diff --git a/BasiliskII/src/SDL/audio_sdl.cpp b/BasiliskII/src/SDL/audio_sdl.cpp
index 767e0f38..130afe6b 100644
--- a/BasiliskII/src/SDL/audio_sdl.cpp
+++ b/BasiliskII/src/SDL/audio_sdl.cpp
@@ -45,8 +45,6 @@ static int audio_sample_size_index = 0;
 static int audio_channel_count_index = 0;
 
 // Global variables
-SDL_AudioDeviceID audio_device = 0;
-SDL_AudioSpec audio_spec_obtained;
 static SDL_sem *audio_irq_done_sem = NULL;			// Signal from interrupt to streaming thread: data block read
 static uint8 silence_byte;							// Byte value to use to fill sound buffers with silence
 static uint8 *audio_mix_buf = NULL;
@@ -88,36 +86,40 @@ static bool open_sdl_audio(void)
 		audio_channel_count_index = audio_channel_counts.size() - 1;
 	}
 
-	SDL_AudioSpec audio_spec_desired;
-	SDL_zero(audio_spec_desired);
-	audio_spec_desired.freq = audio_sample_rates[audio_sample_rate_index] >> 16;
-	audio_spec_desired.format = (audio_sample_sizes[audio_sample_size_index] == 8) ? AUDIO_U8 : AUDIO_S16MSB;
-	audio_spec_desired.channels = audio_channel_counts[audio_channel_count_index];
-	audio_spec_desired.samples = 4096;
-	audio_spec_desired.callback = stream_func;
-	audio_spec_desired.userdata = NULL;
+	SDL_AudioSpec audio_spec;
+	SDL_zero(audio_spec);
+	audio_spec.freq = audio_sample_rates[audio_sample_rate_index] >> 16;
+	audio_spec.format = (audio_sample_sizes[audio_sample_size_index] == 8) ? AUDIO_U8 : AUDIO_S16MSB;
+	audio_spec.channels = audio_channel_counts[audio_channel_count_index];
+	audio_spec.samples = 4096;
+	audio_spec.callback = stream_func;
+	audio_spec.userdata = NULL;
 
 	// Open the audio device, forcing the desired format
-	SDL_zero(audio_spec_obtained);
-	audio_device = SDL_OpenAudioDevice(NULL, 0, &audio_spec_desired, &audio_spec_obtained, 0);
-	if (!audio_device) {
+	if (SDL_OpenAudio(&audio_spec, NULL) < 0) {
 		fprintf(stderr, "WARNING: Cannot open audio: %s\n", SDL_GetError());
 		return false;
 	}
+	
+	// HACK: workaround a bug in SDL pre-2.0.6 (reported via https://bugzilla.libsdl.org/show_bug.cgi?id=3710 )
+	// whereby SDL does not update audio_spec.size
+	if (audio_spec.size == 0) {
+		audio_spec.size = (SDL_AUDIO_BITSIZE(audio_spec.format) / 8) * audio_spec.channels * audio_spec.samples;
+	}
 
 #if defined(BINCUE)
-	OpenAudio_bincue(audio_spec_obtained.freq, audio_spec_obtained.format, audio_spec_obtained.channels,
-	audio_spec_obtained.silence);
+	OpenAudio_bincue(audio_spec.freq, audio_spec.format, audio_spec.channels,
+	audio_spec.silence);
 #endif
 
 	const char * driver_name = SDL_GetCurrentAudioDriver();
 	printf("Using SDL/%s audio output\n", driver_name ? driver_name : "");
-	silence_byte = audio_spec_obtained.silence;
-	SDL_PauseAudioDevice(audio_device, 0);
+	silence_byte = audio_spec.silence;
+	SDL_PauseAudio(0);
 
 	// Sound buffer size = 4096 frames
-	audio_frames_per_block = audio_spec_obtained.samples;
-	audio_mix_buf = (uint8*)malloc(audio_spec_obtained.size);
+	audio_frames_per_block = audio_spec.samples;
+	audio_mix_buf = (uint8*)malloc(audio_spec.size);
 	return true;
 }
 
@@ -166,10 +168,7 @@ void AudioInit(void)
 static void close_audio(void)
 {
 	// Close audio device
-	if (audio_device) {
-		SDL_CloseAudioDevice(audio_device);
-		audio_device = 0;
-	}
+	SDL_CloseAudio();
 	free(audio_mix_buf);
 	audio_mix_buf = NULL;
 	audio_open = false;
@@ -232,7 +231,7 @@ static void stream_func(void *arg, uint8 *stream, int stream_len)
 			// Send data to audio device
 			Mac2Host_memcpy(audio_mix_buf, ReadMacInt32(apple_stream_info + scd_buffer), work_size);
 			memset((uint8 *)stream, silence_byte, stream_len);
-			SDL_MixAudioFormat(stream, audio_mix_buf, audio_spec_obtained.format, work_size, audio_volume);
+			SDL_MixAudio(stream, audio_mix_buf, work_size, audio_volume);
 
 			D(bug("stream: data written\n"));
 
diff --git a/BasiliskII/src/Unix/bincue_unix.cpp b/BasiliskII/src/Unix/bincue_unix.cpp
index 156c3c8f..612cf790 100644
--- a/BasiliskII/src/Unix/bincue_unix.cpp
+++ b/BasiliskII/src/Unix/bincue_unix.cpp
@@ -49,8 +49,6 @@ static int bincue_core_audio_callback(void);
 #ifdef USE_SDL_AUDIO
 #include <SDL.h>
 #include <SDL_audio.h>
-extern SDL_AudioDeviceID audio_device;
-extern SDL_AudioSpec audio_spec_obtained;
 #endif
 
 #include "bincue_unix.h"
@@ -666,7 +664,7 @@ bool CDPlay_bincue(void *fh, uint8 start_m, uint8 start_s, uint8 start_f,
 		MSF msf;
 
 #ifdef USE_SDL_AUDIO
-		SDL_LockAudioDevice(audio_device);
+		SDL_LockAudio();
 #endif
 
 		player.audiostatus = CDROM_AUDIO_NO_STATUS;
@@ -711,7 +709,7 @@ bool CDPlay_bincue(void *fh, uint8 start_m, uint8 start_s, uint8 start_f,
 			D(bug("CDPlay_bincue: play beyond last track !\n"));
 
 #ifdef USE_SDL_AUDIO
-		SDL_UnlockAudioDevice(audio_device);
+		SDL_UnlockAudio();
 #endif
 
 		if (audio_enabled) {
@@ -806,7 +804,7 @@ void MixAudio_bincue(uint8 *stream, int stream_len)
 	if (audio_enabled && (player.audiostatus == CDROM_AUDIO_PLAY)) {
 		uint8 *buf = fill_buffer(stream_len);
 		if (buf)
-			SDL_MixAudioFormat(stream, buf, audio_spec_obtained.format, stream_len, SDL_MIX_MAXVOLUME);
+			SDL_MixAudio(stream, buf, stream_len, SDL_MIX_MAXVOLUME);
 	}
 }