diff --git a/nq/include/sound.h b/nq/include/sound.h
index 0250e3f5e..379760b10 100644
--- a/nq/include/sound.h
+++ b/nq/include/sound.h
@@ -174,6 +174,10 @@ extern	cvar_t	*loadas8bit;
 extern	cvar_t	*bgmvolume;
 extern	cvar_t	*volume;
 
+extern	cvar_t	*snd_device;
+extern	cvar_t	*snd_rate;
+extern	cvar_t	*snd_bits;
+extern	cvar_t	*snd_stereo;
 extern	cvar_t	*snd_interp;
 extern	cvar_t	*snd_stereo_phase_separation;
 
diff --git a/nq/source/snd_alsa_0_5.c b/nq/source/snd_alsa_0_5.c
index 57df8acf9..99da854d8 100644
--- a/nq/source/snd_alsa_0_5.c
+++ b/nq/source/snd_alsa_0_5.c
@@ -125,14 +125,11 @@ SNDDMA_Init (void)
 		Con_Printf ("No sound cards detected\n");
 		return 0;
 	}
-	if ((i = COM_CheckParm ("-sndcard")) != 0) {
-		card = atoi (com_argv[i + 1]);
+	if (snd_device->string[0]) {
+		sscanf (snd_device->string, "%d,%d", &card, &dev);
 	}
-	if ((i = COM_CheckParm ("-snddev")) != 0) {
-		dev = atoi (com_argv[i + 1]);
-	}
-	if ((i = COM_CheckParm ("-sndbits")) != 0) {
-		i = atoi (com_argv[i + 1]);
+	if (snd_bits->int_val) {
+		i = snd_bits->int_val;
 		if (i == 16) {
 			format = SND_PCM_SFMT_S16_LE;
 		} else if (i == 8) {
@@ -142,16 +139,14 @@ SNDDMA_Init (void)
 			return 0;
 		}
 	}
-	if ((i = COM_CheckParm ("-sndspeed")) != 0) {
-		rate = atoi (com_argv[i + 1]);
+	if (snd_rate->int_val) {
+		rate = snd_rate->int_val;
 		if (rate != 44100 && rate != 22050 && rate != 11025) {
 			Con_Printf ("Error: invalid sample rate: %d\n", rate);
 			return 0;
 		}
 	}
-	if ((i = COM_CheckParm ("-sndmono")) != 0) {
-		stereo = 0;
-	}
+	stereo = snd_stereo->int_val;
 	if (card == -1) {
 		for (card = 0; card < SND_CARDS; card++) {
 			if (!(mask & (1 << card)))
diff --git a/nq/source/snd_alsa_0_9.c b/nq/source/snd_alsa_0_9.c
index 3ff97b503..805250451 100644
--- a/nq/source/snd_alsa_0_9.c
+++ b/nq/source/snd_alsa_0_9.c
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ size_t      buffer_size;
 qboolean
 SNDDMA_Init (void)
 {
-	int         err, i;
+	int         err;
 	int         rate = -1, bps = -1, stereo = -1, frag_size;
 	snd_pcm_hw_params_t *hw;
 	snd_pcm_sw_params_t *sw;
@@ -58,29 +58,23 @@ SNDDMA_Init (void)
 	snd_pcm_hw_params_alloca (&hw);
 	snd_pcm_sw_params_alloca (&sw);
 
-	if ((i = COM_CheckParm ("-sndpcm")) != 0) {
-		pcmname = com_argv[i + 1];
-	}
-	if ((i = COM_CheckParm ("-sndbits")) != 0) {
-		bps = atoi (com_argv[i + 1]);
+	if (snd_device->string[0])
+		pcmname = snd_device->string;
+	if (snd_bits->int_val) {
+		bps = snd_bits->int_val;
 		if (bps != 16 && bps != 8) {
-			Con_Printf ("Error: invalid sample bits: %d\n", i);
+			Con_Printf ("Error: invalid sample bits: %d\n", bps);
 			return 0;
 		}
 	}
-	if ((i = COM_CheckParm ("-sndspeed")) != 0) {
-		rate = atoi (com_argv[i + 1]);
+	if (snd_rate->int_val) {
+		rate = snd_rate->int_val;
 		if (rate != 44100 && rate != 22050 && rate != 11025) {
 			Con_Printf ("Error: invalid sample rate: %d\n", rate);
 			return 0;
 		}
 	}
-	if ((i = COM_CheckParm ("-sndmono")) != 0) {
-		stereo = 0;
-	}
-	if ((i = COM_CheckParm ("-sndstereo")) != 0) {
-		stereo = 1;
-	}
+	stereo = snd_stereo->int_val;
 	if (!pcmname)
 		pcmname = "plug:0,0";
 	if ((err = snd_pcm_open (&pcm, pcmname,
diff --git a/nq/source/snd_dma.c b/nq/source/snd_dma.c
index 3be1471e7..74873cb96 100644
--- a/nq/source/snd_dma.c
+++ b/nq/source/snd_dma.c
@@ -91,6 +91,10 @@ int         sound_started = 0;
 cvar_t     *bgmvolume;
 cvar_t     *volume;
 
+cvar_t     *snd_device;
+cvar_t     *snd_rate;
+cvar_t     *snd_bits;
+cvar_t     *snd_stereo;
 cvar_t     *nosound;
 cvar_t     *precache;
 cvar_t     *loadas8bit;
@@ -200,6 +204,14 @@ S_Init (void)
 	Cmd_AddCommand ("soundlist", S_SoundList, "No Description");
 	Cmd_AddCommand ("soundinfo", S_SoundInfo_f, "No Description");
 
+	snd_device = Cvar_Get ("snd_device", "", CVAR_ROM,
+						   "sound device. \"\" is system default");
+	snd_rate = Cvar_Get ("snd_rate", "0", CVAR_ROM,
+						 "sound playback rate. 0 is system default");
+	snd_bits = Cvar_Get ("snd_bits", "0", CVAR_ROM,
+						 "sound sample depth. 0 is system default");
+	snd_stereo = Cvar_Get ("snd_stereo", "1", CVAR_ROM,
+						   "sound stereo output");
 	nosound = Cvar_Get ("nosound", "0", CVAR_NONE, "None");
 	volume = Cvar_Get ("volume", "0.7", CVAR_ARCHIVE, "None");
 	precache = Cvar_Get ("precache", "1", CVAR_NONE, "None");
diff --git a/nq/source/snd_oss.c b/nq/source/snd_oss.c
index 3fc7ec396..e423e1096 100644
--- a/nq/source/snd_oss.c
+++ b/nq/source/snd_oss.c
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-
 /*
 	snd_oss.c
 
@@ -46,8 +45,9 @@
 #include "sound.h"
 #include "qargs.h"
 
-int         audio_fd;
-int         snd_inited;
+static int         audio_fd;
+static int         snd_inited;
+static char       *snd_dev = "/dev/dsp";
 
 static int  tryrates[] = { 11025, 22051, 44100, 8000 };
 
@@ -59,31 +59,32 @@ SNDDMA_Init (void)
 	int         fmt;
 	int         tmp;
 	int         i;
-	char       *s;
 	struct audio_buf_info info;
 	int         caps;
 
 	snd_inited = 0;
 
 // open /dev/dsp, confirm capability to mmap, and get size of dma buffer
+	if (snd_device->string[0])
+		snd_dev = snd_device->string;
 
-	audio_fd = open ("/dev/dsp", O_RDWR);
+	audio_fd = open (snd_dev, O_RDWR);
 	if (audio_fd < 0) {
-		perror ("/dev/dsp");
-		Con_Printf ("Could not open /dev/dsp\n");
+		perror (snd_dev);
+		Con_Printf ("Could not open %s\n", snd_dev);
 		return 0;
 	}
 
 	rc = ioctl (audio_fd, SNDCTL_DSP_RESET, 0);
 	if (rc < 0) {
-		perror ("/dev/dsp");
-		Con_Printf ("Could not reset /dev/dsp\n");
+		perror (snd_dev);
+		Con_Printf ("Could not reset %s\n", snd_dev);
 		close (audio_fd);
 		return 0;
 	}
 
 	if (ioctl (audio_fd, SNDCTL_DSP_GETCAPS, &caps) == -1) {
-		perror ("/dev/dsp");
+		perror (snd_dev);
 		Con_Printf ("Sound driver too old\n");
 		close (audio_fd);
 		return 0;
@@ -107,11 +108,8 @@ SNDDMA_Init (void)
 
 // set sample bits & speed
 
-	s = getenv ("QUAKE_SOUND_SAMPLEBITS");
-	if (s)
-		shm->samplebits = atoi (s);
-	else if ((i = COM_CheckParm ("-sndbits")) != 0)
-		shm->samplebits = atoi (com_argv[i + 1]);
+	if (snd_bits->int_val)
+		shm->samplebits = snd_bits->int_val;
 	if (shm->samplebits != 16 && shm->samplebits != 8) {
 		ioctl (audio_fd, SNDCTL_DSP_GETFMTS, &fmt);
 		if (fmt & AFMT_S16_LE)
@@ -120,11 +118,8 @@ SNDDMA_Init (void)
 			shm->samplebits = 8;
 	}
 
-	s = getenv ("QUAKE_SOUND_SPEED");
-	if (s)
-		shm->speed = atoi (s);
-	else if ((i = COM_CheckParm ("-sndspeed")) != 0)
-		shm->speed = atoi (com_argv[i + 1]);
+	if (snd_rate->int_val)
+		shm->speed = snd_rate->int_val;
 	else {
 		for (i = 0; i < sizeof (tryrates) / 4; i++)
 			if (!ioctl (audio_fd, SNDCTL_DSP_SPEED, &tryrates[i]))
@@ -132,13 +127,8 @@ SNDDMA_Init (void)
 		shm->speed = tryrates[i];
 	}
 
-	s = getenv ("QUAKE_SOUND_CHANNELS");
-	if (s)
-		shm->channels = atoi (s);
-	else if ((i = COM_CheckParm ("-sndmono")) != 0)
+	if (!snd_stereo->int_val)
 		shm->channels = 1;
-	else if ((i = COM_CheckParm ("-sndstereo")) != 0)
-		shm->channels = 2;
 	else
 		shm->channels = 2;
 
@@ -152,8 +142,8 @@ SNDDMA_Init (void)
 										  PROT_READ | PROT_WRITE,
 										  MAP_FILE | MAP_SHARED, audio_fd, 0);
 	if (!shm->buffer || shm->buffer == MAP_FAILED) {
-		perror ("/dev/dsp");
-		Con_Printf ("Could not mmap /dev/dsp\n");
+		perror (snd_dev);
+		Con_Printf ("Could not mmap %s\n", snd_dev);
 		close (audio_fd);
 		return 0;
 	}
@@ -163,8 +153,8 @@ SNDDMA_Init (void)
 		tmp = 1;
 	rc = ioctl (audio_fd, SNDCTL_DSP_STEREO, &tmp);
 	if (rc < 0) {
-		perror ("/dev/dsp");
-		Con_Printf ("Could not set /dev/dsp to stereo=%d", shm->channels);
+		perror (snd_dev);
+		Con_Printf ("Could not set %s to stereo=%d", snd_dev, shm->channels);
 		close (audio_fd);
 		return 0;
 	}
@@ -175,8 +165,8 @@ SNDDMA_Init (void)
 
 	rc = ioctl (audio_fd, SNDCTL_DSP_SPEED, &shm->speed);
 	if (rc < 0) {
-		perror ("/dev/dsp");
-		Con_Printf ("Could not set /dev/dsp speed to %d", shm->speed);
+		perror (snd_dev);
+		Con_Printf ("Could not set %s speed to %d", snd_dev, shm->speed);
 		close (audio_fd);
 		return 0;
 	}
@@ -185,7 +175,7 @@ SNDDMA_Init (void)
 		rc = AFMT_S16_LE;
 		rc = ioctl (audio_fd, SNDCTL_DSP_SETFMT, &rc);
 		if (rc < 0) {
-			perror ("/dev/dsp");
+			perror (snd_dev);
 			Con_Printf ("Could not support 16-bit data.  Try 8-bit.\n");
 			close (audio_fd);
 			return 0;
@@ -194,13 +184,13 @@ SNDDMA_Init (void)
 		rc = AFMT_U8;
 		rc = ioctl (audio_fd, SNDCTL_DSP_SETFMT, &rc);
 		if (rc < 0) {
-			perror ("/dev/dsp");
+			perror (snd_dev);
 			Con_Printf ("Could not support 8-bit data.\n");
 			close (audio_fd);
 			return 0;
 		}
 	} else {
-		perror ("/dev/dsp");
+		perror (snd_dev);
 		Con_Printf ("%d-bit sound not supported.", shm->samplebits);
 		close (audio_fd);
 		return 0;
@@ -211,7 +201,7 @@ SNDDMA_Init (void)
 	tmp = 0;
 	rc = ioctl (audio_fd, SNDCTL_DSP_SETTRIGGER, &tmp);
 	if (rc < 0) {
-		perror ("/dev/dsp");
+		perror (snd_dev);
 		Con_Printf ("Could not toggle.\n");
 		close (audio_fd);
 		return 0;
@@ -219,7 +209,7 @@ SNDDMA_Init (void)
 	tmp = PCM_ENABLE_OUTPUT;
 	rc = ioctl (audio_fd, SNDCTL_DSP_SETTRIGGER, &tmp);
 	if (rc < 0) {
-		perror ("/dev/dsp");
+		perror (snd_dev);
 		Con_Printf ("Could not toggle.\n");
 		close (audio_fd);
 		return 0;
@@ -242,7 +232,7 @@ SNDDMA_GetDMAPos (void)
 		return 0;
 
 	if (ioctl (audio_fd, SNDCTL_DSP_GETOPTR, &count) == -1) {
-		perror ("/dev/dsp");
+		perror (snd_dev);
 		Con_Printf ("Uh, sound dead.\n");
 		close (audio_fd);
 		snd_inited = 0;