diff --git a/src/menu/menudef.cpp b/src/menu/menudef.cpp
index b1db3cf2e..819ba96ba 100644
--- a/src/menu/menudef.cpp
+++ b/src/menu/menudef.cpp
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@
 #include "i_music.h"
 #include "m_joy.h"
 #include "gi.h"
+#include "i_sound.h"
 
 #include "optionmenuitems.h"
 
@@ -170,6 +171,14 @@ static bool CheckSkipOptionBlock(FScanner &sc)
 				filter = true;
 			#endif
 		}
+		else if (sc.Compare("OpenAL"))
+		{
+			filter |= IsOpenALPresent();
+		}
+		else if (sc.Compare("FModEx"))
+		{
+			filter |= IsFModExPresent();
+		}
 	}
 	while (sc.CheckString(","));
 	sc.MustGetStringName(")");
@@ -591,7 +600,11 @@ static void ParseOptionSettings(FScanner &sc)
 	while (!sc.CheckString("}"))
 	{
 		sc.MustGetString();
-		if (sc.Compare("ifgame"))
+		if (sc.Compare("else"))
+		{
+			SkipSubBlock(sc);
+		}
+		else if (sc.Compare("ifgame"))
 		{
 			if (!CheckSkipGameBlock(sc))
 			{
@@ -628,7 +641,11 @@ static void ParseOptionMenuBody(FScanner &sc, FOptionMenuDescriptor *desc)
 	while (!sc.CheckString("}"))
 	{
 		sc.MustGetString();
-		if (sc.Compare("ifgame"))
+		if (sc.Compare("else"))
+		{
+			SkipSubBlock(sc);
+		}
+		else if (sc.Compare("ifgame"))
 		{
 			if (!CheckSkipGameBlock(sc))
 			{
diff --git a/src/sound/fmodsound.cpp b/src/sound/fmodsound.cpp
index 9559e2b70..73e419555 100644
--- a/src/sound/fmodsound.cpp
+++ b/src/sound/fmodsound.cpp
@@ -671,14 +671,8 @@ bool FMODSoundRenderer::Init()
 
 	Printf("I_InitSound: Initializing FMOD\n");
 
-	HMODULE a = GetModuleHandle("fmodex.dll");
-
-	// Create a System object and initialize.
-	__try 
-	{
-		result = FMOD::System_Create(&Sys);
-	}
-	__except(CheckException(GetExceptionCode()))
+	// This is just for safety. Normally this should never be called if FMod Ex cannot be found.
+	if (!IsFModExPresent())
 	{
 		Sys = NULL;
 		Printf(TEXTCOLOR_ORANGE"Failed to load fmodex"
@@ -688,6 +682,9 @@ bool FMODSoundRenderer::Init()
 			".dll\n");
 		return false;
 	}
+
+	// Create a System object and initialize.
+	result = FMOD::System_Create(&Sys);
 	if (result != FMOD_OK)
 	{
 		Sys = NULL;
@@ -3177,3 +3174,44 @@ FMOD_RESULT FMODSoundRenderer::SetSystemReverbProperties(const REVERB_PROPERTIES
 }
 
 #endif // NO_FMOD
+
+
+//==========================================================================
+//
+// IsFModExPresent
+//
+// Check if FMod can be used
+//
+//==========================================================================
+
+bool IsFModExPresent()
+{
+#ifdef NO_FMOD
+	return false;
+#elif !defined _WIN32
+	return true;	// on non-Windows we cannot delay load the library so it has to be present.
+#else
+	static bool cached_result;
+	static bool done = false;
+
+	if (!done)
+	{
+		done = true;
+
+		FMOD::System *Sys;
+		FMOD_RESULT result;
+		__try
+		{
+			result = FMOD::System_Create(&Sys);
+		}
+		__except (CheckException(GetExceptionCode()))
+		{
+			// FMod could not be delay loaded
+			return false;
+		}
+		if (result == FMOD_OK) Sys->release();
+		cached_result = true;
+	}
+	return cached_result;
+#endif
+}
diff --git a/src/sound/i_sound.cpp b/src/sound/i_sound.cpp
index 04643dcba..0a14adc29 100644
--- a/src/sound/i_sound.cpp
+++ b/src/sound/i_sound.cpp
@@ -83,13 +83,15 @@ CVAR (Int, snd_buffersize, 0, CVAR_ARCHIVE|CVAR_GLOBALCONFIG)
 CVAR (String, snd_output, "default", CVAR_ARCHIVE|CVAR_GLOBALCONFIG)
 
 #ifndef NO_FMOD
-CVAR (String, snd_backend, "fmod", CVAR_ARCHIVE|CVAR_GLOBALCONFIG)
+#define DEF_BACKEND "fmod"
 #elif !defined(NO_OPENAL)
-CVAR (String, snd_backend, "openal", CVAR_ARCHIVE|CVAR_GLOBALCONFIG)
+#define DEF_BACKEND "openal"
 #else
-CVAR (String, snd_backend, "null", CVAR_ARCHIVE|CVAR_GLOBALCONFIG)
+#define DEF_BACKEND "null"
 #endif
 
+CVAR(String, snd_backend, DEF_BACKEND, CVAR_ARCHIVE | CVAR_GLOBALCONFIG)
+
 // killough 2/21/98: optionally use varying pitched sounds
 CVAR (Bool, snd_pitched, false, CVAR_ARCHIVE)
 
@@ -256,6 +258,7 @@ void I_InitSound ()
 	nosound = !!Args->CheckParm ("-nosound");
 	nosfx = !!Args->CheckParm ("-nosfx");
 
+	GSnd = NULL;
 	if (nosound)
 	{
 		GSnd = new NullSoundRenderer;
@@ -263,16 +266,50 @@ void I_InitSound ()
 		return;
 	}
 
-	if(stricmp(snd_backend, "null") == 0)
+	// This has been extended to allow falling back from FMod to OpenAL and vice versa if the currently active sound system cannot be found.
+	if (stricmp(snd_backend, "null") == 0)
+	{
 		GSnd = new NullSoundRenderer;
-#ifndef NO_FMOD
+	}
 	else if(stricmp(snd_backend, "fmod") == 0)
-		GSnd = new FMODSoundRenderer;
-#endif
-#ifndef NO_OPENAL
+	{
+		#ifndef NO_FMOD
+			if (IsFModExPresent())
+			{
+				GSnd = new FMODSoundRenderer;
+			}
+		#endif
+		#ifndef NO_OPENAL
+			if ((!GSnd || !GSnd->IsValid()) && IsOpenALPresent())
+			{
+				Printf (TEXTCOLOR_RED"FMod Ex Sound init failed. Trying OpenAL.\n");
+				GSnd = new OpenALSoundRenderer;
+				snd_backend = "openal";
+			}
+		#endif
+	}
 	else if(stricmp(snd_backend, "openal") == 0)
-		GSnd = new OpenALSoundRenderer;
-#endif
+	{
+		#ifndef NO_OPENAL
+			if (IsOpenALPresent())
+			{
+				GSnd = new OpenALSoundRenderer;
+			}
+		#endif
+		#ifndef NO_FMOD
+			if ((!GSnd || !GSnd->IsValid()) && IsFModExPresent())
+			{
+				Printf (TEXTCOLOR_RED"OpenAL Sound init failed. Trying FMod Ex.\n");
+				GSnd = new FMODSoundRenderer;
+				snd_backend = "fmod";
+			}
+		#endif
+	}
+	else
+	{
+		Printf (TEXTCOLOR_RED"%s: Unknown sound system specified\n", *snd_backend);
+		snd_backend = "null";
+	}
 	if (!GSnd || !GSnd->IsValid ())
 	{
 		I_CloseSound();
diff --git a/src/sound/i_sound.h b/src/sound/i_sound.h
index cf60e5464..153fe3863 100644
--- a/src/sound/i_sound.h
+++ b/src/sound/i_sound.h
@@ -175,4 +175,7 @@ FISoundChannel *S_GetChannel(void *syschan);
 
 extern ReverbContainer *DefaultEnvironments[26];
 
+bool IsFModExPresent();
+bool IsOpenALPresent();
+
 #endif
diff --git a/src/sound/oalsound.cpp b/src/sound/oalsound.cpp
index 5745f9798..6d7cb210e 100644
--- a/src/sound/oalsound.cpp
+++ b/src/sound/oalsound.cpp
@@ -59,6 +59,36 @@ CVAR (String, snd_aldevice, "Default", CVAR_ARCHIVE|CVAR_GLOBALCONFIG)
 CVAR (Bool, snd_efx, true, CVAR_ARCHIVE|CVAR_GLOBALCONFIG)
 
 
+bool IsOpenALPresent()
+{
+#ifdef NO_OPENAL
+	return false;
+#elif !defined _WIN32
+	return true;	// on non-Windows we cannot delay load the library so it has to be present.
+#else
+	static bool cached_result;
+	static bool done = false;
+
+	if (!done)
+	{
+		done = true;
+
+		__try
+		{
+			// just call one function from the API to force loading the DLL
+			alcGetError(NULL);
+		}
+		__except (CheckException(GetExceptionCode()))
+		{
+			// FMod could not be delay loaded
+			return false;
+		}
+		cached_result = true;
+	}
+	return cached_result;
+#endif
+}
+
 void I_BuildALDeviceList(FOptionValues *opt)
 {
     opt->mValues.Resize(1);
@@ -66,7 +96,7 @@ void I_BuildALDeviceList(FOptionValues *opt)
     opt->mValues[0].Text = "Default";
 
 #ifndef NO_OPENAL
-	__try
+	if (IsOpenALPresent())
 	{
 		const ALCchar *names = (alcIsExtensionPresent(NULL, "ALC_ENUMERATE_ALL_EXT") ?
 			alcGetString(NULL, ALC_ALL_DEVICES_SPECIFIER) :
@@ -82,9 +112,6 @@ void I_BuildALDeviceList(FOptionValues *opt)
 			names += strlen(names) + 1;
 		}
 	}
-	__except (CheckException(GetExceptionCode()))
-	{
-	}
 #endif
 }
 
@@ -601,7 +628,7 @@ static float GetRolloff(const FRolloffInfo *rolloff, float distance)
 ALCdevice *OpenALSoundRenderer::InitDevice()
 {
 	ALCdevice *device = NULL;
-	__try
+	if (IsOpenALPresent())
 	{
 		if(strcmp(snd_aldevice, "Default") != 0)
 		{
@@ -619,7 +646,7 @@ ALCdevice *OpenALSoundRenderer::InitDevice()
 			}
 		}
 	}
-	__except(CheckException(GetExceptionCode()))
+	else
 	{
 		Printf(TEXTCOLOR_ORANGE"Failed to load openal32.dll\n");
 	}
diff --git a/wadsrc/static/menudef.txt b/wadsrc/static/menudef.txt
index c7ce861d5..f15f91dff 100644
--- a/wadsrc/static/menudef.txt
+++ b/wadsrc/static/menudef.txt
@@ -1450,11 +1450,22 @@ OptionString Resamplers
 
 OptionString SoundBackends
 {
-	"fmod",		"FMOD"
+	"fmod",		"FMOD Ex"
 	"openal",	"OpenAL"
 	"null",		"No Sound"
 }
 
+OptionString SoundBackendsFModOnly
+{
+	"fmod",		"FMOD Ex"
+	"null",		"No Sound"
+}
+
+OptionString SoundBackendsOpenALOnly
+{
+	"openal",	"OpenAL"
+	"null",		"No Sound"
+}
 
 OptionMenu FMODSoundItems
 {
@@ -1507,9 +1518,34 @@ OptionMenu SoundOptions
 	Option "Randomize pitches",	"snd_pitched", "OnOff"
 	Slider "Sound channels",	"snd_channels", 8, 256, 8, 0
 	StaticText " "
-	Option "Sound backend",		"snd_backend", "SoundBackends"
-	Submenu "FMOD options",		"FMODSoundItems"
-	Submenu "OpenAL options",	"OpenALSoundItems"
+
+	ifoption(fmodex)
+	{
+		ifoption(openal)
+		{
+			Option "Sound backend",		"snd_backend", "SoundBackends"
+		}
+		else
+		{
+			Option "Sound backend",		"snd_backend", "SoundBackendsFModOnly"
+		}
+	}
+	else
+	{
+		ifoption(openal)
+		{
+			Option "Sound backend",		"snd_backend", "SoundBackendsOpenALOnly"
+		}
+	}
+	
+	ifoption(fmodex)
+	{
+		Submenu "FMOD options",		"FMODSoundItems"
+	}
+	ifoption(openal)
+	{
+		Submenu "OpenAL options",	"OpenALSoundItems"
+	}
 	StaticText " "
 	Command "Restart sound",	"snd_reset"