diff --git a/source/duke3d/src/sdlmusic.cpp b/source/duke3d/src/sdlmusic.cpp
index abe37d78f..bfb8229c2 100644
--- a/source/duke3d/src/sdlmusic.cpp
+++ b/source/duke3d/src/sdlmusic.cpp
@@ -359,13 +359,14 @@ int32_t MUSIC_StopSong(void)
 } // MUSIC_StopSong
 
 #if defined FORK_EXEC_MIDI
-static void playmusic()
+static int32_t playmusic()
 {
     pid_t pid = vfork();
 
     if (pid==-1)  // error
     {
         initprintf("%s: vfork: %s\n", __func__, strerror(errno));
+        return MUSIC_Error;
     }
     else if (pid==0)  // child
     {
@@ -380,6 +381,8 @@ static void playmusic()
     {
         external_midi_pid = pid;
     }
+
+    return MUSIC_Ok;
 }
 
 static void sigchld_handler(int signo)
@@ -408,9 +411,6 @@ static void sigchld_handler(int signo)
 int32_t MUSIC_PlaySong(char *song, int32_t songsize, int32_t loopflag)
 {
 //	initprintf("MUSIC_PlaySong");
-    // TODO: graceful failure
-    MUSIC_StopSong();
-
     if (external_midi)
     {
         FILE *fp;
@@ -440,14 +440,23 @@ int32_t MUSIC_PlaySong(char *song, int32_t songsize, int32_t loopflag)
 
 #if defined FORK_EXEC_MIDI
             external_midi_restart = loopflag;
-            playmusic();
+            int32_t retval = playmusic();
+            if (retval != MUSIC_Ok)
+                return retval;
 #else
             music_musicchunk = Mix_LoadMUS(external_midi_tempfn);
             if (!music_musicchunk)
+            {
                 initprintf("Mix_LoadMUS: %s\n", Mix_GetError());
+                return MUSIC_Error;
+            }
 #endif
         }
-        else initprintf("%s: fopen: %s\n", __func__, strerror(errno));
+        else
+        {
+            initprintf("%s: fopen: %s\n", __func__, strerror(errno));
+            return MUSIC_Error;
+        }
     }
     else
         music_musicchunk = Mix_LoadMUS_RW(SDL_RWFromMem(song, songsize)
@@ -456,9 +465,14 @@ int32_t MUSIC_PlaySong(char *song, int32_t songsize, int32_t loopflag)
 #endif
             );
 
-    if (music_musicchunk != NULL)
-        if (Mix_PlayMusic(music_musicchunk, (loopflag == MUSIC_LoopSong)?-1:0) == -1)
-            initprintf("Mix_PlayMusic: %s\n", Mix_GetError());
+    if (music_musicchunk == NULL)
+        return MUSIC_Error;
+
+    if (Mix_PlayMusic(music_musicchunk, (loopflag == MUSIC_LoopSong)?-1:0) == -1)
+    {
+        initprintf("Mix_PlayMusic: %s\n", Mix_GetError());
+        return MUSIC_Error;
+    }
 
     return MUSIC_Ok;
 }