diff --git a/audio/audio.c b/audio/audio.c
index 5600593da0..d96a130559 100644
--- a/audio/audio.c
+++ b/audio/audio.c
@@ -118,6 +118,7 @@ int audio_bug (const char *funcname, int cond)
             AUD_log (NULL, "I am sorry\n");
         }
         AUD_log (NULL, "Context:\n");
+        abort();
     }
 
     return cond;
@@ -138,7 +139,7 @@ static inline int audio_bits_to_index (int bits)
     default:
         audio_bug ("bits_to_index", 1);
         AUD_log (NULL, "invalid bits %d\n", bits);
-        abort();
+        return 0;
     }
 }
 
@@ -156,7 +157,7 @@ void *audio_calloc (const char *funcname, int nmemb, size_t size)
         AUD_log (NULL, "%s passed invalid arguments to audio_calloc\n",
                  funcname);
         AUD_log (NULL, "nmemb=%d size=%zu (len=%zu)\n", nmemb, size, len);
-        abort();
+        return NULL;
     }
 
     return g_malloc0 (len);
@@ -543,7 +544,7 @@ static size_t audio_pcm_hw_get_live_in(HWVoiceIn *hw)
     size_t live = hw->total_samples_captured - audio_pcm_hw_find_min_in (hw);
     if (audio_bug(__func__, live > hw->conv_buf->size)) {
         dolog("live=%zu hw->conv_buf->size=%zu\n", live, hw->conv_buf->size);
-        abort();
+        return 0;
     }
     return live;
 }
@@ -581,7 +582,7 @@ static size_t audio_pcm_sw_read(SWVoiceIn *sw, void *buf, size_t size)
     }
     if (audio_bug(__func__, live > hw->conv_buf->size)) {
         dolog("live_in=%zu hw->conv_buf->size=%zu\n", live, hw->conv_buf->size);
-        abort();
+        return 0;
     }
 
     rpos = audio_ring_posb(hw->conv_buf->pos, live, hw->conv_buf->size);
@@ -656,7 +657,7 @@ static size_t audio_pcm_hw_get_live_out (HWVoiceOut *hw, int *nb_live)
 
         if (audio_bug(__func__, live > hw->mix_buf->size)) {
             dolog("live=%zu hw->mix_buf->size=%zu\n", live, hw->mix_buf->size);
-            abort();
+            return 0;
         }
         return live;
     }
@@ -706,7 +707,7 @@ static size_t audio_pcm_sw_write(SWVoiceOut *sw, void *buf, size_t size)
     live = sw->total_hw_samples_mixed;
     if (audio_bug(__func__, live > hwsamples)) {
         dolog("live=%zu hw->mix_buf->size=%zu\n", live, hwsamples);
-        abort();
+        return 0;
     }
 
     if (live == hwsamples) {
@@ -998,7 +999,7 @@ static size_t audio_get_avail (SWVoiceIn *sw)
     if (audio_bug(__func__, live > sw->hw->conv_buf->size)) {
         dolog("live=%zu sw->hw->conv_buf->size=%zu\n", live,
               sw->hw->conv_buf->size);
-        abort();
+        return 0;
     }
 
     ldebug (
@@ -1028,7 +1029,7 @@ static size_t audio_get_free(SWVoiceOut *sw)
     if (audio_bug(__func__, live > sw->hw->mix_buf->size)) {
         dolog("live=%zu sw->hw->mix_buf->size=%zu\n", live,
               sw->hw->mix_buf->size);
-        abort();
+        return 0;
     }
 
     dead = sw->hw->mix_buf->size - live;
@@ -1170,7 +1171,7 @@ static void audio_run_out (AudioState *s)
 
         if (audio_bug(__func__, live > hw->mix_buf->size)) {
             dolog("live=%zu hw->mix_buf->size=%zu\n", live, hw->mix_buf->size);
-            abort();
+            continue;
         }
 
         if (hw->pending_disable && !nb_live) {
@@ -1203,7 +1204,7 @@ static void audio_run_out (AudioState *s)
         if (audio_bug(__func__, hw->mix_buf->pos >= hw->mix_buf->size)) {
             dolog("hw->mix_buf->pos=%zu hw->mix_buf->size=%zu played=%zu\n",
                   hw->mix_buf->pos, hw->mix_buf->size, played);
-            abort();
+            hw->mix_buf->pos = 0;
         }
 
 #ifdef DEBUG_OUT
@@ -1223,7 +1224,7 @@ static void audio_run_out (AudioState *s)
             if (audio_bug(__func__, played > sw->total_hw_samples_mixed)) {
                 dolog("played=%zu sw->total_hw_samples_mixed=%zu\n",
                       played, sw->total_hw_samples_mixed);
-                abort();
+                played = sw->total_hw_samples_mixed;
             }
 
             sw->total_hw_samples_mixed -= played;
@@ -1346,7 +1347,7 @@ static void audio_run_capture (AudioState *s)
             if (audio_bug(__func__, captured > sw->total_hw_samples_mixed)) {
                 dolog("captured=%zu sw->total_hw_samples_mixed=%zu\n",
                       captured, sw->total_hw_samples_mixed);
-                abort();
+                captured = sw->total_hw_samples_mixed;
             }
 
             sw->total_hw_samples_mixed -= captured;
diff --git a/audio/audio_template.h b/audio/audio_template.h
index 81860cea62..98ab557684 100644
--- a/audio/audio_template.h
+++ b/audio/audio_template.h
@@ -59,13 +59,12 @@ static void glue(audio_init_nb_voices_, TYPE)(AudioState *s,
     if (audio_bug(__func__, !voice_size && max_voices)) {
         dolog ("drv=`%s' voice_size=0 max_voices=%d\n",
                drv->name, max_voices);
-        abort();
+        glue (s->nb_hw_voices_, TYPE) = 0;
     }
 
     if (audio_bug(__func__, voice_size && !max_voices)) {
         dolog ("drv=`%s' voice_size=%d max_voices=0\n",
                drv->name, voice_size);
-        abort();
     }
 }
 
@@ -82,7 +81,6 @@ static void glue(audio_pcm_hw_alloc_resources_, TYPE)(HW *hw)
         size_t samples = hw->samples;
         if (audio_bug(__func__, samples == 0)) {
             dolog("Attempted to allocate empty buffer\n");
-            abort();
         }
 
         HWBUF = g_malloc0(sizeof(STSampleBuffer) + sizeof(st_sample) * samples);
@@ -254,12 +252,12 @@ static HW *glue(audio_pcm_hw_add_new_, TYPE)(AudioState *s,
 
     if (audio_bug(__func__, !drv)) {
         dolog ("No host audio driver\n");
-        abort();
+        return NULL;
     }
 
     if (audio_bug(__func__, !drv->pcm_ops)) {
         dolog ("Host audio driver without pcm_ops\n");
-        abort();
+        return NULL;
     }
 
     hw = audio_calloc(__func__, 1, glue(drv->voice_size_, TYPE));
@@ -277,13 +275,12 @@ static HW *glue(audio_pcm_hw_add_new_, TYPE)(AudioState *s,
     QLIST_INIT (&hw->cap_head);
 #endif
     if (glue (hw->pcm_ops->init_, TYPE) (hw, as, s->drv_opaque)) {
-        g_free(hw);
-        return NULL;
+        goto err0;
     }
 
     if (audio_bug(__func__, hw->samples <= 0)) {
         dolog("hw->samples=%zd\n", hw->samples);
-        abort();
+        goto err1;
     }
 
     if (hw->info.is_float) {
@@ -312,6 +309,12 @@ static HW *glue(audio_pcm_hw_add_new_, TYPE)(AudioState *s,
     audio_attach_capture (hw);
 #endif
     return hw;
+
+ err1:
+    glue (hw->pcm_ops->fini_, TYPE) (hw);
+ err0:
+    g_free (hw);
+    return NULL;
 }
 
 AudiodevPerDirectionOptions *glue(audio_get_pdo_, TYPE)(Audiodev *dev)
@@ -434,7 +437,7 @@ void glue (AUD_close_, TYPE) (QEMUSoundCard *card, SW *sw)
     if (sw) {
         if (audio_bug(__func__, !card)) {
             dolog ("card=%p\n", card);
-            abort();
+            return;
         }
 
         glue (audio_close_, TYPE) (sw);
@@ -456,7 +459,7 @@ SW *glue (AUD_open_, TYPE) (
     if (audio_bug(__func__, !card || !name || !callback_fn || !as)) {
         dolog ("card=%p name=%p callback_fn=%p as=%p\n",
                card, name, callback_fn, as);
-        abort();
+        goto fail;
     }
 
     s = card->state;
@@ -467,12 +470,12 @@ SW *glue (AUD_open_, TYPE) (
 
     if (audio_bug(__func__, audio_validate_settings(as))) {
         audio_print_settings (as);
-        abort();
+        goto fail;
     }
 
     if (audio_bug(__func__, !s->drv)) {
         dolog ("Can not open `%s' (no host audio driver)\n", name);
-        abort();
+        goto fail;
     }
 
     if (sw && audio_pcm_info_eq (&sw->info, as)) {