diff --git a/hairtunes.c b/hairtunes.c
index 9e5621cc..f3663714 100644
--- a/hairtunes.c
+++ b/hairtunes.c
@@ -69,14 +69,12 @@ int fmtp[32];
 int sampling_rate;
 int frame_size;
 
-//Audio Device/driver variables
-// Max num of chars "                               " - 32 character string, 1 reserved for null
-char *audiodevice = "Speakers (Realtek High Definiti";
-char *audiodriver = "wmm";
-char *audiodeviceid = 0;
+char *libao_driver = NULL;
+char *libao_devicename = NULL;
+char *libao_deviceid = NULL; // ao_options expects "char*"
 
 // FIFO name and file handle
-char *pipename = 0;
+char *pipename = NULL;
 int pipe_handle = -1;
 
 #define FRAME_BYTES (4*frame_size)
@@ -194,7 +192,32 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
             rtphost = *++argv;
         } else
         if (!strcasecmp(arg, "pipe")) {
+            if (libao_driver || libao_devicename || libao_deviceid ) {
+                die("Option 'pipe' may not be combined with 'ao_driver', 'ao_devicename' or 'ao_deviceid'");
+            }
+
             pipename = *++argv;
+        } else
+        if (!strcasecmp(arg, "ao_driver")) {
+            if (pipename) {
+                die("Option 'ao_driver' may not be combined with 'pipe'");
+            }
+
+            libao_driver = *++argv;
+        } else
+        if (!strcasecmp(arg, "ao_devicename")) {
+            if (pipename || libao_deviceid ) {
+                die("Option 'ao_devicename' may not be combined with 'pipe' or 'ao_deviceid'");
+            }
+
+            libao_devicename = *++argv;
+        } else
+        if (!strcasecmp(arg, "ao_deviceid")) {
+            if (pipename || libao_devicename) {
+                die("Option 'ao_deviceid' may not be combined with 'pipe' or 'ao_devicename'");
+            }
+
+            libao_deviceid = *++argv;
         }
 #ifdef FANCY_RESAMPLING
         else
@@ -745,32 +768,39 @@ void init_pipe(char* pipe) {
 
 void* init_ao() {
     ao_initialize();
-    int driver = ao_default_driver_id();
+
+    int driver;
+    if (libao_driver) {
+        // if a libao driver is specified on the command line, use that
+        driver = ao_driver_id(libao_driver);
+        if (driver == -1) {
+            die("Could not find requested ao driver");
+        }
+    } else {
+        // otherwise choose the default
+        driver = ao_default_driver_id();
+    }
+
     ao_sample_format fmt;
-    ao_option aoo;
-	ao_option *ao_opts=0;
-	memset(&fmt, 0, sizeof(fmt));
+    memset(&fmt, 0, sizeof(fmt));
 	
     fmt.bits = 16;
     fmt.rate = sampling_rate;
     fmt.channels = NUM_CHANNELS;
     fmt.byte_format = AO_FMT_NATIVE;
 	
-	if(audiodriver!=0){
-		driver = ao_driver_id(audiodriver);
-	}
-	if(audiodeviceid!=0){
-		aoo.key="id";
-		aoo.value=audiodeviceid;
-		aoo.next=NULL;
-		ao_opts=&aoo;
-	} else if(audiodevice!=0){
-		aoo.key="dev";
-		aoo.value=audiodevice;
-		aoo.next=NULL;
-		ao_opts=&aoo;
-	} 
+    ao_option *ao_opts = NULL;
+    if(libao_deviceid) {
+        ao_append_option(&ao_opts, "id", libao_deviceid);
+    } else if(libao_devicename){
+        ao_append_option(&ao_opts, "dev", libao_devicename);
+    }
+
     ao_device *dev = ao_open_live(driver, &fmt, ao_opts);
+    if (dev == NULL) {
+        die("Could not open ao device");
+    }
+
     return dev;
 }
 
diff --git a/shairport.pl b/shairport.pl
index 45969be6..344276c3 100755
--- a/shairport.pl
+++ b/shairport.pl
@@ -53,6 +53,10 @@ my $password = '';
 # output to a pipe?
 my $pipepath;
 my $daemon;
+# ao options
+my $libao_driver;
+my $libao_devicename;
+my $libao_deviceid;
 # suppose hairtunes is under same directory
 my $hairtunes_cli = $FindBin::Bin . '/hairtunes';
 
@@ -68,6 +72,9 @@ GetOptions("a|apname=s" => \$apname,
           "p|password=s"  => \$password,
           "i|pipe=s"  => \$pipepath,
           "d" => \$daemon,
+          "ao_driver=s" => \$libao_driver,
+          "ao_devicename=s" => \$libao_devicename,
+          "ao_deviceid=s" => \$libao_deviceid,
           "h|help" => \$help);
 
 sub usage {
@@ -76,11 +83,14 @@ sub usage {
           "$0 [OPTION...]\n".
           "\n".
           "Options:\n".
-          "  -a, --apname=AirPort    Sets AirPort name\n".
-          "  -p, --password=secret   Sets password\n",
-          "  -i, --pipe=pipepath     Sets the path to a named pipe for output\n",
-          "  -d                      Daemon mode\n",
-          "  -h, --help              This help\n",
+          "  -a, --apname=AirPort            Sets AirPort name\n".
+          "  -p, --password=secret           Sets password\n",
+          "  -i, --pipe=pipepath             Sets the path to a named pipe for output\n",
+          "      --ao_driver=driver          Sets the ao driver (optional)\n",
+          "      --ao_devicename=devicename  Sets the ao device name (optional)\n",
+          "      --ao_deviceid=id            Sets the ao device id (optional)\n",
+          "  -d                              Daemon mode\n",
+          "  -h, --help                      This help\n",
           "\n";
     exit;
 }
@@ -356,6 +366,9 @@ sub conn_handle_request {
 #                host    => 'unused',
             );
             $dec_args{pipe} = $pipepath if defined $pipepath;
+            $dec_args{ao_driver} = $libao_driver if defined $libao_driver;
+            $dec_args{ao_devicename} = $libao_devicename if defined $libao_devicename;
+            $dec_args{ao_deviceid} = $libao_deviceid if defined $libao_deviceid;
 
             my $dec = $hairtunes_cli . join(' ', '', map { sprintf "%s '%s'", $_, $dec_args{$_} } keys(%dec_args));