diff --git a/audio/audio.c b/audio/audio.c
index e1456ad55d2..2e2e7fa72f7 100644
--- a/audio/audio.c
+++ b/audio/audio.c
@@ -1707,12 +1707,12 @@ static AudiodevListEntry *audiodev_find(
  * if dev == NULL => legacy implicit initialization, return the already created
  *   state or create a new one
  */
-static AudioState *audio_init(Audiodev *dev, const char *name)
+static AudioState *audio_init(Audiodev *dev)
 {
     static bool atexit_registered;
     size_t i;
     int done = 0;
-    const char *drvname = NULL;
+    const char *drvname;
     VMChangeStateEntry *vmse;
     AudioState *s;
     struct audio_driver *driver;
@@ -1736,17 +1736,32 @@ static AudioState *audio_init(Audiodev *dev, const char *name)
         }
     }
 
+    s = g_new0(AudioState, 1);
+
+    QLIST_INIT (&s->hw_head_out);
+    QLIST_INIT (&s->hw_head_in);
+    QLIST_INIT (&s->cap_head);
+    if (!atexit_registered) {
+        atexit(audio_cleanup);
+        atexit_registered = true;
+    }
+
+    s->ts = timer_new_ns(QEMU_CLOCK_VIRTUAL, audio_timer, s);
+
     if (dev) {
         /* -audiodev option */
-        legacy_config = false;
+        s->dev = dev;
         drvname = AudiodevDriver_str(dev->driver);
-    } else if (!QTAILQ_EMPTY(&audio_states)) {
-        if (!legacy_config) {
-            dolog("Device %s: audiodev default parameter is deprecated, please "
-                  "specify audiodev=%s\n", name,
-                  QTAILQ_FIRST(&audio_states)->dev->id);
+        driver = audio_driver_lookup(drvname);
+        if (driver) {
+            done = !audio_driver_init(s, driver, true, dev);
+        } else {
+            dolog ("Unknown audio driver `%s'\n", drvname);
+        }
+        if (!done) {
+            free_audio_state(s);
+            return NULL;
         }
-        return QTAILQ_FIRST(&audio_states);
     } else {
         /* legacy implicit initialization */
         head = audio_handle_legacy_opts();
@@ -1759,33 +1774,7 @@ static AudioState *audio_init(Audiodev *dev, const char *name)
          */
         dev = QSIMPLEQ_FIRST(&head)->dev;
         audio_validate_opts(dev, &error_abort);
-    }
 
-    s = g_new0(AudioState, 1);
-    s->dev = dev;
-
-    QLIST_INIT (&s->hw_head_out);
-    QLIST_INIT (&s->hw_head_in);
-    QLIST_INIT (&s->cap_head);
-    if (!atexit_registered) {
-        atexit(audio_cleanup);
-        atexit_registered = true;
-    }
-
-    s->ts = timer_new_ns(QEMU_CLOCK_VIRTUAL, audio_timer, s);
-
-    if (drvname) {
-        driver = audio_driver_lookup(drvname);
-        if (driver) {
-            done = !audio_driver_init(s, driver, true, dev);
-        } else {
-            dolog ("Unknown audio driver `%s'\n", drvname);
-        }
-        if (!done) {
-            free_audio_state(s);
-            return NULL;
-        }
-    } else {
         for (i = 0; audio_prio_list[i]; i++) {
             AudiodevListEntry *e = audiodev_find(&head, audio_prio_list[i]);
             driver = audio_driver_lookup(audio_prio_list[i]);
@@ -1800,8 +1789,9 @@ static AudioState *audio_init(Audiodev *dev, const char *name)
                 }
             }
         }
+
+        audio_free_audiodev_list(&head);
     }
-    audio_free_audiodev_list(&head);
 
     if (!done) {
         driver = audio_driver_lookup("none");
@@ -1841,7 +1831,16 @@ void audio_free_audiodev_list(AudiodevListHead *head)
 void AUD_register_card (const char *name, QEMUSoundCard *card)
 {
     if (!card->state) {
-        card->state = audio_init(NULL, name);
+        if (!QTAILQ_EMPTY(&audio_states)) {
+            if (!legacy_config) {
+                dolog("Device %s: audiodev default parameter is deprecated, please "
+                      "specify audiodev=%s\n", name,
+                      QTAILQ_FIRST(&audio_states)->dev->id);
+            }
+            card->state = QTAILQ_FIRST(&audio_states);
+        } else {
+            card->state = audio_init(NULL);
+        }
     }
 
     card->name = g_strdup (name);
@@ -2172,6 +2171,7 @@ void audio_define(Audiodev *dev)
     e = g_new0(AudiodevListEntry, 1);
     e->dev = dev;
     QSIMPLEQ_INSERT_TAIL(&audiodevs, e, next);
+    legacy_config = false;
 }
 
 bool audio_init_audiodevs(void)
@@ -2179,7 +2179,7 @@ bool audio_init_audiodevs(void)
     AudiodevListEntry *e;
 
     QSIMPLEQ_FOREACH(e, &audiodevs, next) {
-        if (!audio_init(e->dev, NULL)) {
+        if (!audio_init(e->dev)) {
             return false;
         }
     }
