diff --git a/src/sound/i_musicinterns.h b/src/sound/i_musicinterns.h
index b5ed34f1c..f6c247b57 100644
--- a/src/sound/i_musicinterns.h
+++ b/src/sound/i_musicinterns.h
@@ -234,7 +234,6 @@ protected:
 
 // FluidSynth implementation of a MIDI device -------------------------------
 
-#ifdef HAVE_FLUIDSYNTH
 #ifndef DYN_FLUIDSYNTH
 #include <fluidsynth.h>
 #else
@@ -302,7 +301,6 @@ protected:
 	void UnloadFluidSynth();
 #endif
 };
-#endif
 
 // Base class for streaming MUS and MIDI files ------------------------------
 
diff --git a/src/sound/mididevices/music_fluidsynth_mididevice.cpp b/src/sound/mididevices/music_fluidsynth_mididevice.cpp
index b89b280ab..90cb2ba67 100644
--- a/src/sound/mididevices/music_fluidsynth_mididevice.cpp
+++ b/src/sound/mididevices/music_fluidsynth_mididevice.cpp
@@ -32,8 +32,6 @@
 **
 */
 
-#ifdef HAVE_FLUIDSYNTH
-
 // HEADER FILES ------------------------------------------------------------
 
 #include "i_musicinterns.h"
@@ -760,5 +758,4 @@ void FluidSynthMIDIDevice::UnloadFluidSynth()
 
 #endif
 
-#endif
 
diff --git a/src/sound/music_midi_base.cpp b/src/sound/music_midi_base.cpp
index 10ee4a2c2..810dd7e12 100644
--- a/src/sound/music_midi_base.cpp
+++ b/src/sound/music_midi_base.cpp
@@ -50,31 +50,22 @@
 static uint32_t	nummididevices;
 static bool		nummididevicesset;
 
-#ifdef HAVE_FLUIDSYNTH
 #define NUM_DEF_DEVICES 5
-#else
-#define NUM_DEF_DEVICES 4
-#endif
 
 static void AddDefaultMidiDevices(FOptionValues *opt)
 {
 	int p;
 	FOptionValues::Pair *pair = &opt->mValues[opt->mValues.Reserve(NUM_DEF_DEVICES)];
-#ifdef HAVE_FLUIDSYNTH
 	pair[0].Text = "FluidSynth";
 	pair[0].Value = -5.0;
-	p = 1;
-#else
-	p = 0;
-#endif
-	pair[p].Text = "GUS";
-	pair[p].Value = -4.0;
-	pair[p+1].Text = "OPL Synth Emulation";
-	pair[p+1].Value = -3.0;
-	pair[p+2].Text = "TiMidity++";
-	pair[p+2].Value = -2.0;
-	pair[p+3].Text = "WildMidi";
-	pair[p+3].Value = -6.0;
+	pair[1].Text = "GUS";
+	pair[1].Value = -4.0;
+	pair[2].Text = "OPL Synth Emulation";
+	pair[2].Value = -3.0;
+	pair[3].Text = "TiMidity++";
+	pair[3].Value = -2.0;
+	pair[4].Text = "WildMidi";
+	pair[4].Value = -6.0;
 
 }
 
@@ -115,11 +106,7 @@ void MIDIDeviceChanged(int newdev, bool force)
 	if (!force) oldmididev = newdev;
 }
 
-#ifdef HAVE_FLUIDSYNTH 
 #define DEF_MIDIDEV -5
-#else
-#define DEF_MIDIDEV -3
-#endif
 
 #ifdef _WIN32
 unsigned mididevice;
@@ -214,9 +201,7 @@ CCMD (snd_listmididevices)
 	MMRESULT res;
 
 	PrintMidiDevice (-6, "WildMidi", MIDIDEV_SWSYNTH, 0);
-#ifdef HAVE_FLUIDSYNTH
 	PrintMidiDevice (-5, "FluidSynth", MIDIDEV_SWSYNTH, 0);
-#endif
 	PrintMidiDevice (-4, "Gravis Ultrasound Emulation", MIDIDEV_SWSYNTH, 0);
 	PrintMidiDevice (-3, "Emulated OPL FM Synth", MIDIDEV_FMSYNTH, 0);
 	PrintMidiDevice (-2, "TiMidity++", MIDIDEV_SWSYNTH, 0);
@@ -259,9 +244,7 @@ void I_BuildMIDIMenuList (FOptionValues *opt)
 CCMD (snd_listmididevices)
 {
 	Printf("%s-6. WildMidi\n", -6 == snd_mididevice ? TEXTCOLOR_BOLD : "");
-#ifdef HAVE_FLUIDSYNTH
 	Printf("%s-5. FluidSynth\n", -5 == snd_mididevice ? TEXTCOLOR_BOLD : "");
-#endif
 	Printf("%s-4. Gravis Ultrasound Emulation\n", -4 == snd_mididevice ? TEXTCOLOR_BOLD : "");
 	Printf("%s-3. Emulated OPL FM Synth\n", -3 == snd_mididevice ? TEXTCOLOR_BOLD : "");
 	Printf("%s-2. TiMidity++\n", -2 == snd_mididevice ? TEXTCOLOR_BOLD : "");
diff --git a/src/sound/musicformats/music_midistream.cpp b/src/sound/musicformats/music_midistream.cpp
index d5ecb0cce..45a25d926 100644
--- a/src/sound/musicformats/music_midistream.cpp
+++ b/src/sound/musicformats/music_midistream.cpp
@@ -171,9 +171,7 @@ EMidiDevice MIDIStreamer::SelectMIDIDevice(EMidiDevice device)
 	case -2:		return MDEV_TIMIDITY;
 	case -3:		return MDEV_OPL;
 	case -4:		return MDEV_GUS;
-#ifdef HAVE_FLUIDSYNTH
 	case -5:		return MDEV_FLUIDSYNTH;
-#endif
 	case -6:		return MDEV_WILDMIDI;
 	default:
 		#ifdef _WIN32
@@ -192,28 +190,23 @@ EMidiDevice MIDIStreamer::SelectMIDIDevice(EMidiDevice device)
 
 MIDIDevice *MIDIStreamer::CreateMIDIDevice(EMidiDevice devtype)
 {
+	// fixme: This should check up front if the device can be started.
+	// Checks to ensure that a device finds a compatible sound font are entirely missing here.
+
 	switch (devtype)
 	{
-	case MDEV_MMAPI:
-#ifdef _WIN32
-		return CreateWinMIDIDevice(mididevice);
-#endif
-		assert(0);
-		// Intentional fall-through for non-Windows systems.
-
 	case MDEV_GUS:
 		return new TimidityMIDIDevice(Args);
+			
+	case MDEV_MMAPI:
+#ifdef _WIN32
+			return CreateWinMIDIDevice(mididevice);
+#endif
+			// Intentional fall-through for non-Windows systems.
 
-#ifdef HAVE_FLUIDSYNTH
 	case MDEV_FLUIDSYNTH:
-		return new FluidSynthMIDIDevice(Args);
-#endif
-
 	case MDEV_SNDSYS:
-#ifdef HAVE_FLUIDSYNTH
-		return new FluidSynthMIDIDevice(nullptr);
-#endif
-		// if no FluidSynth, fall through to OPL.
+		return new FluidSynthMIDIDevice(Args);
 
 	case MDEV_OPL:
 		try
@@ -224,12 +217,7 @@ MIDIDevice *MIDIStreamer::CreateMIDIDevice(EMidiDevice devtype)
 		{
 			// The creation of an OPL MIDI device can abort with an error if no GENMIDI lump can be found.
 			Printf("Unable to create OPL MIDI device: %s\nFalling back to default playback", err.GetMessage());
-#ifdef HAVE_FLUIDSYNTH
 			return new FluidSynthMIDIDevice(nullptr);
-#else
-			// Someone dared to compile GZDoom without FluidSynth support and then started an IWAD without GENMIDI support. Ugh...
-			return nullptr;
-#endif
 		}
 
 	case MDEV_TIMIDITY: