diff --git a/include/snd_render.h b/include/snd_render.h
index aa7f312e0..b0a90877a 100644
--- a/include/snd_render.h
+++ b/include/snd_render.h
@@ -419,36 +419,41 @@ void SND_ResampleStereo (sfxbuffer_t *sc, byte *data, int length);
 //@{
 /** Load the referenced sound.
 	\param sfx		sound reference
+	\return			0 if ok, -1 on error
 */
-void SND_Load (sfx_t *sfx);
+int SND_Load (sfx_t *sfx);
 
 /** Load the referenced sound from the specified Ogg file.
 	\param file		pre-opened Ogg file
 	\param sfx		sound reference
 	\param realname	path of sound file should it need to be re-opened
+	\return			0 if ok, -1 on error
 */
-void SND_LoadOgg (QFile *file, sfx_t *sfx, char *realname);
+int SND_LoadOgg (QFile *file, sfx_t *sfx, char *realname);
 
 /** Load the referenced sound from the specified FLAC file.
 	\param file		pre-opened FLAC file
 	\param sfx		sound reference
 	\param realname	path of sound file should it need to be re-opened
+	\return			0 if ok, -1 on error
 */
-void SND_LoadFLAC (QFile *file, sfx_t *sfx, char *realname);
+int SND_LoadFLAC (QFile *file, sfx_t *sfx, char *realname);
 
 /** Load the referenced sound from the specified WAV file.
 	\param file		pre-opened WAV file
 	\param sfx		sound reference
 	\param realname	path of sound file should it need to be re-opened
+	\return			0 if ok, -1 on error
 */
-void SND_LoadWav (QFile *file, sfx_t *sfx, char *realname);
+int SND_LoadWav (QFile *file, sfx_t *sfx, char *realname);
 
 /** Load the referenced sound from the specified MIDI file.
 	\param file		pre-opened MIDI file
 	\param sfx		sound reference
 	\param realname	path of sound file should it need to be re-opened
+	\return			0 if ok, -1 on error
 */
-void SND_LoadMidi (QFile *file, sfx_t *sfx, char *realname);
+int SND_LoadMidi (QFile *file, sfx_t *sfx, char *realname);
 //@}
 
 /** \defgroup sound_render_cache_stream Cache/Stream Functions.
diff --git a/libs/audio/renderer/flac.c b/libs/audio/renderer/flac.c
index f5964e147..3a3a28710 100644
--- a/libs/audio/renderer/flac.c
+++ b/libs/audio/renderer/flac.c
@@ -516,7 +516,7 @@ get_info (flacfile_t *ff)
 	return info;
 }
 
-void
+int
 SND_LoadFLAC (QFile *file, sfx_t *sfx, char *realname)
 {
 	flacfile_t *ff;
@@ -524,13 +524,12 @@ SND_LoadFLAC (QFile *file, sfx_t *sfx, char *realname)
 
 	if (!(ff = open_flac (file))) {
 		Sys_Printf ("Input does not appear to be an Ogg bitstream.\n");
-		Qclose (file);
-		return;
+		return -1;
 	}
 	info = get_info (ff);
 	if (info.channels < 1 || info.channels > 2) {
 		Sys_Printf ("unsupported number of channels");
-		return;
+		return -1;
 	}
 	if (info.samples / info.rate < 3) {
 		Sys_DPrintf ("cache %s\n", realname);
@@ -539,6 +538,7 @@ SND_LoadFLAC (QFile *file, sfx_t *sfx, char *realname)
 		Sys_DPrintf ("stream %s\n", realname);
 		flac_stream (sfx, realname, ff, info);
 	}
+	return 0;
 }
 
 #endif//HAVE_FLAC
diff --git a/libs/audio/renderer/midi.c b/libs/audio/renderer/midi.c
index 29a143d71..0215b16b4 100644
--- a/libs/audio/renderer/midi.c
+++ b/libs/audio/renderer/midi.c
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ midi_stream_open (sfx_t *sfx)
 							   midi_stream_close);
 }
 
-void
+int
 SND_LoadMidi (QFile *file, sfx_t *sfx, char *realname)
 {
 	wavinfo_t   info;
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ SND_LoadMidi (QFile *file, sfx_t *sfx, char *realname)
 
 	if (!midi_intiialized) {
 		if (midi_init ()) {
-			return;
+			return -1;
 		}
 	}
 		
@@ -172,7 +172,7 @@ SND_LoadMidi (QFile *file, sfx_t *sfx, char *realname)
 	handle = WildMidi_OpenBuffer (local_buffer, local_buffer_size);
 
 	if (handle == NULL) 
-		return;
+		return -1;
 
 	info = get_info (handle);
 
@@ -182,5 +182,6 @@ SND_LoadMidi (QFile *file, sfx_t *sfx, char *realname)
 
 	// we init stream here cause we will only ever stream
 	SND_SFX_Stream (sfx, realname, info, midi_stream_open);
+	return 0;
 }
 #endif // HAVE_WILDMIDI
diff --git a/libs/audio/renderer/snd_mem.c b/libs/audio/renderer/snd_mem.c
index d4d9e28f1..e01a1316f 100644
--- a/libs/audio/renderer/snd_mem.c
+++ b/libs/audio/renderer/snd_mem.c
@@ -315,7 +315,7 @@ SND_StreamAdvance (sfxbuffer_t *buffer, unsigned int count)
 	fill_buffer (sfx, stream, buffer, info, headpos);
 }
 
-void
+int
 SND_Load (sfx_t *sfx)
 {
 	dstring_t  *foundname = dstring_new ();
@@ -332,7 +332,7 @@ SND_Load (sfx_t *sfx)
 	if (!file) {
 		Sys_Printf ("Couldn't load %s\n", sfx->name);
 		dstring_delete (foundname);
-		return;
+		return -1;
 	}
 	sfx->open = snd_open;
 	if (!strequal (foundname->str, sfx->name)) {
@@ -346,32 +346,38 @@ SND_Load (sfx_t *sfx)
 #ifdef HAVE_VORBIS
 	if (strnequal ("OggS", buf, 4)) {
 		Sys_DPrintf ("SND_Load: ogg file\n");
-		SND_LoadOgg (file, sfx, realname);
-		return;
+		if (SND_LoadOgg (file, sfx, realname) == -1)
+			goto bail;
+		return 0;
 	}
 #endif
 #ifdef HAVE_FLAC
 	if (strnequal ("fLaC", buf, 4)) {
 		Sys_DPrintf ("SND_Load: flac file\n");
-		SND_LoadFLAC (file, sfx, realname);
-		return;
+		if (SND_LoadFLAC (file, sfx, realname) == -1)
+			goto bail;
+		return 0;
 	}
 #endif
 #ifdef HAVE_WILDMIDI
 	if (strnequal ("MThd", buf, 4)) {
 		Sys_DPrintf ("SND_Load: midi file\n");
-		SND_LoadMidi (file, sfx, realname);
-		return;
+		if (SND_LoadMidi (file, sfx, realname) == -1)
+			goto bail;
+		return 0;
 	}
 #endif
 	if (strnequal ("RIFF", buf, 4)) {
 		Sys_DPrintf ("SND_Load: wav file\n");
-		SND_LoadWav (file, sfx, realname);
-		return;
+		if (SND_LoadWav (file, sfx, realname) == -1)
+			goto bail;
+		return 0;
 	}
+bail:
 	Qclose (file);
 	if (realname != sfx->name)
 		free (realname);
+	return -1;
 }
 
 sfxbuffer_t *
diff --git a/libs/audio/renderer/snd_sfx.c b/libs/audio/renderer/snd_sfx.c
index ceaca5b2b..d6330adbb 100644
--- a/libs/audio/renderer/snd_sfx.c
+++ b/libs/audio/renderer/snd_sfx.c
@@ -187,7 +187,10 @@ SND_LoadSound (const char *name)
 	sfx = &snd_sfx[snd_num_sfx++];
 	sfx->name = strdup (name);
 	sfx->owner = sfx;
-	SND_Load (sfx);
+	if (SND_Load (sfx) == -1) {
+		snd_num_sfx--;
+		return 0;
+	}
 	Hash_Add (snd_sfx_hash, sfx);
 	return sfx;
 }
diff --git a/libs/audio/renderer/vorbis.c b/libs/audio/renderer/vorbis.c
index bb34f5521..8473ddbb0 100644
--- a/libs/audio/renderer/vorbis.c
+++ b/libs/audio/renderer/vorbis.c
@@ -271,7 +271,7 @@ vorbis_stream (sfx_t *sfx, char *realname, OggVorbis_File *vf, wavinfo_t info)
 	SND_SFX_Stream (sfx, realname, info, vorbis_stream_open);
 }
 
-void
+int
 SND_LoadOgg (QFile *file, sfx_t *sfx, char *realname)
 {
 	OggVorbis_File vf;
@@ -279,14 +279,13 @@ SND_LoadOgg (QFile *file, sfx_t *sfx, char *realname)
 
 	if (ov_open_callbacks (file, &vf, 0, 0, callbacks) < 0) {
 		Sys_Printf ("Input does not appear to be an Ogg bitstream.\n");
-		Qclose (file);
 		free (realname);
-		return;
+		return -1;
 	}
 	info = get_info (&vf);
 	if (info.channels < 1 || info.channels > 2) {
 		Sys_Printf ("unsupported number of channels");
-		return;
+		return -1;
 	}
 	if (info.samples / info.rate < 3) {
 		Sys_DPrintf ("cache %s\n", realname);
@@ -295,6 +294,7 @@ SND_LoadOgg (QFile *file, sfx_t *sfx, char *realname)
 		Sys_DPrintf ("stream %s\n", realname);
 		vorbis_stream (sfx, realname, &vf, info);
 	}
+	return 0;
 }
 
 #endif//HAVE_VORBIS
diff --git a/libs/audio/renderer/wav.c b/libs/audio/renderer/wav.c
index 542e381a5..e6cb5e940 100644
--- a/libs/audio/renderer/wav.c
+++ b/libs/audio/renderer/wav.c
@@ -232,15 +232,14 @@ bail:
 	return info;
 }
 
-void
+int
 SND_LoadWav (QFile *file, sfx_t *sfx, char *realname)
 {
 	wavinfo_t   info;
 
 	info = get_info (file);
 	if (!info.rate) {
-		Qclose (file);
-		return;
+		return -1;
 	}
 
 	if (info.samples / info.rate < 3) {
@@ -250,4 +249,5 @@ SND_LoadWav (QFile *file, sfx_t *sfx, char *realname)
 		Sys_DPrintf ("stream %s\n", realname);
 		wav_stream (sfx, realname, file, info);
 	}
+	return 0;
 }