diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index a6d82b0d65..091feb451e 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -434,19 +434,6 @@ if (OPENGL_GL)
 	include_directories(${OPENGL_INCLUDE_DIR})
 endif()
 
-if(ENABLE_ALSA)
-	find_package(ALSA)
-	if(ALSA_FOUND)
-		add_definitions(-DHAVE_ALSA=1)
-		message(STATUS "ALSA found, enabling ALSA sound backend")
-	else()
-		add_definitions(-DHAVE_ALSA=0)
-		message(STATUS "ALSA NOT found, disabling ALSA sound backend")
-	endif()
-else()
-	message(STATUS "ALSA explicitly disabled, disabling ALSA sound backend")
-endif()
-
 if(ENABLE_AO)
 	check_lib(AO ao ao QUIET)
 	if(AO_FOUND)
diff --git a/CMakeTests/FindALSA.cmake b/CMakeTests/FindALSA.cmake
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..86c1510287
--- /dev/null
+++ b/CMakeTests/FindALSA.cmake
@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+# Distributed under the OSI-approved BSD 3-Clause License.  See accompanying
+# file Copyright.txt or https://cmake.org/licensing for details.
+
+#.rst:
+# FindALSA
+# --------
+#
+# Find alsa
+#
+# Find the alsa libraries (asound)
+#
+# ::
+#
+#   This module defines the following variables:
+#      ALSA_FOUND       - True if ALSA_INCLUDE_DIR & ALSA_LIBRARY are found
+#      ALSA_LIBRARIES   - Set when ALSA_LIBRARY is found
+#      ALSA_INCLUDE_DIRS - Set when ALSA_INCLUDE_DIR is found
+#
+#
+#
+# ::
+#
+#      ALSA_INCLUDE_DIR - where to find asoundlib.h, etc.
+#      ALSA_LIBRARY     - the asound library
+#      ALSA_VERSION_STRING - the version of alsa found (since CMake 2.8.8)
+
+find_path(ALSA_INCLUDE_DIR NAMES alsa/asoundlib.h
+          DOC "The ALSA (asound) include directory"
+)
+
+find_library(ALSA_LIBRARY NAMES asound
+          DOC "The ALSA (asound) library"
+)
+
+if(ALSA_INCLUDE_DIR AND EXISTS "${ALSA_INCLUDE_DIR}/alsa/version.h")
+  file(STRINGS "${ALSA_INCLUDE_DIR}/alsa/version.h" alsa_version_str REGEX "^#define[\t ]+SND_LIB_VERSION_STR[\t ]+\".*\"")
+
+  string(REGEX REPLACE "^.*SND_LIB_VERSION_STR[\t ]+\"([^\"]*)\".*$" "\\1" ALSA_VERSION_STRING "${alsa_version_str}")
+  unset(alsa_version_str)
+endif()
+
+include(FindPackageHandleStandardArgs)
+FIND_PACKAGE_HANDLE_STANDARD_ARGS(ALSA
+                                  REQUIRED_VARS ALSA_LIBRARY ALSA_INCLUDE_DIR
+                                  VERSION_VAR ALSA_VERSION_STRING)
+
+if(ALSA_FOUND)
+  set( ALSA_LIBRARIES ${ALSA_LIBRARY} )
+  set( ALSA_INCLUDE_DIRS ${ALSA_INCLUDE_DIR} )
+  add_library(ALSA::ALSA UNKNOWN IMPORTED)
+  set_target_properties(ALSA::ALSA PROPERTIES
+    IMPORTED_LOCATION ${ALSA_LIBRARY}
+    INTERFACE_INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES ${ALSA_INCLUDE_DIR}
+  )
+endif()
+
+mark_as_advanced(ALSA_INCLUDE_DIR ALSA_LIBRARY)
diff --git a/Source/Core/AudioCommon/AudioCommon.cpp b/Source/Core/AudioCommon/AudioCommon.cpp
index 0d0309a5c0..86d3d5943e 100644
--- a/Source/Core/AudioCommon/AudioCommon.cpp
+++ b/Source/Core/AudioCommon/AudioCommon.cpp
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ void InitSoundStream()
   std::string backend = SConfig::GetInstance().sBackend;
   if (backend == BACKEND_OPENAL && OpenALStream::isValid())
     g_sound_stream = std::make_unique<OpenALStream>();
-  else if (backend == BACKEND_NULLSOUND && NullSound::isValid())
+  else if (backend == BACKEND_NULLSOUND)
     g_sound_stream = std::make_unique<NullSound>();
   else if (backend == BACKEND_XAUDIO2)
   {
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ void InitSoundStream()
   else if (backend == BACKEND_OPENSLES && OpenSLESStream::isValid())
     g_sound_stream = std::make_unique<OpenSLESStream>();
 
-  if (!g_sound_stream && NullSound::isValid())
+  if (!g_sound_stream)
   {
     WARN_LOG(AUDIO, "Could not initialize backend %s, using %s instead.", backend.c_str(),
              BACKEND_NULLSOUND);
@@ -92,12 +92,27 @@ void ShutdownSoundStream()
   INFO_LOG(AUDIO, "Done shutting down sound stream");
 }
 
+std::string GetDefaultSoundBackend()
+{
+  std::string backend = BACKEND_NULLSOUND;
+#if defined __linux__
+  if (AlsaSound::isValid())
+    backend = BACKEND_ALSA;
+#elif defined __APPLE__
+  backend = BACKEND_COREAUDIO;
+#elif defined _WIN32
+  backend = BACKEND_XAUDIO2;
+#elif defined ANDROID
+  backend = BACKEND_OPENSLES;
+#endif
+  return backend;
+}
+
 std::vector<std::string> GetSoundBackends()
 {
   std::vector<std::string> backends;
 
-  if (NullSound::isValid())
-    backends.push_back(BACKEND_NULLSOUND);
+  backends.push_back(BACKEND_NULLSOUND);
   if (XAudio2_7::isValid() || XAudio2::isValid())
     backends.push_back(BACKEND_XAUDIO2);
   if (AOSound::isValid())
diff --git a/Source/Core/AudioCommon/AudioCommon.h b/Source/Core/AudioCommon/AudioCommon.h
index 249f608aad..8ba06ccac2 100644
--- a/Source/Core/AudioCommon/AudioCommon.h
+++ b/Source/Core/AudioCommon/AudioCommon.h
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ namespace AudioCommon
 {
 void InitSoundStream();
 void ShutdownSoundStream();
+std::string GetDefaultSoundBackend();
 std::vector<std::string> GetSoundBackends();
 bool SupportsDPL2Decoder(const std::string& backend);
 bool SupportsLatencyControl(const std::string& backend);
diff --git a/Source/Core/AudioCommon/CMakeLists.txt b/Source/Core/AudioCommon/CMakeLists.txt
index cd852e0366..c5b58c23be 100644
--- a/Source/Core/AudioCommon/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/Source/Core/AudioCommon/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,51 +1,61 @@
-set(SRCS	AudioCommon.cpp
-			DPL2Decoder.cpp
-			Mixer.cpp
-			WaveFile.cpp
-			NullSoundStream.cpp)
+set(SRCS
+  AudioCommon.cpp
+  DPL2Decoder.cpp
+  Mixer.cpp
+  WaveFile.cpp
+  NullSoundStream.cpp
+)
 
-set(LIBS "")
+add_dolphin_library(audiocommon "${SRCS}" "")
 
 find_package(OpenSLES)
 if(OPENSLES_FOUND)
-	message(STATUS "OpenSLES found, enabling OpenSLES sound backend")
-	set(SRCS ${SRCS} OpenSLESStream.cpp)
-	set(LIBS ${LIBS} OpenSLES::OpenSLES)
+  message(STATUS "OpenSLES found, enabling OpenSLES sound backend")
+  target_sources(audiocommon PRIVATE OpenSLESStream.cpp)
+  target_link_libraries(audiocommon PRIVATE OpenSLES::OpenSLES)
 endif()
 
-if(ALSA_FOUND)
-	set(SRCS ${SRCS} AlsaSoundStream.cpp)
-	set(LIBS ${LIBS} ${ALSA_LIBRARIES})
+if(ENABLE_ALSA)
+  find_package(ALSA)
+  if(ALSA_FOUND)
+    message(STATUS "ALSA found, enabling ALSA sound backend")
+    target_sources(audiocommon PRIVATE AlsaSoundStream.cpp)
+    target_link_libraries(audiocommon PRIVATE ALSA::ALSA)
+    target_compile_definitions(audiocommon PRIVATE HAVE_ALSA=1)
+  else()
+    message(STATUS "ALSA NOT found, disabling ALSA sound backend")
+  endif()
+else()
+  message(STATUS "ALSA explicitly disabled, disabling ALSA sound backend")
 endif()
 
 if(AO_FOUND)
-	set(SRCS ${SRCS} AOSoundStream.cpp)
-	set(LIBS ${LIBS} ${AO_LIBRARIES})
+  target_sources(audiocommon PRIVATE AOSoundStream.cpp)
+  target_link_libraries(audiocommon PRIVATE ${AO_LIBRARIES})
 endif()
 
 if(OPENAL_FOUND)
-	set(SRCS ${SRCS} OpenALStream.cpp aldlist.cpp)
-	set(LIBS ${LIBS} ${OPENAL_LIBRARY} SoundTouch )
+  target_sources(audiocommon PRIVATE OpenALStream.cpp aldlist.cpp)
+  target_link_libraries(audiocommon PRIVATE ${OPENAL_LIBRARY} SoundTouch)
 endif()
 
 if(PULSEAUDIO_FOUND)
-	set(SRCS ${SRCS} PulseAudioStream.cpp)
-	set(LIBS ${LIBS} ${PULSEAUDIO_LIBRARIES})
+  target_sources(audiocommon PRIVATE PulseAudioStream.cpp)
+  target_link_libraries(audiocommon PRIVATE ${PULSEAUDIO_LIBRARIES})
 endif()
 
 if(WIN32)
-	set(SRCS ${SRCS} XAudio2Stream.cpp)
+  target_sources(audiocommon PRIVATE XAudio2Stream.cpp)
 
-	add_dolphin_library(audiocommon_xaudio27 "XAudio2_7Stream.cpp" "${LIBS}")
-	target_include_directories(audiocommon_xaudio27 PRIVATE
-		${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/Externals
-		${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/Externals/XAudio2_7
-	)
-	list(APPEND LIBS audiocommon_xaudio27)
+  add_dolphin_library(audiocommon_xaudio27 "XAudio2_7Stream.cpp" "${LIBS}")
+  target_include_directories(audiocommon_xaudio27 PRIVATE
+    ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/Externals
+    ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/Externals/XAudio2_7
+  )
+  target_link_libraries(audiocommon PRIVATE audiocommon_xaudio27)
 
 elseif(APPLE)
-	set(SRCS ${SRCS} CoreAudioSoundStream.cpp)
+  target_sources(audiocommon PRIVATE CoreAudioSoundStream.cpp)
 endif()
 
 
-add_dolphin_library(audiocommon "${SRCS}" "${LIBS}")
diff --git a/Source/Core/Core/ConfigManager.cpp b/Source/Core/Core/ConfigManager.cpp
index edb2386bd4..8e7837c90a 100644
--- a/Source/Core/Core/ConfigManager.cpp
+++ b/Source/Core/Core/ConfigManager.cpp
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@
 #include <climits>
 #include <memory>
 
+#include "AudioCommon/AudioCommon.h"
+
 #include "Common/CDUtils.h"
 #include "Common/CommonPaths.h"
 #include "Common/CommonTypes.h"
@@ -613,17 +615,7 @@ void SConfig::LoadDSPSettings(IniFile& ini)
   dsp->Get("DumpAudio", &m_DumpAudio, false);
   dsp->Get("DumpAudioSilent", &m_DumpAudioSilent, false);
   dsp->Get("DumpUCode", &m_DumpUCode, false);
-#if defined __linux__ && HAVE_ALSA
-  dsp->Get("Backend", &sBackend, BACKEND_ALSA);
-#elif defined __APPLE__
-  dsp->Get("Backend", &sBackend, BACKEND_COREAUDIO);
-#elif defined _WIN32
-  dsp->Get("Backend", &sBackend, BACKEND_XAUDIO2);
-#elif defined ANDROID
-  dsp->Get("Backend", &sBackend, BACKEND_OPENSLES);
-#else
-  dsp->Get("Backend", &sBackend, BACKEND_NULLSOUND);
-#endif
+  dsp->Get("Backend", &sBackend, AudioCommon::GetDefaultSoundBackend());
   dsp->Get("Volume", &m_Volume, 100);
   dsp->Get("CaptureLog", &m_DSPCaptureLog, false);