.XAudio2)
 					_outputDevice = new XAudio2SoundOutput(this);
 			}
+			else _outputDevice = new OpenALSoundOutput(this); // at the moment unix/mono can only support OpenAL (so ignore whatever is set in the config)
+
 			if (_outputDevice == null)
 				_outputDevice = new DummySoundOutput(this);
 		}